FREE 11th Annual Texas Social Media Conference - Here's the November Schedule!

Yes! I am excited! We are getting back into the training and development mode with the Texas Social Media Research Institute (and the Rural Communication Institute)! Are you looking for a FREE conference focused on social media and rural communication? Check out our conference schedule!

Tuesday, November 2nd

5pm - Journal Club (Discussing "Reality check: How adolescents use

TikTok as a digital backchanneling medium to speak back against

institutional discourses of school(ing)."

Thursday, November 4th

8pm - #TXSocialMedia Twitter Chat - Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Sweater

Weather, and Autumn/Winter Social Media Outreach Strategies

Monday, November 8th

6pm - How Public Health Agencies in the United States in the United

Kingdom Communicate with their Target Audience During the COVID19

Pandemic (Presented by: Riley Odom, Megan Mackay, Erin McDonald,

Bayley Chenault, Sydney Brown)

8pm - How the Texas Department of Health and Safety and Colorado

Department of Health and Environment are Communicating about

Health During COVID19 (Presented By: Halie Hix, Shelby Hargrove,

Magnolia Dunlap, Michaela Bierman, Steven Duncan)

Tuesday, November 9th

5pm - Journal Club - Discussing the article: "We (Want To) Believe in

the Best of Men: A Qualitative Analysis of Reactions to

#Gillette on Twitter"

7pm - How the United States Federal Government and the State of Texas

Communicate with the Public During the Pandemic (Presented by: Kristi

Cortez, Jessica Thomas, Kennedy Onuam, Julia Nolen)

Thursday, November 11th

3pm - Neurodiversity at Work; Assignment Construction Strategies for

Creative Thinkers in Online Teams (Presented By: Melanie Mason (University

of Texas at Arlington)

8pm - #TXSocialMedia Twitter Chat - Veterans Day and How the Military

Engages the Public Through Social Media

Thursday, November 11th

11:59pm - #TXSocialMedia Undergraduate and Graduate Fellowship

Applications Due

Sunday, November 14th

6:30 pm - How the Louisiana Department of Education and the Texas

Education Agency are Communicating about Health During COVID19

(Presented By: Katherine Mitchell, Audrey Morton, Jorge Irizarry,

Audrey Morton, Morgan Maley, Christina Byrd)

Monday, November 15th

7pm - #TXSocialMedia LIVE: Let's Network Session on Zoom -

Social Media and Privacy - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Tuesday, November 16th

1pm - Connecting & Engaging with Students -

Presented By: Narissra Punyanunt-Carter & Dr. Ryan Martinez (Texas Tech University)

3pm - Alzheimer's (and Rural Health) Community Forum for Tarleton

Staff and Faculty- Register online: alznct.news/ACF1116

5pm - Journal Club - Discussing "Small Businesses Still Missing the Boat

on Social Media and Internet Advertising."

Thursday, November 18th

8pm - #TXSocialMedia Twitter Chat - National Rural Health Day -

Innovative Ways Rural Residents Can Practice Preventative Care

Monday, November 21st

7pm - #TXSocialMedia LIVE: Let's Network Session on Zoom - Innovative

Ways TikTok Can Be Utilized in Education, Business, and Life

Saturday, November 27th

All Day - Use the Hashtag #ShopSmall for Small Business Saturday

Monday, November 28th

7pm - #TXSocialMedia LIVE: Let's Network Session on Zoom -

Social Media and Health - How Does Social Media Impact Our Health?

Tuesday, November 30th

12:30pm - Student-based Resourcing: Responding to Increased Needs as

a Rural Institution (Presented by: Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason

& Cameron Ellner, Tarleton State University)

6pm - How the Texas Department of Health and Human Services

and the State of Louisiana Department of Health are Communicating

About Health (Presented By: Averill Hubbard, Zachary Mesa, Dylan

Antonelli, Olivia Teague, Kyon Barnes)

7pm - #TXSocialMedia LIVE: Let's Network Session on Zoom -

Hooked on Social: Social Media the New Kid's Toy?

Are They Becoming Hooked TOO EARLY?

