Can Social Networks work in Schools?
Facebook and Twitter have dominated the online social networking scene for a number of years, with their control over the market appearing only to grow stronger as more and more of the world goes online. Whether or not you agree with the idea of having an “online life”, there is no denying the online social network is here to stay and will remain a feature of the Internet landscape in the future, whether under the name “Facebook”, “Twitter” or some other yet unknown online social platform.
In the course of the past nine months, a number of news stories have focused on social network platforms. The “Arab Spring”, as it has become known, became synonymous with Facebook and Twitter, with many commentators hailing the services as the harbinger of democracy in countries such as Tunisia and Egypt. Equally the same social networks were at the heart of another huge news story, the UK riots, but this time being condemned for allowing the easy communication between rioters over when and where they would strike next. In reality the interpretation of the role of social networks in both these news stories has been greatly exaggerated.
Image from RT News network
At the heart of both stories we see the social networks as a medium for communication, and as with any medium of communication, it can be used for good, for bad, and for everything in between. Evgeny Morozov likens the use of social networks in the uprisings to the use of the telegraph during the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Defining the social networks as a tool for communication can go some way to breaking down the barriers to establishing an online presence.
So what does all this mean for the role of social networks in your school? Many schools now have an entire Key Stage for whom Facebook and Twitter have been in use and prevalent since before they were born. Indeed, children leaving primary school and the majority of children in secondary school have only experienced a world in which the Internet plays a vital part in communication and the distribution of information. Despite requiring users to be thirteen and above to open a Facebook account, many pupils will have one. We should then ask the question is it inevitable that schools and teachers should themselves form an online presence? It could be argued that if schools are to be responsible for educating children in the safe and proper usage of the Internet and social networks, then the school and its practitioners should use and have a solid understanding of them.
South Korea has near universal broadband access (97% of households). As a result, its government has put in place laws and initiatives to ensure the proper education of its children in the usage of the Internet. Ethics textbooks for students aged 7-8 and up include lessons on Internet etiquette, or “netiquette” as it has become known. These lessons include respect for online friends, politeness, and a general positive demeanor when online. The government has even put into place laws enforcing users of popular websites to submit their real names alongside residence registration numbers when posting content to reduce the instances of cyber bullying. This kind of forward thinking policy is typical of a country that sees the Internet as a utility in the same category as electricity and water.
It is unlikely that the UK government will enact any positive policy such as those put into place in South Korea any time soon, but there are a number of things your school can do to establish its online presence and to educate your children in how to use the Internet safely and appropriately.
Twitter is much more simple to use than Facebook and as a result is a great place to start building your schools online presence. Twitter allows you to “Follow” other people or organisation's Twitter accounts. This means you can read their “Tweets” when logged in to your account, though people looking at your school account will only see the “Tweets” you send. Similarly, other people or organisations can “Follow” your account, meaning your “Tweets” will appear in their account. You also have the ability to “Re-tweet”, where you repeat a message from another account that you “Follow”. Here is a very comprehensive guide for using Twitter, including tutorials and basic information. You can use Twitter in your school in a number of ways:
A Note on Facebook
To sign up to Facebook, a user has to be thirteen or over. Facebook is a very different social network platform to Twitter. Unlike Twitter which allows organisations to have their own profile and account, Facebook only allows individuals to open an account, limiting organisations to “Pages”. These “Pages” give organisations a hub that other users can interact with, but has a much more limited functionality than a personal profile. Here is a great guide on how your school could utilise a “Page”.
Using Facebook with your school beyond just using the “Page” can be quite a challenge, as this will require a personal account. Some teachers create a specific teacher account to interact with pupils on Facebook, whereas other teachers decide to negate having an online presence whatsoever. If you did want to create a teacher account on Facebook, you should first consult with the administration team at your school to see if this conflicts with school policy. There is also a very useful guide on how to approach using a teacher Facebook account here.
How to manage your schools online presence
Its all well and good setting up an online presence for your school, be it through Twitter, Facebook or another social network platform, but managing it consistently and over a period of time can be another matter. There are also a number of security questions and issues regarding having an online presence that need to be addressed.
Firstly, who is responsible for managing your online presence? It might seem easy to allow your IT coordinator to assume the responsibility, and if you are only using your online presence as a tool to communicate school announcements and events, then this might be the best option. However, if you want to use your online presence as an extension of the school community, then you might want to consider allowing all your staff or a group of staff access to the accounts that manage your online presence. This not only ensures your online presence will stay updated with multiple people adding content, but ensures all aspects of your school community are represented.
Whoever you decide should manage and grow your online presence, it is strongly recommended to create set of policies that govern the interactions that take place on the social network platforms you are using. Guidelines on what information can be shared and who to, school policies regarding the tone of communication and laws regarding the protection of children should be strictly observed. Most social network platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, allow content to be deleted should a breach of policy occur.
One of the best and sometimes forgotten aspects of online social networks is that they are completely free. No cost is incurred if your school wanted to setup a Twitter or Facebook Page, but the benefits that could be reaped from having an online presence are many. The world is rapidly going online, with more people, services and communication all happening within the world wide web. Ensure your school and its community remains a part of it by building your online presence today.
