The Instagram Carrot

As librarians, we're always encouraged to ensure student work is shared in the Real World. Recently, I started an Instagram feed for our library (follow us at DurgeeLibrary if you're curious). Students either directly share their work via the Library's Instagram account (the account information is saved to my carts of library iPads), or I photograph their work and share it myself. Sharing their work on Instagram helps accomplish our mission of Real World projects, but I didn't realize how it would positively impact student pride.



Our junior high kids, like yours, are slowly leaving Facebook and finding a new home on Instagram. I noticed this trend during orientation, so at beginning of the year I created our library's Instagram account, but I've been slow to utilize it. Side note: creating an school Instagram account is so much easier and less fraught with potential complications than a Facebook page.

I finally put it to work a few weeks ago so students could share posters they created using the PicCollage app. We were able to apply class period hashtags (search #Rolfe1 for examples) and topic hash tags to every poster, so it made it super easy to sort them for presentations and grading. I thought that'd be the end of it, but I was pumped when students started going home and using their personal Instagram accounts to like their work and their friends' work. 

Now, as a little added extra motivation, I'm using the Instagram account as a dangling carrot. Students LOVE the idea of seeing their work featured on the school's Instagram account, so I'm picking and choosing the best products to photograph and share. It's proven a free and easy way to increase engagement and motivation.

Do you use Instagram at school?

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