National Day of Giving - Give to the Rural Communication Institute and

the Texas Social Media Research Institute

National Mason Jar Day -

Highlight Innovative Ways You Can Use Mason Jars

(Use the #TXSocialMedia and #ThinkRuralComm hashtags)

Save-the-Date & Call for Proposals

The 12th Annual #TXSocialMedia Conference & the 3rd Annual Rural

Communication Conference will be held on Friday, April 22, 2022 in Fort

Worth Texas. Submit a Proposal - http://www.tinyurl.com/SMCCFP/

Here's the entire schedule and the individual links for each session:

Texas Social Media Month - November 2021 (Final) by jennifertedwards

I hope you will join us!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Professor of Communication

Executive Director of the Texas Social Media Research Institute & Rural Communication Institute

My Social Media Channels!
Remember to Follow Me on Twitter! @drjtedwards
I Always Post Higher Education Videos on YouTube
Find Me on Instagram
Engage with Me on Facebook!
Watch My Videos on Twitter Live - http://www.periscope.com/drjtedwards/
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com

Check out my book - Retaining College Students Using Technology: A Guidebook for Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Professionals.

Remember to order copies for your team as well!

Interested in a specific student success topic or do you need a speaker for an upcoming conference? Contact me via direct message on Twitter or join our Student Success and Retention Institute - Learning Community on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting! 

Intercultural Communication - What are the Dimensions of Culture?

In Intercultural Communication, we are studying dimensions of cultures including:

I. Individualism vs. Collectivism

II. Masculinity vs. Femininity

III. Power Distance

IV. Uncertainty Avoidance

V. Long-Term vs. Short Term Orientation

VI. Environmental Sustainability

Interested in a specific student success topic or do you need a speaker for an upcoming conference? Contact me via direct message on Twitter or join our Student Success Communication and Technology Institute on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Higher Education Speaker and Researcher

My Social Media Channels!
Remember to Follow Me on Twitter! @drjtedwards
I Always Post Higher Education Videos on YouTube
Find Me on Instagram
Engage with Me on Facebook!
Watch My Videos on Twitter Live - http://www.periscope.com/drjtedwards/
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com
My Research Interests: Customer Service and Social Media, Higher Education Retention, and Millennials at Work

Course Navigation Guide - Higher Education Student Services

Welcome to the Higher Education Student Services course at Tarleton State University. In this course, we focus on everything student services including student activities, student success, and retention!

This course at Tarleton State University is located in the Educational Leadership Department.

Interested in a specific student success topic or do you need a speaker for an upcoming conference? Contact me via direct message on Twitter or join our Student Success Communication and Technology Institute on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Higher Education Speaker and Researcher

My Social Media Channels!
Remember to Follow Me on Twitter! @drjtedwards
I Always Post Higher Education Videos on YouTube
Find Me on Instagram
Engage with Me on Facebook!
Watch My Videos on Twitter Live - http://www.periscope.com/drjtedwards/
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com
My Research Interests: Customer Service and Social Media, Higher Education Retention, and Millennials at Work

10 Reasons Why ALL Tarleton State University Students Need an Internship

The Texas Social Media Research Institute provides on-campus internships for Tarleton State University students. Here are 10 Reasons why all Tarleton State University students and ALL College Students Need an Internship.

Interested in a specific student success topic or do you need a speaker for an upcoming conference? Contact me via direct message on Twitter or join our Student Success Communication and Technology Institute on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Higher Education Speaker and Researcher

My Social Media Channels!
Remember to Follow Me on Twitter! @drjtedwards
I Always Post Higher Education Videos on YouTube
Find Me on Instagram
Engage with Me on Facebook!
Watch My Videos on Twitter Live - http://www.periscope.com/drjtedwards/
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com
My Research Interests: Customer Service and Social Media, Higher Education Retention, and Millennials at Work

Org. Communication - How to Help New Employees Feel at Home in an Organization

Hi everyone!

When you are joining a new workplace or organization, it is important to know about the acculturation process. The process includes learning about the history, politics, language, interpersonal relationships, goals, and values of the organization. The most memorable messages for new employees are role-related and culture-related.

Interested in a specific student success topic or do you need a speaker for an upcoming conference? Contact me via direct message on Twitter or join our Student Success Communication and Technology Institute on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Higher Education Speaker and Researcher

My Social Media Channels!
Remember to Follow Me on Twitter! @drjtedwards
I Always Post Higher Education Videos on YouTube
Find Me on Instagram
Engage with Me on Facebook!
Watch My Videos on Twitter Live - http://www.periscope.com/drjtedwards/
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com
My Research Interests: Customer Service and Social Media, Higher Education Retention, and Millennials at Work

Data Analysis: California and Texas Public Health Initiatives

I am a health communication researcher, primarily in the areas of social media and awareness for veterans and underrepresented populations. During a graduate class this semester, the students decided to research how two states provided outreach for their citizens through Twitter. 

