This session is designed and will be delivered by Tom Briggs, an experienced STEM-focused museum educator.

Many people are reconsidering which social media platform(s) to call home and dipping a toe into the turbulent waters of some of the alternatives available. Much of the discourse is around which of the ad-funded platforms to sign up to, but there is a lesser-known option which is neither owned by a billionaire nor driven by the need to place commercial advertising in front of its users.

This option is Mastodon: it is a decentralised, open-source, not-for-profit option for social media engagement. Its values arguably fit those of the heritage sector far better than any of the commercial options, yet so far has had very little uptake from heritage workers in the UK. This is due in part to a slightly more complicated onboarding process, but mostly because of a variety of popular misconceptions about Mastodon.

This training course aims to provide an antidote to some of these misconceptions and introduce attendees to Mastodon by getting them started on the platform.

By the end of this training attendees will have:

• gained an understanding of some of the similarities and differences between Mastodon and other social media services (focusing on Twitter / 𝕏, but with relevance to other options such as Facebook and Threads);
• developed their awareness of some of the misconceptions surrounding Mastodon;
• explored some of the ethical considerations surrounding the choice of social media platforms, including where Mastodon might be a better fit for the Heritage sector on this front;
• set up a Mastodon account, including choosing an instance, building their profile, making their first contacts (including following and being followed by some other users in the heritage sector), and posting an introductory message.

No prior experience with Mastodon is necessary, but the training will assume that attendees have some experience using social media and confidence in using the internet at a basic level (e.g. browsing, searching and signing up for accounts with websites).

This training has been developed with GEM’s Core Competencies in mind. Potential links with the Core Competencies (depending on how you engage with the training event and adapt your practice afterwards) may include:

BRC: E1, L1, L3

BRO: L1

BRE: F1, L3

DSI: F2, F3, E1, E3, L2

DSF: F1, F2, F3, E1, E2, E3

Who runs the session?

Tom Briggs is a qualified and experienced secondary mathematics teacher who also had responsibility for aspects of an award-winning museum learning team until 2020 when he established himself as a freelance heritage education consultant. His mission is to encourage and enable cultural organisations to discover, embrace and exploit the rich seams of mathematics that run through their stories. Projects that he is particularly proud of participating in include: updating GEM’s Core Competencies to include digital skills; a report and matrix aligning Heritage Scientists’ work with primary school science curricula; and training for Scottish Museums aiming to participate in Maths Week Scotland.

Who is it for?

The session is ideal for those who are interested in exploring alternative social media channels and developing their professional culture & heritage network online.

When is it?

Wednesday the 6th September 2023, 2 – 4 pm BST.

The session will be delivered online via Zoom.

How much is it?

Free for GEM Members, £5 for non-members.