SIIA hosted an NYC Education Roundtable on Leveraging Social Media in the Education Space on April 16th.  The conference included a panel of experts in social media and education, selected to represent diverse perspectives.  The panel included Lisa Schmucki, CEO and Founder of edWeb.net; Lisa Neilsen, Director of Digital Literacy & Citizenship at the NYC Department of Education; Jim Lerman, Professor at Kean University; and Traci Kampel, Vice President, Digital & Strategic Communications at BrainPOP.

The panelists provided an inside look at maximizing social media in the classroom as well as in the education industry.  One of the key takeaways from the panelists was that social media gives students, educators, and businesses the opportunity to connect and share with people around the world who never would have met otherwise.  An example of this global connection was provided by Lisa Schmucki, who referenced a recent webinar held by TIME for Kids on edWeb.net.  This webinar connected over 1500 educators and their students with scientists in Antarctica in real time!

The presenters also spoke about the importance of owning your social media presence.  Conference attendees were advised to own their digital footprint and take control of their digital image.  The panelists gave sound advice about building your social network: if you don’t have a network of key people, create one!  An important part of owning your social media presence is building your social media infrastructure by forming a collection of associations for your brand or image.

Social media is about building relationships.  It gives those in the industry a chance to connect and build relationships with others in the industry, educators, and students.  It also provides a platform for educators to share with one another and also share with the world the great work of their students!

For more information about future SIIA conferences and SIIA’s Education Division, visit their website here!