We also examined the engagement for India, England, and the United States for public health outreach. We hope to present the information at a conference soon. Take a look at our strategy and data analysis for public health:

This is definitely a high impact practice for students. I like to integrate research in each course that I teach - online and offline!

Interested in a specific student success topic or do you need a speaker for an upcoming conference? Contact me via direct message on Twitter or join our Student Success Communication and Technology Institute on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Higher Education Speaker and Researcher

My Social Media Channels!
Remember to Follow Me on Twitter! @drjtedwards
I Always Post Higher Education Videos on YouTube
Find Me on Instagram
Engage with Me on Facebook!
Watch My Videos on Twitter Live - http://www.periscope.com/drjtedwards/
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com
My Research Interests: Customer Service and Social Media, Higher Education Retention, and Millennials at Work

Celebrating the Texas Social Media Research Institute Seniors!

Every time I become discouraged in higher education, I always have to think about the wonderful students in classes and who are also part of the Texas Social Media Research Institute's internship program. 

Each year, our graduating students are honored for their efforts in the organization and also for their hard work serving the community. They have a special recognition ceremony and then they are also encouraged to give advice for others who are in the organization. Words of Wisdom! :) 

Enjoy watching our Last Meeting of the Semester and Senior Celebration!

Interested in a specific student success topic or do you need a speaker for an upcoming conference? Contact me via direct message on Twitter or join our Student Success Communication and Technology Institute on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Higher Education Speaker and Researcher

My Social Media Channels!
Remember to Follow Me on Twitter! @drjtedwards
I Always Post Higher Education Videos on YouTube
Find Me on Instagram
Engage with Me on Facebook!
Watch My Videos on Twitter Live - http://www.periscope.com/drjtedwards/
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com
My Research Interests: Customer Service and Social Media, Higher Education Retention, and Millennials at Work

Creating an Engaging Retention Resource for College Students

Can you believe it? The beginning of the fall semester is here and I am VERY excited about meeting the new students. Over the summer, I was tasked with creating an engaging powerpoint for freshmen students who were transitioning to Tarleton State University.

I did not want to create anything that was a mere power point, but I wanted to add some color, music, and movement to the presentation. Here's the list of Top 10 Study Resources for Tarleton Students:

Top 10 Study Resources for Tarleton Students

1 - Attend Study Skills Sessions

2 - Get to Know Your Advisor

3 - Attend Your Professor's Office Hours

4 - Go to Class On-Time

5 - Make a Tutoring Appointment

6 - Attending ARC-C Sessions (Formerly Supplemental Instruction)

7 - Pick Up a FREE Planner from Student Success

8 - Take the Learning Styles Assessment (LASSI)

9 - Form Study Groups with Students in Your Classes

10 - Check Out the Math Clinic

Also, Check Out the Writing Center and the Science Clinic.

Questions? Contact Student Success - 968-9480 Remember to Eat Healthy Food!

Also, here's another student success video that was embedded on the Blackboard Course:

Here's a Quick Video for first-year students focused on "Module 4 - Learning How to Learn/Study Skills/Support Services (Math Clinic, Writing Center, Tutoring, SI, Library, Blackboard)". This is the best week for first-year students (freshmen) at Tarleton).

Please let me know some additional ways that this format or the content of the video can be used by different areas. I am excited!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Higher Education Speaker and Researcher

My Social Media Channels!
Remember to Follow Me on Twitter! @drjtedwards
Remember to Subscribe to Me on YOUTUBE
My Research Interests: Customer Service and Social Media, Higher Education Retention, and Millennials at Work
Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/drjtedwards/
Facebook - Facebook!
If You Love Periscope as Much as I Do...Follow Me There! - http://www.periscope.com/drjtedwards/
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com

Teaching Social Media to Graduate Students - A Syllabus Preview and Blackboard Course Review

I absolutely love working with graduate students - especially graduate students who are interested in working in the social media industry. I teach courses each semester focused on social media. These courses include:

- New Communication Technology
- Applied Social Media
- Computer-Mediated Communication

This semester, I am teaching the New Communication Technology course. I finally finished my graduate syllabus last night and I am proud of the progress. Also, this is the first time that I have not required a research paper. I am aiming for full-impact coursework and for a fun process for me.

