As we are in the final stretch of the fall semester with classes, we are still thinking about all of the things we need to do to prepare for the spring semester. Whether it is choosing books for our classes or designing assignments, these are just some of the tasks professors have to do on a regular basis.
I will be teaching my social media class again, and for the first time at UofL, we are going to have two sections of social media going on at the same time. My colleague Scott Sanders will also be teaching a section of the class for the spring.
This is really going to be beneficial for our students since it has become a very popular class not only for our majors, but others as well like sports administration, marketing, and even psychology.
One of the great things about social media is the power of networking with others online, Which got me thinking – there are so many professors who are actively on social media for classes, but what hashtags are they going to be using to share updates, insights, and communicate with their classes to build a dynamic community?
So, with that in mind, I have looked around and talked to a few of my friends who will be using hashtags for their classes next semester, and here is the list I have so far:
All of these professors are ones to follow along with their classes. These are some of the top professors teaching social media from the PR field and are actively engaged with their students as well as sharing relevant posts, articles, and updates pertaining to the course materials. Several maintain and keep a personal blog of their activities (ex. Matt Kushin) while others are actively sharing updates on Facebook as well about their classes and on Instagram (Carolyn Mae Kim and Amber Hutchins). Others like Geah Pressgrove (#PRPressgrove), Melissa Dodd (#Dodd15), and Patrick Merle (#Merle15) all have used their last names as part of their class hashtags instead of using their class name.
For practitioners, you will be able to see not only how social media classes are being taught at various universities, but you also get an eye witness account to the level of engagement, interaction, and voice of each individual student in the class. Most of these classes require the students to maintain a blog as well as participate in Hootsuite University (a program that is a must-have in any social media class). All of these professors and their classes are also actively looking to engage with professionals on social media as well – so this is a great opportunity to start a conversation with the class that could potentially lead to internships, guest speaking engagements, and a positive professional relationship.
Overall, I think these group of professors are leading the way when it comes to balancing not only the new trends in social media, but also creating a dynamic, energetic, and positive learning environment for students in their respective social media classes.
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen