We finished the spring semester this past week, and it made me realize I have been teaching at UofL now for five years, but finished my seventh year teaching at the college level. It’s been a lot of fun and another year of wonderful experiences.
After reading Matt Kushin’s post about what he has learned over the years teaching, I felt I needed to write a reflection post on what I have learned from teaching social media now for four years. There were several lessons and highlights this past semester I would like to share.
- HUGE names as guest speakers for the class. I cannot thank each and every one of the wonderful guest speakers who came to my class both in person or virtually. These professionals are the major players in the field and I am forever grateful to them for taking the time to share their expertise and insights with the class. I’d like to thank Gary Stinson (KDF), Leah Schultz (Papa John’s), Lizelle Lauron (Dallas Mavericks), Jeff Kallin and Jonathan Gantt (Clemson Athletics), Chris Kerns (Spredfast), Mark Murdock (Kindred Healthcare), Samantha Hughey (Team USA), and Maggie Ray (Kentucky Derby).
- Utilizing social media for class branding. One of the things that was different this year of course was the incorporation of Snapchat both in class and for campaigns. Snapchat of course (mid semester) allowed you to create your own customized Snapchat filters, which is pretty cool. One of my students in class, Danielle, is an expert Snapchat filter creator, and she created a class hashtag one for class. Plus, we had the amazing opportunity to host Patrick Sullivan of GM as well here at UofL (as part of the Plank Center Fellowship I did last year). Our class was able to host three other courses for Patrick’s talk, and it really sparked a lot of discussion and excitement for the class and the community we were building.
- Client presentations were taken to the next level. Every class is different, and this semester, we had a chance to work with two great companies and brands: Vibrant Nation and the Louisville Bats. The teams who worked on the Louisville Bats team actually were able to create and implement their ideas this semester for the team, which was very exciting to see and witness first hand. The insights the teams provided were both strategic and innovative, which was awesome to see.
- Your reputation (for your class and as a professor) will proceed you. This is something to note when you are teaching a class that has established a reputation both at the university and in the social media community. My students came to class knowing exactly what to expect on certain things (ex. food at the final presentations), but not everything. The students will look to see what you have done and what you can bring to the table that is new and different, which can add some extra pressure to the situation. Me? I embraced it and said that this will be their hardest (yet most rewarding) class they will take. Some believed me, some didn’t – but I know the reaction they all had when they saw my 30+ page syllabus for the class. Each year I try to do something different and new – and this year was no different.
- Be willing to pass along the microphone to your students. As professors, we can definitely learn from our students. I had this happen to me when Snapchat had their geofilter feature launched earlier this year and all of my students wanted learn how to do one. Danielle (a current member of #Freberg16 and intern for the Kentucky Derby this week), is our resident Snapchat expert, volunteered to do a Snapchat workshop. I sat down and let her teach the course. It was a huge hit and the class enjoyed it tremendously.
After teaching social media now for three years, here are some things I have learned along the way I want to pass along:
- If you are asked to teach social media, prepare for constant learning and evolving your syllabus and content for class. This is a given since technologies, platforms, and new campaigns come out each and every day. My syllabus this semester changed at least 20 times. You have to adapt and prepare for these changes and I do this by having a buffer week or two looking at future trends and new tools. This way, I know I can address the new topics, platforms, or trends that are happening at the moment you didn’t know about before the start of the semester.
On another note, this is not a class for the professor or young professional who does not want to work hard. Be prepared to spend A LOT of time reading, creating, and brainstorming new ideas for the class. This will be a class where you will be working three (sometimes four times) harder than any other course. A social media class is pretty much equals the amount of work for a few courses in terms of prep, grading, engagement, and feedback.
- Be open and willing to experiment. You have to be open to the possibility you may be doing something completely new in the class, which is good. As a professor, if you are willing to put yourself out there and experiment with new tools, your students will follow. For example, I did a Twitter / Snapchat virtual chat with my #FrebergAlum students when we had class cancelled due to snow early on in the semester. Did it work? It went over really well!
- Your class = your brand. This is the key for many professors to recognize when they are teaching a social media class. You are essentially showcasing your personal brand with your class online. Your discussions, student content creations, features, assignments and online activities all contribute to your personal brand. The more time you invest in this, the more rewards you and your students will get.
- Social media class success starts with the social professor. The overall tone, community, and dynamics in the class is set by the professor. You have to walk the walk and talk the talk pretty much each time you come into the classroom as well as online. If you have your students blog, you blog. If they are on Snapchat creating content, you are on Snapchat.
- Being on display is not only a good thing, but a fantastic opportunity: If you are using a public social media platform for class like Twitter, which is open to everyone to view, which means your brand is also on display along with your class. You are opening your class up for professionals, other students, and potential employers to see the discussions, conversations, and lessons/takeaways from your students. Invite professionals to participate and be part of the conversation. Plus, what better way to see future applicants for positions in their natural learning setting over a period of time. This will allow employers to see what they like, what are some topics and interests students are sharing in and out of class, and which ones have the keys to be successful in the field. Several of my students this semester have gotten opportunities and interest solely based on what they were sharing online for class. This continues to be a powerful factor to consider here.
- Networking is more important than ever before. You have to make connections for your students – these do not happen over night. As a professor, consider asking your students at the very beginning of the semester: Where do you want to be? What is your DREAM career? By getting this feedback, you are able to see what they are interested in and see if there are friends / colleagues you know you can introduce them to.
- No one can steal your brain, so feel free to share your ideas. I still see this A LOT in academia. Many professors are not comfortable sharing their ideas, assignments, etc online because “This is my materials and no one can have these” attitude. Yes, ideas can be stolen – trust me, I have experienced this myself first hand. However, as I tell my students, no one can steal your brain. 🙂 Share your assignments. Get feedback on exercises. Continue exploring research questions and potential projects on social media pedagogy. There are many opportunities to explore here.
In summary, it was a great opportunity to teach social media and have some amazing students in my #Freberg16 class. Each class has their own persona and wonderful characteristics – it was a pleasure being their professor this semester and I am excited to see where each student ends up in their career after graduation.
Best Wishes,