Click the image of the syllabus to view the ENTIRE syllabus from this semester. I always update the same Google Document each semester to avoid updating links on Blackboard. Updating external links is great! I am very excited about this syllabus and I cannot wait to make the course navigation video. Here's the course navigation video from last semester:

If you have any questions for me, please ask away. I am happy to help!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards

My Social Media Channels!
Of Course You Follow Me on Twitter! @drjtedwards
I Am Also on Instagram! http://www.instagram.com/drjtedwards/
Have You Subscribed on YOUTUBE yet?
Become a Fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook!
If You Love Periscope as Much as I Do...Follow Me There! - http://www.periscope.com/drjtedwards/
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com

Did I Hold It Together During the Graduation Ceremony? You Decide!

Last night was one of the best experiences that I've had in academia. I've worked at the same university for the past ten years and by far, this has been my proudest moment so far.

The Tarleton State University Communication Studies Department celebrated its first two communication studies graduates at the master's level. Mr. Winston Dawson and Ms. Becca Long have always been trend setters for their peers, but last night they proved that they mastered their academic discipline. 

When Becca asked me to "hood" in the December graduation ceremony a few weeks ago, I was so excited to add this important event to my calendar! I told her that I would not miss it for the world!

Becca
I've known Becca for the past six (almost seven) years! She was one of the first undergraduate students involved with the Texas Social Media Research Institute (@TSMRI) and we have been proud of her since that point. We also keep up with all of our graduates and their career progression!

Winston
I met Winston six years ago and he is the funniest person that I know. He always has a smile on his face and he impacts all individuals around him! He actually attended my secret baby shower planned by the first class of @TSMRI interns. I've always admired him for attending and supporting my journey as a parent. 

Traivohn, Torri, and Lizzie
We also had three undergraduate students accomplish the first part of their academic journey as well. These students have been some of the most creative and most motivational students I've ever encountered. I immediately think of these students when I think about the student learning outcomes from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). These students served as trendsetters for their peers and I was excited to see them cross the stage!

I also told them that they had to keep in contact with me through our Friday check-in meetings on Twitter group messages. I have a recurring meeting in my schedule to remind me to initiate the communication if I do not hear from them.

This experience marks the end of their bachelor's level or master's level graduate journey, but it does not represent the end of their academic journey! I look forward to hearing about their next accomplishments!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards


Have a great week! Thanks for visiting the Millennial Professor Blog!

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Follow Me on Twitter/Instagram - @drjtedwards
Subscribe to Millennial Professor on YOUTUBE! 
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Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com

Traveling with Undergraduate Students - Today is Presentation Day!

Readers,

Today is the day my undergraduate students present their research! I am excited, yet nervous about their presentation! They are looking forward to presenting their research after lunch. Here is the information from the conference program book:

OUTCOMES OF COLLEGE STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS 
SPONSOR: THEODORE CLEVENGER, JR. UNDERGRADUATE HONORS CONFERENCE
CHAIR/RESPONDENT: TOM SABETTA, UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY


College Students’ Perceptions of Factors Influencing Math Anxiety
Megan Traweek, University of Montevallo


College Students’ Perceptions of Fitness and Body Type in Interpersonal Relationships
Melissa MacDonald, Tarleton State University
Kylee Thetford, Tarleton State University
Nicole Schueneman, Tarleton State University


College Students’ Perceptions of their Undergraduate Peers with Sexually Transmitted Infections

Stacy Diane Coggins, Tarleton State University


College Students’ Perceptions of Interracial Relationships
Chale Moreno, Tarleton State University
Raul Carrillo, Tarleton State University
Winston Dawson, Tarleton State University


It’s an Age Thing: College Female Dating Age Preferences
Jessica Weaver, Southern Adventist University
Hilary Prandl, Southern Adventist University
Kelsey Larrabee, Southern Adventist University
Lauren Swafford, Southern Adventist University
Kara Turpen, Southern Adventist University

Their presentations went very well and I am so proud of them! My department head and Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason came to view their presentations and she said that their presentations were indicative of master's level research. Here are some pictures from their presentations! 

After their presentations, the students sent a text message stating "We have a surprise for you downstairs". I arrived downstairs and the presented gourmet cupcakes to me with a beautiful message stating "Dr. Edwards - Thank you for all of that you do!". It was the best surprise and I was so excited to receive such a great gift during this time of the semester! I really NEEDED that message this week! :)

Overall, it was a great conference and I hope that I will be able to take students to the Southern States Communication Association conference next year in San Antonio! :) We would also like to thank Tarleton's Student Research and Creative Activities Office, the Council for Undergraduate Research, and the Tarleton Communication Studies Office for their support of our trip! :)

Sincerely,

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.