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Context & Contact & Influence

September 23, 2019 - 4 minute read


Social media apps on a phone

I try to stay active in sharing information, and it is interesting that from time to time I get asked why.

Why Tweet, post on Facebook, podcast, or blog?

I typically answer with something about expanding my personal learning network  (PLN) and putting information out on the Internet to the education community. But that is clunky and not a complete answer. 

I knew why I share, but didn’t know how to better explain why, until a couple months ago when I heard someone talking about context and contacts.  The statement resonated with me.

Let’s give a succinct definition of each so we can be on the same page.

  • Context is the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc.
  • Contacts, on the other hand, is an acquaintance, colleague, or relative through whom a person can gain access to information, favors, influential people, and the like.
  • Influencer is a Social Media user who establishes credibility with a large audience and persuades others by virtue of his/her authenticity and reach.
I have always talked a lot about influence, but never really made the connection between context, contacts, and influence.  One does not truly influence someone unless there is contact with him or her and the context is understood.

I have followers on Twitter, friends on Facebook, subscribers to the blog/podcast and actual contacts in my phone. Someone else could conceivably have the same people in his/her circle, but their context with them and my context with them are different based on how my context is presented.

The amazing thing is I cannot influence people within someone else’s sphere of influence circle like they can.  Just as that person cannot influence people in my circle like I can. The takeaway here is that we all have an important role of sharing because no one else has context with our contacts like we do!

What is also awesome is we control our contacts and the context in which we have with those contacts.

If we want to influence more people we can. We are in a time in which connecting with other educators is not only possible but rather easy.  If you are a PE teacher, search #physed on Twitter or if you are a new teacher search #ntchat and you will find people to connect with. It is truly mindboggling how there is something for everyone.

One can change the context in which other people view his/her online presence. If someone wants to be seen as an expert on Social-Emotional Learning it can easily be accomplished by doing a ton of research, reading, following of others on #SEL and then, start sharing.  One will be astounded how quickly his/her context will change.

It is important to share and influence your contacts within your context because no one else can. 

Ways to influence

  • Join a Twitter Chat and share your experiences
  • Create a Voxer group with other similar content area teachers from other schools
  • Create more than you consume (Blog, Vlog, Podcast, Tweet, etc.)

Influencing awareness

Social media can be an amazing amplifier to spread one’s influence, but it can also turn that same influence into terrible noise that does harm.  Social Media platforms are tools, which need to be used appropriately and with purpose.

Things to keep in mind when using social media to influence others are:

  • Curate your feeds and can follow/like what is impactful to you;
  • Curate your feeds in order to unfollow negative or inappropriate feeds;
  • Share awesomeness and creativity - do not use it for venting;
  • What is posted, liked, & re-tweeted is an online representation that others make judgments from; 
  • Be intentional & purposeful; and;
  • Share personal stories - not private information.

One’s presence on Social Media is a powerful vehicle, so use it wisely and to one's advantage.  What is posted is seen by a wide audience–those being influenced and those just checking-in–so make sure it represents the message that leaves a lasting context to the contacts to be influenced.

Joseph Clark is a husband, a father (of two awesome girls), a past radio DJ (Clark after Dark), and came into education as a CTE teacher.
Currently, he is a Vice Principal in the Sacramento area. Over the years Clark has worked at an affluent charter school, a locked youth prison facility, a comprehensive high school, in a core model middle school setting, and served on the Board of Directors for Westlake Charter School in Sacramento.  Now he teaches at Concordia University Irvine in their MAED Program.

Clark’s Core Values guiding his daily practice are: 

  • Value people [over programs] – Treat everyone with respect-everyday-all the time.
  • Be a faucet [not a drain] – Each moment matters so make each one positive. Be a filter – my positive [or negative] attitude will become that of those around me. 
  • Behavior then Beliefs – Can’t make anyone change his beliefs, but can set expected behavior.

 

 

 

 

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