Social Media and Your Classroom
HDSB's Policy on the Usage of Social Media
HDSB Tweets!
"The Board recognizes the popularity of social media as a means of promotion, to convey information and to garner awareness of system initiatives to students, staff and communities.
To this end, the Board’s implementation and use of “Twitter” as its preferred social media will enhance and support present communication vehicles, augmenting our ability to reach an even wider audience in a timely and efficient manner."
See the full Administrative Procedure at http://www.hdsb.ca/Policy/Social%20Media.pdf
Concerns with Using Social Media?
I have posted two options below of the social media that I use in my classroom. Both are safe, reliable ways to send out messages to students, parents and the school community instantaneously!
I also Tweet
Before using Twitter, I wanted to make sure that I made a brand new "Teacher" Twitter profile to ensure that I kept my personal and professional life separate.
I enjoy using Twitter for a number of reasons:
1. Students get notifications my tweets instantaneously sent straight to their phone! No signing into other social media sites to see if you have a message waiting.
2. You can post links and pictures to your your classroom material -- or you can post something awesome that you found online! Share what interests you and your students!
3. You can embed your Twitter Feed into your website so that you are not forcing anyone to sign up. (The only drawback there is that these students are now responsible for checking the website often to check the feed)
Using Twitter in your classroom allows you to open up a discussion in your class about being responsible digital citizens. Make sure you talk to your students about how to keep their tweets private and appropriate pictures/topics to post --because anything you post lives on the internet forever!
For the most part (at least in my experience), students are really great when they communicate with me via twitter...the posts they make are associated with their own personal profile so they are smart enough to not say or post anything inappropriate.
Other Social Media
I also use it and with the combination of my Tweets and messages sent from Remind, I can easily reach all of my students in a matter of seconds.
Check out the link below to learn more about Remind