This is part 3 of 3 in a series where I talk to two college teachers about their use of social media in the classroom.
- In part 1, they discussed why blogs are important in classrooms and the advantages of using blogs as a learning vehicle.
- In part 2, they talked about the relevancy of “Blackboard,” which is an online teaching center that many colleges use and how the teachers are actually using social networks, blogs and wiki’s for their class.
Today, both teachers are going to talk about our favorite subject, personal branding!
How do you define “personal branding” and why is it SO IMPORTANT for students to learn while attending college?
Corinne: The idea is that we can think of the identities we project onto others as our own brand and that we can apply advertising and marketing principles to shape what we want others to think of that brand – all within ethical guidelines of course. That means we shouldn’t abuse the anonymity of the Internet to present a self that has nothing in common with our true self. Instead, we should put our best self forward and think about the impressions our online actions will create.
In an age where the boundaries between private and public life are becoming increasingly blurred and personal (and corporate) reputations are defined by Google results, it is crucial to monitor and define our online identities. We need to start thinking of those Google results as our resume and clean up anything that doesn’t belong there. Unfortunately, students oftentimes don’t think about the implications of their online actions until it is too late and their reputation has been damaged. The latest figure I’ve seen suggested that 75% of employers Google job candidates before making a hiring decision and that roughly 1/3 of recruiters have eliminated candidates because of what their search turned up. That alone should be reason enough to learn about personal branding!
Another thing students need to realize is that Google has a really good memory and that cleaning up your online act isn’t as easy as it sounds. A bad blog post could get indexed somewhere on the web and live on in the Google Netherworld long after it was deleted of their blog. The same goes for blog comments and a host of other online actions. It is important that we educate our students about this potential danger to their online reputation early on, probably way before they even get to college. The new generation of digital natives will more than likely enter college with an impressive digital footprint amassed through years of previous online activity. To start teaching them about personal branding in college may be too late.
Tammy: I see personal branding as a way to define who you are to the public; however, I have only covered this topic in the business-related weblogging seminars I’ve taught. I don’t think it applies to the regular writing and lit classes I normally teach such as composition I and II.
Final word
After reading these three entries, it should be clear that we can expect social media classes to pop-up in even more schools. Teachers value these tools, especially when they are supported by the school. I’ve known teachers that have pushed very hard to include these classes. From exactly two years of blogging, I can tell you that the best way to learn is to start at ground zero and work your way up. You need to test things out, not just listen to advice and lectures. When teachers use social media tools for class projects and communications, then students will learn much easier, especially because they are already tech savvy.
Personal branding is important within a classroom setting because each student has their own unique identity and value they can contribute to a certain project or to their team. Some students are afraid to raise their hand in class, yet will write the longest blog posts because they feel more comfortable typing than talking. In the future, most classes will use social media tools in this way, without their needing to be a specific class designated to it. This includes history, English, math, etc.
