D3.0 The Art of Engagement

Image of an Afro-Latina navigating social media on a large computer screen.

Story Time!
​The Art of Engagement
Jazmin always knew there was more to social media than just scrolling through posts. “I remember connecting with someone on social media who had all these great insights about digital marketing,” Jazmin recalls. “It was so easy to follow them, and soon enough, I was learning from their posts. But it wasn’t just passive learning. I wanted to engage, tweet, ask questions, and even share what I was learning with my followers.”
Her journey to becoming a  MarTech Publicist  reflects her deep understanding of social media as a tool for connection and self-expression. “Social media isn’t just about posting selfies. It’s about using the platforms to create meaningful content and engage with others,” she says with conviction.
When it comes to her work with the OER, Jazmin is passionate about representing diverse voices. “I want to make sure marginalized groups are seen in the digital world. It’s about rewriting the narrative and ensuring these voices are not just heard but amplified.” Jazmin’s unique perspective has made her a vital contributor to the OER project, showing the world how to use digital tools to change narratives.
Examples of Digital Literacies and Reflection & Writing Prompts: Review the examples of digital literacies. Reflect on the corresponding prompts and write out your responses. You are welcome to skip any of the prompts that do not apply and jump to the "guiding questions for online search" to learn more about how others demonstrate the digital literacies.
1. Follow

• Who do you follow online and why? How do their digital practices influence your own?
• Reflect on a time when following someone or something led to valuable insights. How did it help you professionally or academically?
• How can you decide whom to follow based on your career goals and academic interests?
• How do you filter the content you follow? Are there any digital practices that you find distracting or unproductive?
• Guiding Questions for Online Search: Look up successful women who are influential in the field you are studying. How do they engage with followers, and what digital practices do they use? Find examples of professional platforms (like LinkedIn or X) and see how women use them to build networks or gain insights.

2. Follow People

• How do you decide who to follow personally on social media versus professionally?
• Reflect on how following people influences your digital habits. Does it inspire you or distract you?
• How can you ensure that you’re following a diverse group of individuals who offer new perspectives or useful information?
• What types of people do you prefer to follow in your digital space, and why?
• Guiding Questions for Online Search: Explore how women in various fields, such as tech, education, and business, use social media to connect and follow people. What do they gain from these connections? Search for ways successful women use their social media presence to interact with people in meaningful ways. How do they leverage their connections to grow professionally?

3. Follow Pages

• What types of pages do you follow (e.g., brands, institutions, communities)? How do these pages enhance your digital experience?
• Reflect on the role pages play in your professional or academic development. How do they keep you informed?
• Are there any pages you follow that you find more beneficial than others? Why?
• What strategies can you use to curate the pages you follow to ensure they support your career or academic aspirations?
• Guiding Questions for Online Search: Search for examples of women-led businesses, universities, or initiatives that use digital pages to share valuable content. How do they engage with their audience? Explore how following specific pages related to your field can provide networking opportunities or insights. What pages do successful women in your industry follow?

4. Resharing (as a Tool for Content Curation)

• How do you use resharing in your social media practice? Do you primarily reshare content that resonates with your interests or professional goals?
• Reflect on a time when resharing content helped you build your network or support a cause. What was the outcome of resharing that content?
• How do others use resharing to curate content in a way that you admire? What do you find effective about their approach?
• Are there types of content or sources that you want to reshare more frequently? How can resharing help you stay relevant in your field?
• What are some ways you can leverage retweeting to strengthen your own personal or professional brand?
• Guiding Questions for Online Search: Look for examples of women in tech or other industries who use resharing to curate meaningful content. What strategies do they use to share knowledge and engage their followers? Search for how to effectively use resharing to establish yourself as a thought leader. What platforms and tools are best for curating content to support your professional growth?

Image of women on LinkedIn on a large screen and two women sitting at a table.

Lesson: Exploring and Expanding Your Social Media Navigation Skills for Academic and Professional Growth
Objective: By the end of this lesson, you will:

1. Reflect on your current practices of navigating social media.
2. Identify ways to enhance and expand your social media navigation skills for academic or professional growth.
3. Generate prompts for ChatGPT to explore how to apply social media navigation in new and innovative ways.
4. Discover role models (particularly women) who excel in using social media for professional success and learn from their strategies.

