A Window into Learning:
Using Social Media to Promote your Classroom or School
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Session Description
Technology can provide a
very powerful window
into your classroom. Hear
some ideas about how to
use different tools to
make your parents and
community active
participants in student
learning.
Positives: Connecting with
Parents and Community
Get the parents and community involved in
student learning.
Keep parents informed of classroom learning.
Give Learners Voice
When students have the chance to write,
speak, and create for diverse audiences,
the product is of higher quality.
Voice!
Avoid the Negatives
Public forums rules.
Forgetting to get permission.
Spamming parents.
More Traditional
Communication Tools
Learning Management Systems
Features
Students have
access to learning
materials
Parents may have
no or limited
access
Email
Most parents have email accounts.
Checked regularly.
Can contain attachments,
links and more.
Weekly newsletters are nice!
Avoid copying all of the families emails!
Use BCC (Blind Carbon Copy).
Traditional Yet Powerful: Website
Classroom websites can
Publish deadlines, announcements, and other
calendar items.
Host classroom projects.
Provide a list of links.
Offer parents ideas on how to help students.
How do you get parents to check classroom websites
regularly? Do teachers keep them updated?
Websites and Technology Make
Communication Options Endless
St. Paul offers online
school bus tracking.
Posted July 29, 2014
Social Media
What parents wanted: 2011
Email from the district/school
Online parent portal
District/School e-newsletters
District/School website
Telephone/ voice messaging
system.
What does that
look like in
2014?
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Social Media in Our Schools And Why
We Cant Be Afraid Anymore - 2014
Why are so many running
from social media and
casting fear and hatred at
tools that can very easily
be used to make school
more engaging, more fun,
more empowering, and
more beneficial to our
students?
Students are using social media
EVERY DAY
Its about connecting with people,
about sharing ideas, and about
showing the world what you are
capable of doing?
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more/?utm_content=buffere7b95&utm_medium=social&utm_source=[Link]&utm_campaign=buffer
What is Social Media?
The Characteristics of Social Media
Written by Angel Tesorero on Apr 13, 2013 5:02 PM.
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Social media can be defined as a phenomenon that has recently taken over
the web, allowing more connectivity and interaction between web users and it
encourages contributions and feedback from anyone who is a member of any
virtual community.
Social Media Explained
Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic
Stefan Leijon
Social Media Explained by Cute Cats
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Social media policies vary by district
What is your social
media policy?
edutopia: Social Media Guidelines
Examine your school culture.
Organize a Team
Research Phase
Draft Your Document and Incorporate
Feedback
Make Sure the School Attorney and
School Board See the Draft
Introduction to the School Community
Review Periodically
Chicago Public Schools:
Social Media Toolkit
Guidance on School Social
Media
How to Send Mass Text
Messages (via Twitter)
Teaching Social Media
Etiquette
Managing a School Twitter
Page
Social Media Consent Forms
[Link]: Ways Schools
Use Social Media
General Outreach:
Social sites provide a platform to promote
activities, receive feedback and start
conversation
Schools reach out to parents and keep them
up-to-date
Alumni groups can connect and grow
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Facebook Pages:
Mashable 2011
Share School News
Share Upcoming
Events
Make School
Announcements
Attract Staff and
Students
Showcase School
Culture
Share Photos and
Videos
Get Feedback from
the Community:
Discussions, Polls,
Questions
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Woodcrest Spanish
Immersion
Items appear in
parents Newsfeeds.
Quick way to gather
volunteers.
Promote events.
Celebrate successes.
Twitter
What are
you doing?
140
characters
for updates.
Twitter me this why use Twitter for
School Communications?
Allows tech savvy
parents to get current
and timely information
Send reminders that are
short and sweet
Timely information:
updates on
emergencies to calm
and clarify the
situation
All the things a teacher wishes
she could call and remind each
parent of the day before. May
not be worth a sheet of paper,
but a tweet? Absolutely.
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Twitter: Platform for Community Engagement
At schools like PS 10 in Brooklyn, its all about
engagement. They want to hear back from as well
as reach out to the school community, and Twitter
fits the bill perfectly. Twitter has helped school
staff develop relationships with families in new
ways. Teachers and parents Tweet and reply using
school hashtags. The conversations are robust
and relationships are strengthened on an ongoing
basis. Teachers get to know parents. Parents get
to know teachers and each other. You can see
some of what they are Tweeting at PS10 in
Brooklyn (and Instagraming, and more) on his
Tagboard at [Link] .
Face off: @Twitter verses @Remind101 for family outreach via texting
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Create Follow Rules
Reserves the right to unfollow
Will report illegal activities
Limit DM (Direct Messaging)
From Common Sense Media : Tips for Tweeting Teachers
Bonus Resource: Common Sense Media
YouTube Channel
Create a Global Classroom
Share projects and student activities
Create review and anticipatory videos
This is the VIDEO
generation.
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Shorewood Lip Dub
2,185,972 Views
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Top 10 Ways Blogs and WordPress Are
Used in Schools
1. School Website
2. Class Website
3. Class Blog
4. Class Blog with Student
Blogs
5. Specialist Subject Area
Blogs
6. Personal/Professional
Educator Blog
7. Library Blogs
8. Group Collaboration and
Projects
9. ePortfolios
10. Professional Learning
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Blog: Edublog, Kidblog, Blogger
Keep it updated!
Schedule posts in
advance
Have students make
the daily post
Embed a calendar
Add a contact
page
Include resources
and links
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Blog: Edublog, Kidblog, Blogger
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Create the perfect
class website in 30
minutes or less
VanMeter Library
Shannon McClintock Miller
And Twitter. And Facebook.
Connecting the world through Rainbow
Loom
Shannon
McClintock Miller
Van Meter, Iowa
A Rainbow Loom
research project
went global.
Make Connecting a Classroom Job
Daily dedicated blogger,
Tweeter, recorder, scribe
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Simple: TodaysMeet Update
Woodcrest class: parents checked each day at a certain time
Group Text Options
Celly
Remind 101
Schools know that texting is a great way to reach out to families. Its better
than the robo-calling that is only one-way, is overwhelmingly reported as an
annoyance to the Better Business Bureau, can disturb parents at work, or set
off all the school staff phones ringing at the same time. They also know
texting works well if you have a population that is less likely to have reliable,
ongoing access to the internet. Its also one of the best ways to get
information right from your school and into the pockets of those who care
about students.
Face off: @Twitter verses @Remind101 for family outreach via texting
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Towards the Future: Mobile Apps
Parents also can email teachers,
get real-time notifications of bus
pickup and drop-off times, access
calendars, and receive Twitter and
Facebook news feeds and sports
scores. The app, which launched
in early January, is already seen as
a success, having been
downloaded more than 6,000
times in its first month and
earning rave reviews from users.
DeKalb County
School District
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