Running head: THE SHAPING 1

The Shaping of Professional Image on Social Media

Olga M. Herget

EDU520 Digitally Mediated Teaching and Learning

Dr. Linda Kaiser

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The Shaping of Professional Image on Social Media

Social media connects people with similar interests and goals around the world, and

includes networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The amount of monthly

active users varies from 2 billion Facebook users to 328 million Twitter users (Kallas, 2017).

Business and individuals use social media for a variety of reasons including: brand/self-

promotion, content curation, and to build connections (Copp, 2016). In this age of technology, it

is important to remember ones digital footprint is defined through shared and published content

about them on the web (Young, 2016). Two individuals that have carefully crafted their online

presence are Sir Ken Robinson and Steven W. Anderson.

Subjects and Media Platforms

Sir Ken Robinson is an author, speaker, and internationally recognized leader in the

development of innovation in education. He has been in the field of education for almost fifty

years and works with numerous governments including the United States and Europe (Robinson,

n.d.). Ten years ago, Robinson tackled the shortcomings of todays school model in the Ted Talk

video How Schools Kill Creativity, which now has more than 32 million page views on the

TED Web site (Strauss, 2015). His online presence is strong and reflects a very high level of

professionalism. Platforms used with frequency include LinkedIn and Twitter. Sir Ken Robinson

also maintains his own personal website which includes a blog and archives dating back to 2011.

Steven W. Anderson is a blogger, innovator and advocate of technology use in the field of

education. He began his career as a science teacher and taught 8th grade science for five years.

His interest in technology led him to earning a Master of Arts in Education, Instructional
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Technology. Currently, Anderson travels as a speaker who shares his expertise in educational

technology integration and using social media for learning throughout the country (Anderson,

n.d.). He is also responsible in helping create #edchat, a weekly education discussion on Twitter

that boasts over 500 weekly participants (Anderson, n.d.) Anderson can be found on many

different platforms on the internet including Twitter and LinkedIn. He also runs his own blog and

personal website.

Data Collection and Analysis

In 6 Keys to a Positive Online Presence and Reputation, the author shares the importance

of creating an informative and positive online presence that reflects a high level of

professionalism (Zwilling, 2015). The steps he delineates all take a proactive approach to

creating and curating a professional image on social media. Zwilling also warns how one must

continue to monitor all social websites to remove damaging or incorrect information. To

complete the analysis of the two subjects an excel spreadsheet based on Zwillings

recommendations was used to collect and analyze data. The scanning tool consists of basic

information including date of media post, platform used, and author of post. A screenshot of the

post is included to monitor content (personal or professional in nature) and image portrayed

(positive or negative) by the author. The scanning tool is an organized collection of Andersons

and Robinsons daily interactions with the public through social media and various platforms. It

reflects each individuals level of visibility on the web and shows a clear representation of the

level of professionalism each maintains online. Please see Appendix A and Appendix B to access

all data collected.

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An Analysis of Sir Ken Robinsons Social Media Image

The birth of social media has given individuals the power to reach a global audience

through the World Wide Web. There are numerous social networks available on the internet and

each one appeals to a different market. According to Jim Joseph (2014):

Social media has given us a platform to broadcast our personal messaging to accomplish

our goals. For professional purposes, we have LinkedIn to connect with others in our

industry. For sharing with friends and family, theres Facebook. Pinterest is where we

show off our passions. Instagram is for visual self-expression

Sir Ken Robinson manages to maintain a high level of digital presence through his use of various

platforms within social media. He has taken control of his professional online persona by

creating his own personal website and posting regularly to Twitter and Facebook.

Personal Website

The first thing a visitor to Sir Ken Robinsons website notices is a large black and white

photograph of him looking directly at the camera (Robinson, n.d.):

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Within seconds, the first image fades out and a different, more relaxed Robinson appears.

There are separate messages superimposed upon each professional photograph. The first

headshot displays an advertisement for Robinsons book Out of Our Minds: Learning to be

Creative. The second photograph shares a personal quote Imagination is the source of every

form of human achievement. The classic posed images, book reference, and meaningful quote

combine to give a positive, professional first impression of the individual. Furthermore, Sir Ken

Robinsons site shares his personal mission statement in one concise and powerful sentence.

Simply stated, his goal is to to transform the culture of education and organizations with a richer

conception of human creativity and intelligence (Robinson, n.d.). The remainder of the

homepage has direct links to his work, media, blog and Twitter.

