1. Social Media in the
School Library
SLMS Use of Social Media
and
Instructing Students in Using Social Media

2. Introduction
Today’s students are immersed in dynamic online networks. Web 2.0 has resulted in
sites that increase social interaction and allow users to contribute to online content.
Social media includes web and mobile technologies that promote communication and
interaction between individuals. Popular social media sites include: Facebook,
YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Blogger, Glogster, Google+, Wikispaces.
Many schools are hesitant to embrace social media for fear of distractions,
cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and privacy concerns. School media specialists
can alleviate these concerns by guiding students and teachers through the
overwhelming world of social media. This involves instructing students in the proper
use of social tools. They must know how to protect their privacy online and acquire
the netiquette necessary to participate in meaningful online communication.
“Rather than focusing exclusively on problems, educators should be experimenting
with how these new forms of social media can amplify student learning. Because
social media enables collaboration, educators should be asking what social dimensions
of learning might be enhanced by using these tools and networks?”
- Tina Barseghian

3. Click the infographic to view a larger PDF version.

4. Social Networks
Social networks, the most popular form of social media, allow users to create
profiles and build personal networks that connect them to other users.
Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Myspace, LinkedIn are the most visited social
networks.
Before deciding where to create a school profile, SLMS must know where their
community gathers. This can be accomplished through conversations with
students, teachers, and parents to discover their preferred social networking
sites. These conversations should be done regularly as social network’s popularity
changes.
Social Network Facts
• 9 out of every 10 US internet users are members of a social network.
• 1 of 5 minutes spent online is on a social network.
• In one minute, we produce 694, 980 status updates.
• 80% of social media posts are about the poster.
• 1 out of every 8 people on Earth are Facebook members.

5. Social Networks
Pt.2
Use of Social Networks
• Use social networking sites as a place for students, teachers, and parents to
receive information and updates relating to the school library programs and
resources.
• Provide a place for followers to post comments or questions about programs
and materials
• Post photos and news updates relating to library events
• Host a book discussion group
• Students post status updates describing what they learn in class each day
• Share informal news with parents
• Assignment due date reminders
• Photos photos of student work

6. Blogs
Popular blogging platforms include Blogger, Glogster, Tumblr, WordPress, Blog.com,
and LiveJournal. Glogster is a great option for addressing privacy issues. The site’s
EDU section provides a private classroom management platform for teachers and
students.
School libraries can use these “web-based logs or journals” to:
• Allow students to serve as the teacher by presenting material to an online audience
• Provide opportunities for students to analyze, evaluate, and create content for a
global audience
• Receive constructive feedback and gain awareness of other perspectives
• Showcase student work (Ex: Marie Knee’s kindergarten blog)
• Post homework assignments, important reminders, and discussion questions
(Ex: high school english teacher, Anne Smith’s, blog)
• Allow students to serve as scribes for a class blog by posting notes and comments
from the day’s lesson.

7. Wikis
Wikis allow the easy creation and editing of web pages. All participants have the
ability to add, modify, or delete content. Wikispaces, one of the most popular wiki
sites, provides private pages for student and teacher collaboration.
School libraries can use Wikis to:
• Summarize lessons
• Monitor student participation during group projects by viewing the edit history
• Take the place of e-mail communication between students as they complete group
projects
• Note collaboration between students through text, images, helpful links, and
videos

8. Mind-Mapping Tools
Online mind-mapping tools allow students to visualize their thoughts through
charts, graphs, graphic organizers, and timelines. Popular tools include Wallwisher,
Dipity, Timeglider, Bubbl, Cacoo, Board800.
School Libraries can use mind-mapping tools to:
• Promote active learning among students as they perform learning activities while
they are learning them
• Share their opinions, support their ideas, and consider other viewpoints
• Create exit cards for student feedback
• Develop concept maps, causation charts, and timelines
• Create flow charts illustrating visual content
• Brainstorm writing ideas
• Analyze literature by identifying main idea, supporting details, characters, etc.

9. More Social Media
GoodReads
Students can use this social book cataloging site to let others know what they
are reading, rate books, and discuss them with friends.
Pinterest
The social photo sharing site can be used to create boards relating to specific
subjects. The tool would allow students to organize resources for class
presentations and projects. Students can use collaborative pin boards to gather
content for group projects.
Learnist
The site’s interface mimics Pinterest with a focus on education. Users create a
“LearningBoard” for a topic and add content they find while browsing the
web. Content can include images, wikipedia articles,YouTube videos, ebooks,
user uploaded documents, etc.

10. More Social Media
Pt.2
Livebinders
This virtual three ring binder can be used to organize websites, videos,
documents, and images within tabs and subtabs. Users can create
presentations, organize class resources, collaborate on shared binders, or
complete Webquests.
Flickr
The photo sharing site can be used to host and share photos of library events.
Students can use the site for virtual field trips, visual storytelling exercises, and
other presentations.

