Social Media

Although Facebook has its faults it is where the parents are so it's where schools can be as well.

Facebook is more likely to be read than a school newsletter.

Here is an Educator's Guide to Facebook.

It is advised that schools grab their Facebook URL even if they don't intend to use it to ensure that they get it before anyone else does.

If there is an emergency situation, for example the CHCH earthquake it was Facebook that let people know the status updates.

Schools are using Facebook to communicate with parents/whanau.

Mahana School: https://www.facebook.com/MahanaSchool

Waiuku School: https://www.facebook.com/waiukuprimaryschool

Waimarie School: https://www.facebook.com/waimairi

Tasman School: https://www.facebook.com/TasmanSchool

Facebook Pages

Like a friend's profile, Facebook Pages enable public figures, businesses, organisations and other entities to create an authentic and public presence on Facebook. Unlike your profile, Facebook Pages are visible to everyone on the internet by default. You, and every person on Facebook, can connect with these Pages by becoming a fan and then receive their updates in your News Feed and interact with them.

Future proof your use of social media by using a 'social media email address' for signing up to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook so that you can pass it on to the next principal easily.

Ideally you would create the Facebook page with a generic account name- Facebook likes you to be a person though.

If you have created a page with your own Facebook account you can change it so you are less connected to it. Anyone who 'likes' a page can become administrator of it so make a new Facebook identity, 'like' your school page, share admin of it with the new identity and then 'unlike' the school page with your personal Facebook account.

Here is a pdf download Facebook for Educators

Blogs as School Websites

Easy to maintain, free, responsive, able to be updated easily, updates can be kept up to date via RSS, adaptable.

Hingaia Peninsula School: http://www.hingaiapeninsula.school.nz/

Russell Street School: http://www.russellst.school.nz/

Here is Allanah's blog on how to blog http://bling4yrblog.blogspot.co.nz/

Edublogs written by teachers and principals to reflect and share practice

There are a large number of teachers and principals blogging and tweeting about their learning.

You can find some of those people https://sites.google.com/site/developingapln/twitter

Twitter

You can use Twitter to communicate with others sharing similar experiences to you and to speak directly to educational leaders in New Zealand and beyond.

As well as exploring the above link I am curating a list of Kiwi principals who tweet.

https://twitter.com/#!/Allanahk/principals

Here is a pdf help sheet on how to set up Twitter for texting parents

Social Bookmarking

Social bookmarking is an excellent way of making connections with others and to refine a Google Search to get to exactly what you want.

https://sites.google.com/site/developingapln/social-bookmarking

If you are a principal and your teachers are blogging then you need an RSS feed to their blogs so you can encourage them through commenting and so you know what is being said in your school's name.

http://allanahk.edublogs.org/2011/05/16/reflective-summary/

Using the VLN to find out good stuff

The VLN can be useful to connect with people to help learn from a pool of Kiwi teachers with expertise.

https://sites.google.com/site/developingapln/vln

You don't have to join to view but if you want to contribute you will need to sign up.

Here is a list of the most popular groups. http://www.vln.school.nz/pg/groups/world/?filter=pop