Twitter

Sir Ken Robinson has been a member of Twitter since February 2009 and his account

reflects a moderate level of engagement on its platform. As of November 7, 2017, the websites

data reports 2,973 tweets and 377K followers. The media section includes photos and videos of

Robinson participating in a variety of educational awareness activities and showcases his

collaboration with other educational leaders, innovators, and humanitarians. There are numerous

examples of collaborative work found throughout the Twitter feed. The first screenshot example

includes reference to a collaborative short film with Peter Gray, research professor at Boston

College, discussing the importance and meaning of play for the development of children and

how it impacts their education (Robinson, 2017):

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The second screenshot example demonstrates Robinsons involvement with education at a global

level through his work with Emma Watson, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and actress, and

Global Goals (Robinson, 2016):

Sir Ken Robinson further promotes his personal brand by being accessible to and interacting with

other educators through his Twitter feed. On November 5, 2017 an Atlanta, Georgia educator, Jill

Gough, tweeted to Robinson a sketch she had created based on his educational reform ideas. He

promptly tweeted back Lovely graphic. Thank you (Robinson, 2017).

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Through his numerous interactions with colleagues, educators and the general public, Sir Ken

Robinson educates his followers, shows his level of commitment to improving educations, and

grows the credibility of his name.

LinkedIn

Sir Ken Robinson also manages a profile on the professional networking site, LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is the platform of choice for most professionals because it enables you to build

profiles which get you found and sought after for your expertise, eminence and credibility (Why

Should You, n.d.). A snapshot of Robinsons LinkedIn profile provides the public with much

information on his accomplishments, education, and level of expertise (Robinson, n.d.)

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Robinson uses his LinkedIn website as an online portfolio. By sharing his work

experience, education, and interests the reader gets a clear picture of who he is and why he is

considered an expert in his field. This profile also allows visitors access to his personal website

and his Twitter account by providing direct links.

An Analysis of Steven W. Andersons Social Media Image

Steven W. Andersons primary social platform is Twitter and he masterfully uses it to

reach his audience and promote himself as an expert in the field of social media use in the

classroom. He has been a member of Twitter since February 2009 and his account reflects a high

level of engagement on its platform. As of November 7, 2017, the websites data reports 100K

tweets and 161K followers. In the profile section, Anderson has included educational honors he

has received such as recognition as an ASCD Emerging Leader and Top 50 Innovators in

Education. The only personal information he includes in his profile is the simple statement

Dad. By highlighting the accolades he has received in the field of education, Anderson adds
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credibility to his reputation as an innovative and skilled educational leader. Andersons profile

image is quite different from the classic poses Sir Ken Robinson employs on his platforms.

Anderson chooses to use a non-conventional image; it is colorful and a bit quirky. To the general

public it portrays an individual who embraces creativity and who thinks outside of the box. He

has purposefully branded himself as an innovator and creator (Anderson, n.d.).

On November 5, 2017, Anderson tweeted over fifteen times and fourteen of the tweets were

professional in nature. His tweets covered student success, literacy in the classroom, and the

importance of ongoing teacher learning. It is evident that Anderson finds merit in creating open

discussion on his page, as he addresses multiple issues that are affecting both students and

teachers in todays world of education. Andersons tweets are professional and informed while

perpetuating a positive spirit. His passion for teaching and creativity use in the classroom is

revealed through his tweets and retweets.

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Lastly, Anderson uses his Twitter profile to promote his personal website. In Ten simple steps to

create and manage your professional online identity, Susanne Markgren shares how this is a best

practice to follow when trying to reach a large audience

You want to be found. The easiest way to do this is to create professional profiles on a

variety of sites and link your portfolio from your profiles. Profiles will give you a

stronger Web presence because they exist on popular sites and have high rankings with

search engines. You may already have profiles in social networking sites like Facebook,

MySpace, Flickr, or Twitter, so link your portfolio from those (2011, p.35).

Personal Website

Steven W. Andersons personal website exists to advertise his educational consultant

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services and to promote the use of Web 2.0 technology in the classroom. The site includes a

calendar of events and a list of services he provides including keynote speaker, workshop

presenter, and technology consultant. Anderson includes direct links to videos on YouTube which

share with his audience his professional demeanor and strong presentational skills (Anderson,

n,d,).

Anderson also uses blogging as means to communicate with the educational community. In his

blog, he provides his followers with quick access to his recent posts. The posts are all

educational in nature and include two hyperlink buttons. One is a like button which links the

blog to Facebook, the other is a tweet button which allows the reader to easily retweet the blog

to the Twitter community (Anderson, n.d.):

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As discussed by Zwilling, blogging is the perfect venue to create a positive image, share,

expertise, and connect with like-minded individuals (2015, para. 5). Steven W. Andersons level

of dedication to promoting digital literacy is reflected in the frequency of his posts. The above

referenced blogs cover two months of blogging and discuss a variety of topics related to digital

literacy including school-home communication, blending technology and education, and

protecting technology tools. Many of his blogs also reflect collaborative work with Shaelynn

Farnsworth, another digital literacy expert.

