With so many social media sites open and available, the collaboration possibilities are endless. Before the dawn of the technology age, collaboration was done in person as time became available, often after school hours or on weekends. Now, with the growth and spread of available technology and internet access, collaboration can happen any time, anywhere.
The following are my top 5 social media collaboration tools.
Are you a pinner? Did you know that you can add collaborators to a board? I co-teach technology classes with a colleague. We have a board that allows both of us to add lessons, website, and other information we find. This is a great tool to use when curating online sources and information. Collaboration on particular lessons has never been easier!
2. Twitter
Twitter is an amazing social media source to use to develop a Personal Learning Network. Find and follow fellow librarians, authors, and even other AASL members and officers. Twitter also plays host to various chat groups with chats taking place virtually every hour. For a list of Twitter chats, check out Google’s Twitter Chat Calendar and join your favorite chat by following those hashtags.
3. Facebook
Facebook first made its social media debut in 2003 on Harvard’s campus. It has since expanded into a worldwide social media storm opening to anyone over the age of 13 in 2006. Facebook allows users to create a page that others can follow. Many libraries, schools, and other organizations use Facebook as a social media tool to inform patrons of events, news, and up-to-date information.
4. Google Drive
Utilizing the tools available through Google Drive has been an awesome way for me, personally, to collaborate with fellow teachers. By creating and sharing documents (including word-processing documents, spreadsheets, slideshows, etc.), multiple people are able to add to and edit a document simultaneously. The settings within Google Drive also provide the possibility to get a link to the document to share with others as a “view only” option.
5. Goodreads
Goodreads is often discounted in the social media world; however, Goodreads allows you to add friends, follow readers, and even create discussion groups. This makes Goodreads a great social media collaboration tool for book clubs and book discussion groups. As part of the Arkansas Teen Book Award reading group, we utilize Goodreads for our discussion groups. I love that I can also direct students to Goodreads to get book recommendations based on books that they have read.
For instant collaboration, consider joining in on the social media phenomenon if you haven’t already. There is no easier way to grow your Personal Learning Network, increase your worldwide reach, and build a collaborative learning environment that includes not only colleagues, but experts, authors, illustrators, and students, alike.
How do you use social media to collaborate?
Author: Ashley Cooksey
Library Media Specialist in Arkansas. Self-proclaimed geek. Lover of nature and music. Always learning.
Categories: Blog Topics, Community, Community/Teacher Collaboration, Technology
Hi, It was a good compilation of tools that can be used for social media collaboration. Thank you. There are also other tools that are used within in organisations, like Yammer. Traditionally, people have been using social media for conversations and discussions for non-serious causal conversation. How they would like to use for serious collaborative activities remains to be seen.
We can even say, casual conversations on social media can lead to proper formation of teams for collaboration. People would like to form groups when they see, there is an opportunity and shared interests and understanding. This is a kind of group behavior. I enjoyed reading your post. Thank you. Cheers, Ramkumar