Thanks to social media, people can sit at home or at their local Starbucks, open up a laptop, and instantaneously be connected with strangers from across the world. A lot of the connections made are not very productive. For example, I can check my Facebook account and see comments made by others, such as "I hate being sick," or "Me and the sexy birthday girl!!!!!!!Muah!!!!" While those comments are fun and help us keep up with our friends, I hope people are not limiting themselves by only using social media as a way to keep up with family and friends.
A few years ago, I created a Twitter account: bmoreschools.
The account is not actually affiliated with the schools. I just use it to pass along information from any school system in Baltimore: k-12 as well as colleges. Also, I like to open up dialogue and motivate people to discuss issues that are affecting Baltimore's students, staff, parents, and community.
In addition to my Twitter account, Baltimore County Public Schools has an account: BaltCoPS.
Baltimore City Schools also has an account: BaltCitySchools.
The Community College of Baltimore County has an account: CCBCMD.
Most school systems use their Twitter account to pass along information, such as deadlines, school closings, contests, etc.
My Twitter account, bmoreschools, is a little more fun because I can share opinions as well as objective information. I have enjoyed getting to know many members of the Baltimore community and have found Twitter to be a great networking opportunity.
I wonder how many other people in Baltimore are using social media in a productive way?
While there is value in reading Facebook posts such as, "I can't possibly eat one more thing but snow caps and popcorn make me happy," social media gives people the power to do so much more. I wonder if the education community is reaching its potential in terms of bringing the community together through social media, or if there is much more that can be done?
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