As with any large organisation with numerous stakeholders, schools find that communicating through social media has many advantages once the pitfalls have been negotiated. Facebook, Twitter and other platforms are already widely used by students throughout the school day so given the ease with which they can access their profiles through their smartphones there is little point in trying to ban it.
Instead, schools should aim to educate both students and staff on appropriate usage to avoid bullying and other forms of abuse, and deal with privacy concerns, as well as taking the opportunity to easily and rapidly disseminate information to the relevant parties.
Staff, students and parents are already used to school communications through emails and text messages, with applications such as Parent Mail becoming very popular, and since most will already have at least one social media profile, this is a logical addition. Here are some excellent techniques for schools to utilise social media instead of simply viewing it as a distraction.
Facebook is one of the most useful SM tools for educational institutions since it can serve a variety of purposes. Private messaging is an excellent way to reach large numbers of parents fast since most will have an active account, or can set one up easily if they don’t. This cuts the risk of important letters going missing at the bottom of students’ bags, and is also very cost-effective.
Information relevant to the school as a whole, such as on rule changes or term dates, can be broadcast on the feed, and many schools also use Facebook for marketing purposes since they can showcase a lot of imagery and craft well-curated pages.
Another function Facebook is perfect for is as a collaborative space between teachers and students. Documents, links and knowledge can be shared, and separate groups set up for each year or class.
Twitter is, of course, ideal for spreading urgent information instantly, such as alerting parents about to start the school run about snow days or traffic jams along certain routes.
Several teachers also use Twitter to set homework – one tactic includes giving several small tasks a number each, then letting students know which tweet to check every evening.
As with Facebook, using social media as part of curricular work means students gain a vital understanding of its capabilities and limits.
Pinterest/Instagram
These platforms are superb for giving some subjects an extra dimension, especially art or geography. Staff can create different boards for individual topics, with students adding to them and sharing them.
They are also a good way to keep student work on display for long periods and allowing for feedback.
As with big companies, senior leadership being involved will engage key stakeholders, and communicating through social media – CEOs/Head teachers or Governors talking directly to parents and staff – instills confidence and trust.
Before adding it as a communication tool though, schools must assess what social media platforms they are going to use, and how best to use them. During this period it is a good idea to discuss this with parents, staff and students to gather their input and appropriate guidelines, such as teachers setting up separate professional and personal profiles to remove confusion and awkwardness.