Step 1: Reflecting on Your Current Social Media Navigation Practices
Choose digital literacies from the following list:

• Follow
• Follow people
• Follow pages
• Tweeting
• Resharing

For each selected literacy, answer the following prompts:

1. How do you currently demonstrate this digital literacy? Reflect on how you engage with social media in your academic or professional life. What platforms do you use (e.g., X, LinkedIn, Instagram)? What types of content do you follow, tweet, or reshare?
2. How do others demonstrate this digital literacy in a way that you admire? Think of someone you admire in your field (or a related field) who uses social media in a way that inspires you. How do they follow, tweet, or reshare? What do they do differently that makes their presence effective?
3. In what ways do you not want to demonstrate this digital literacy for yourself? Reflect on practices or behaviors that you find ineffective, unprofessional, or harmful when it comes to using social media. Are there any situations when it may be inappropriate to engage in certain practices (e.g., oversharing, reshare misleading information)?
4. How would you like to expand or enhance your proficiency in this digital literacy? Identify areas for growth. What steps can you take to improve your social media navigation skills? What resources or strategies can help you better utilize these platforms professionally?
5. What are the possibilities if you are able to demonstrate this digital literacy at a high level? Reflect on how excelling in social media navigation could impact your academic or professional career. Could it create new networking opportunities or increase your visibility in your field?

Step 2: Exploring New Ways to Navigate Social Media
Using your responses from Step 1, generate prompts for ChatGPT to help explore how you can navigate social media in new and innovative ways for your academic or professional journey.
Example ChatGPT Prompts:

1. “How can I use [Tweeting] to engage with experts in [field/discipline]? What are some effective strategies for professional networking on X that can enhance my career in [specific profession]?”
2. “What are some creative ways to use [Resharing] to promote academic research or industry updates in my [field/discipline]? How can I effectively reshare content to increase my professional presence?”
3. “How can I leverage [Follow] to stay updated on trends and network with professionals in [specific industry/field]? What platforms are best for following thought leaders in [your area of interest]?”
4. “How can I use [Follow pages] to expand my knowledge and stay informed about developments in [specific field/profession]? What are some examples of successful pages that I should follow for [career development]?”
5. “What strategies can I use for [Following people] to foster relationships and build a meaningful network within my [academic/professional] community?”

Step 3: Finding Role Models in Social Media Navigation
Use platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, or other professional spaces to find women who excel in navigating social media in your field of interest. Look for role models who can inspire you in how to enhance your own social media navigation skills.
Guiding Search Questions:

1. “Search for women in [your discipline or profession] who use social media to share insights, interact with others, and promote their work. How do they engage their audience and foster professional relationships online?”
2. “Who are the top women in [tech/business/education/creative fields] who excel in [Tweeting, Resharing, Following, or another skill]? What strategies do they use for building their professional brand?”
3. “Find women who are recognized for their thought leadership and influence through social media. What strategies do they use to communicate their ideas and build a following?”

Step 4: Examples of How to Navigate Social Media
How to Navigate Social Media:

• Follow key individuals and pages: Stay updated with thought leaders, industry experts, and organizations in your field. Follow accounts that share valuable content and insights relevant to your academic or professional goals.
• Engage with content: Like, comment, and share content that resonates with you. Participating in discussions can help build your presence online and strengthen professional relationships.
• Tweet regularly: Share your thoughts, updates, or ideas related to your profession or field. Use hashtags and mentions to reach a broader audience and join conversations.
• Reshare useful content: Share articles, blog posts, or resources that you find valuable to demonstrate your expertise and contribute to ongoing discussions in your field.
• Maintain a professional online presence: Make sure your profiles on platforms like LinkedIn or X reflect your academic or career aspirations. Use these platforms as tools for networking and personal branding.

Step 5: Conclusion & Next Steps

1. Review your insights from the lesson. Reflect on how you can start applying these new digital literacies to enhance your social media skills.
2. Set goals for the next few weeks to focus on the digital literacies you want to expand. Create a personal development plan to integrate these skills into your school or work projects.
3. Practice regularly by engaging with professionals in your field or joining online communities. Experiment with new platforms or tools to see how they can enhance your social media navigation.
4. Track your progress and adjust your approach based on the feedback and results you receive. Consistently refine your social media navigation skills for greater academic and professional success.

By the end of this lesson, you will have a deeper understanding of how to effectively navigate social media for academic and professional growth. You will have identified role models and developed strategies for expanding your digital literacy in social media navigation.