11. Online Tool Suites
Online tool suites are, “web-based applications- such as word processing,
spreadsheet, electronic presentation, and calendar tools- that provide users with
an integrated platform for creating, sharing, and collaborating” (McLeod and Lehmann ,137).
While Google Apps for Education is the most well known online tool suite, Zoho,
Thinkfree, and Microsoft also provide similar services.
GoogleDocs allows students to:
• Create and edit word processing documents, presentations, and spreadsheets.
• Store documents online and accessed them from any computer
• Edit documents simultaneously with multiple users
• Monitor revision history to discover who made changes and when

12. Social Media Instruction
Many schools are hesitant to incorporate social media for fear of inappropriate
content, cyberbullying, and privacy violations. The SLMS must take
responsibility for instructing students in personal responsibility online if they
hope to include social media in the school media center and classrooms.

13. Social Media Instruction
What is your online reputation?
SLMS should help students realize that their online activities can impact their
reputation with peers, family members, supervisors, and employers. The SLMS
may use the following questions to encourage students to consider their
online reputation.
•What image do you present to your friends through social networks? How
does this differ from what you would want your parents, prospective college,
or employer to see?
• If you “Google” yourself are you happy with what you see?
• Do you regularly monitor your social networks for inappropriate comments,
images, or other content?

14. Social Media Instruction
Real-World Examples
The SLMS can make students aware of the dangers of abusing social media by citing
real world examples and their consequences. Social networking scandals involving
political figures and celebrities are frequently featured in the news and the 2012
Olympics have been filled with instances of social network abuse. .
Recent Stories Include:
• Olympic athletes, Michel Morganella and Voula Papachristou, were removed
from the competition after posting racist comments on their Twitter accounts.
• A 17-year-old fan was arrested for tweeting life threatening comments
on Olympian, Tom Daley’s page.

15. Social Media Instruction
Edmodo
Edmodo is a great option for SLMS who want to instruct students in social
media within a secure environment. The social network provides a place for
teachers, students, and parents to connect and collaborate. The site’s interface
resembles Facebook, but it provides a setting that is closed to public access.
Edmodo users can...
• Submit assignments, check grades, read teacher’s comments, participate in
discussion postings and polls, receive badges for their achievements, and
complete quizzes
• Learn social network skills by following and participating in online
conversations and learning netiquette for voicing their opinion and responding
to opposing viewpoints

16. Social Media Instruction
Other Examples
Host Social Media Training Sessions
Develop presentations for students, teachers, and parents relating to popular
social media sites. Design these sessions to demonstrate how participants can
use the technology and safely share their information. The SLMS should also
plan to include examples of how the technology can be used to facilitate
teaching and learning.
Privacy Setting Assistance
Many social media sites, especially Facebook, contain complicated privacy
settings. SLMS can help students understand this process by hosting training
sessions describing these settings to ensure they are able to hide personal
information from the public.

17. AASL Standards
1.3.4 Contribute to the exchange of ideas within the learning community.
1.3.5 Use information technology responsibly.
3.1.2 Participate and collaborate as members of a social and intellectual network of
learners.
3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge
and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess.
3.3.1 Solicit and respect diverse perspectives while searching for information,
collaborating with others, and participating as a member of the community.
4.1.7 Use social networks and information tools to gather and share information.
4.3.1 Participate in the social exchange of ideas, both electronically and in person.
4.3.4 Practice safe and ethical behaviors in personal electronic communication and
interaction.

18. References
American Library Association. (2007). ALA standards for the 21st-century learner. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards
ASCD. (2011). Students like social media. ASCD Policy Priorities, Winter 2011, v17(4). Retrieved from
http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/policy-priorities/vol17/num04/Students-Like-Social-Media.aspx
Barseghian, T. (2011, Oct 21). A case for using social media with learning. Retrieved from
http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2011/10/a-case-for-using-social-media-with-learning/
Bennett, S. (2012, July 30). The psychology of social networking. Retrieved from http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/psychology-social-networking_b26066
Hill, K. (2012, Oct 13). How to teach kids ‘digital literacy’?. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2011/10/13/how-to-teach-kids-digital-literacy-build-a-private-social-network-playground-for-them/
Fredrick, K. (Nov. 2011). Forging a positive cyber reputation: Who are you?. School Library Monthly, v28(2). Retrieved from
http://www.schoollibrarymonthly.com/articles/Fredrick2011-v28n2p24.html
Fredrick, K. (May-June 2012). Fostering media-literate students. School Library Monthly, v28(8). Retrieved from
http://www.schoollibrarymonthly.com/articles/Fredrick2012-v28n8p21.html
McLeod, S., & Lehmann, C. (2012). What school leaders need to know about digital technologies and social media. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Rubin, R. E. (2010). Foundations of library and information science. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers.
Schmobs, J. (2012, Apr 3). Do you tweet?: Connectivism, social media, and school libraries. Retrieved from
http://frombirnamwood.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/do-you-tweet-connectivism-social-media-and-school-libraries/
Valenza, J. 14 ways k-12 librarians can teach social media. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/default.aspx?tabid=67&entryid=746
YALSA. (2011). Teens and social media in school and public libraries: A toolkit for librarians and library workers. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/professionaltools/Handouts/sn_toolkit11.pdf