My Professional Online Identity

Each of the subjects analyzed demonstrate a strong professional image on social media and

have distinguished themselves as pioneers in the field of education. They have established

themselves as experts in the field through sharing their academic backgrounds, accomplishments,

and awards on a global level. They maintain a high level of professionalism by monitoring their

sites, collaborating with colleagues, interacting with the public, and using professional language

in their posts and blogs. To reach out to the general public both use standard internet sites which
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offer a uniform look and have expanded their audience by creating personal websites and blogs.

By designing and managing a personal website these individuals have maintained control of their

branding and the image they present to the world (Evans, n.d.).

A thorough analyzation of both these individuals social media use gives the perfect

template for a PLE. The site design, information provided, and interface incorporated by each

individual guides both content and tone. Of the two subjects, Steven W. Andersons social media

interaction and presence have had a stronger impact on me. He is able to present himself as both

professional and digitally savvy, and I get a strong sense of how passionate he is about his work

from his posts, blogs, and videos. He also interacts with peers and fellow educators at a higher

frequency rate.

To portray a professional image, I will present to the digital world a professionally

crafted website that is organized, rich in information, and a true reflection of me. I will clearly

state my core beliefs on education and what it means to be an educator of the 21st century on my

home page. My biographical section will include my educational background, work experiences,

and contributions to the field of education. I will also display professional images of me which

may include images of my classroom, me collaborating with colleagues, or working with

students. My blog will be the focal point of my PLE and will reflect knowledge gained

throughout each course and share my personal thoughts. Blog entries will be topic specific,

comprehensive, and include images to hold the attention of the reader. I will keep the tone

positive and professional in all posts. The PLE will be a clear representation of who I am as an

educator and life-long learner.

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Conclusion

According to the article Does Your Website Enhance Your Personal Brand?, the success

of ones personal brand on the internet requires a clear picture of three main concepts; what

makes you unique, what can you offer better than everyone else ,and who is your target audience

(Donald, 2015). Sir Ken Robinson and Steven W. Anderson do an excellent job addressing these

questions on every single social network they use. Each conveys a distinct image of who they are

and their skill set. They are aware of who their target audience is and successfully attract people

to their sites. An analysis of their social networking patterns and behavior provides an excellent

model on how to develop a personal brand using digital platforms.

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References

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenanderson6/

Anderson, S. (n.d.). Who is Steven Anderson? [Blog post]. Retrieved from

http://www.web20classroom.org/aboutme

Anderson, S. (n.d.). Profile. Twitter. Retrieved from

https://twitter.com/web20classroom?lang=en

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https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-for-business/

Donald, S. (2015, April 8). Does Your Website Enhance Your Personal Brand? Usability Geek.

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brand/

Evans, A. (n.d.) Why You Need a Personal Website. The Muse. Retrieved from

https://www.themuse.com/advice/why-you-need-a-personal-website

Joseph, J. (2014). Build Your Personal Brand on Social Media, Moment by Moment.

Entrepreneur. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235073

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networking-sites/

Markgren, S. (2011). Ten simple steps to create and manage your professional online identity.

College & Research Libraries News , January 2011, Vol. 72 Issue 1, p31-35, 4p,

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Robinson, K. (n.d.) Introduction page [LinkedIn page]. Retrieved from

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sirkenrobinson/

Robinson, K. (2017, November 5, 2017). Lovely graphic. Thank you. [Twitter post] Retrieved

from https://twitter.com/SirKenRobinson?lang=en&lang=en

Robinson, K. (2017, October 5). The Power of Play. Pleased to be part of this great short by

Goodtastic Films. [Twitter post] Retrieved from

https://twitter.com/SirKenRobinson/media

Robinson, K. (2016, August 24). Great to work with @EmWatson to bring #GlobalGoals to

young people via @TheWorldsLesson 2. http://bit.ly/WorldsLesson. [Twitter post]

Retrieved from https://twitter.com/SirKenRobinson/media

Strauss, V. (2015, April 21). Sir Ken Robinson has a lot to say about U.S. school reform (it isnt

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has-a-lot-to-say-about-u-s-school-reform-it-isnt-good/?utm_term=.39aaa127ac0f

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you-use-linkedin/

Young, R. (2016, May 17). Your Online Identity: Your Strongest Brand or Worst Nightmare?

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identity-your_b_9994346.html

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