Information Literacy and Social Media: Teaching Students How to Control Their Online Presence
Type of Presentation
Individual paper/presentation (20 minute presentation)
Target Audience
Higher Education
Location
Room 212
Proposal
Students live in an environment of continual connectivity through social media. This necessitates an urgency to emphasize information literacy skills with college students, and it challenges librarians to adapt their instruction to address social media. Teaching students how to control their online presence is essential to their future success. Hiring managers, graduate schools, and internship programs regularly conduct "social media background checks" on applicants; therefore, it is imperative that students establish and maintain a professional online presence early in their academic careers. This presentation discusses a workshop I developed for students at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame entitled "Belles Creating a Brand." In this workshop, I address ways students can control their online presence and "brand" themselves across social media platforms to project a professional online presence. I emphasize the importance of separating the personal from the professional; the need to control their online presence in order to project their own identity; and I offer individualized consultations to help students clean up their online images. I make a concerted effort to connect information literacy with students' daily behaviors online. My goal is to empower students to take control of their online presence and create a professional image so they will be successful when they approach graduation and apply for jobs, graduate schools, or internships. Librarians have unique insight into social networking, and the ability to assist students as they confront the realities of online connectivity. Teaching online information literacy skills demonstrates our relevancy and meets a critical, contemporary need.
Short Description
Teaching online information literacy skills demonstrates our relevancy and meets a critical, contemporary need. Librarians have unique insight into social networking, and the ability to assist students as they confront the realities of online connectivity. My goal is to empower students to take control of their online presence and create a professional image so they will be successful when they approach graduation and apply for jobs, graduate schools, or internships. In this presentation, I discuss a workshop I developed to help students control their online identities and establish a professional online image.
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Gaha, Ula G., "Information Literacy and Social Media: Teaching Students How to Control Their Online Presence" (2015). Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy. 54.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gaintlit/2015/2015/54
Information Literacy and Social Media: Teaching Students How to Control Their Online Presence
Room 212
Students live in an environment of continual connectivity through social media. This necessitates an urgency to emphasize information literacy skills with college students, and it challenges librarians to adapt their instruction to address social media. Teaching students how to control their online presence is essential to their future success. Hiring managers, graduate schools, and internship programs regularly conduct "social media background checks" on applicants; therefore, it is imperative that students establish and maintain a professional online presence early in their academic careers. This presentation discusses a workshop I developed for students at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame entitled "Belles Creating a Brand." In this workshop, I address ways students can control their online presence and "brand" themselves across social media platforms to project a professional online presence. I emphasize the importance of separating the personal from the professional; the need to control their online presence in order to project their own identity; and I offer individualized consultations to help students clean up their online images. I make a concerted effort to connect information literacy with students' daily behaviors online. My goal is to empower students to take control of their online presence and create a professional image so they will be successful when they approach graduation and apply for jobs, graduate schools, or internships. Librarians have unique insight into social networking, and the ability to assist students as they confront the realities of online connectivity. Teaching online information literacy skills demonstrates our relevancy and meets a critical, contemporary need.
