Open social networking sites, such as Twitter, Flickr, LinkedIn, and Facebook, are increasingly popular in online education circles and provide a continuous stream of available information on a wide array of topics. Blogs are also readily available and provide students, instructors, and an array of online education professionals with an avenue to present information relevant to our field of study. As professionals in online education, we can use these sites as a quick means to engage in and monitor discussions. We may also use these sites as a way to offer information to others who hold similar research interests. The amount and type of information available via social networking sites is multiplying every day. Keeping up with what is both current and relevant can be a significant challenge. Online social networking sites are in a constant state of change and available at all times. The information posted, although often important and interesting, can become overwhelming to absorb and difficult to filter. Many may find it frustrating to stay up-to-date by way of social networking. As consumers of and potential contributors to this media, we need to determine effective ways to manage the content so that we can quickly gather the information that is relevant to us while putting aside that which is not. Ideally, social networking adds to one's personal learning network, supplementing other learning and professional endeavors, such as journal reading, conference participation, and association membership. The aggregation of specific types and sources of information could also be used to channel relevant articles and news to members of a group, such as students in a course or program. The authors will describe a number of simple techniques that can assist the online education professional with the organization and maintenance of the amount of information available. In addition, several web-based aggregation tools and techniques that will be introduced. These tools and techniques include RSS readers, aggregation websites, feed filtering, tagging and hashtags, and directories. A comparison of features and capabilities for personalization will be included in the presentation, as well as a brief demonstration. This presentation will include a facilitated discussion among session attendees. The authors will ask participants to share their recommendations and lessons learned as consumers of and/or contributors to the social media landscape. This discussion will include an exchange of information, concerns, and ideas related to the management of media.
