Learning to Achieve

1. Learning to Achieve Time to Trumpet with Twitter! February 2014 Malcolm Wilson ICT Curriculum Development Officer Falkirk Council Education Services

2. Learning Intentions • Developing an understanding of the use of Twitter by early years establishments, in Falkirk and elsewhere, as a way of sharing information with parents, carers and the wider community

3. Success Criteria • I can identify ways to use Twitter to sharethe learning which goes on every day in my early years establishment • I can explain appropriate safeguards to take in sharing information, photographs and videos online • I can work with others to create a Tweet within the confines of 140 characters

4. Content • This is an introduction to the use of Twitter by early years establishments, aimed at those who do not already have a Twitter account for their establishment. • The session will show how Twitter is used by early years establishments in Falkirk and elsewhere to share (with appropriate safeguards) short messages with information about activities • This will illustrate the impact on engagement with parents/carers and the wider community • This will include a demonstration of how to create a Tweet

5. Why Use Twitter? • Many education establishments use Twitter as quick way to share information about activities of their establishment. • Twitter is a quick blogging platform – micro-blogging • Can include weblinks, images/video with wider community • Twitter messages (Tweets) can be posted via PC, tablet device or mobile • Tweets are pushed to the education establishments’s Twitter followers • Twitter feed can be embedded into the education establishment's website or blog. Thus the immediacy of being able to share information via Twitter (particularly via a mobile device) can be combined with the main education establishment's online presence, the website.

6. Example of Twitter Use • Carmuirs Primary School Nursery Class • https://twitter.com/carmuirsnursery • Follows other classes in school and retweets relevant tweets • Follows other early years establishments in locality as well as early years Twitter accounts such as agencies

7. Example of Twitter Use • Antonine Primary School Nursery Class • https://twitter.com/AntoninePS_Nurs • Encourage parents/carers to follow - though don't follow parents or carers back

8. Example of Twitter Use • St Bernadette's RC Primary School Nursery Class • https://twitter.com/StBernNursery • Retweets from relevant early years resource provider tweets • To start working out who to follow on Twitter look at "following" list of another early years establishment account like this one

9. Link to establishment website • The website is where parents, carers and the wider community would expect to visit for information about the establishment • Add a link to your establishment's Twitter page onto the establishment's website • Add a link from the establishment Twitter profile page  to the establishment website • Twitter provides code which can be embedded on the establishment website to automatically show the latest posts on the website from the establishment's Twitter account

10. Safeguards - names/photographs • Same guidelines apply to establishment's use of Twitter  as they do for establishment's website in relation to photographs and videos of activities • Normally pupils would not be named online - if named should be first name only • Photographs of pupils would only be included where parent/carer permission has been given • Where photographs of children are included they would normally only be of groups, and individuals would not be identified with anything other than their first name • IF IN DOUBT - LEAVE IT OUT! Many times the focus of photographs can be of the activity - avoiding showing anything which would identify an individual • Recommended to have "About" section on website explaining that in order to safeguard pupils the establishment will not name individual children in photographs unless parental permission has been given, and then will not use full name

11. Safeguards - comments • Comments from others can be seen by the administrator of the establishment Twitter account but are not automatically linked for other users to see • Comments should be acknowledged and welcomed to help engender involvement by parents/carers and wider community - share received comments with children to increase involvement and enjoyment in the activities they've experienced and which have been shared via Twitter • Request that parents/carers and others do not identify children in any comments they may make via Twitter • Positive feedback from others can be "retweeted" via the establishment account but where negative comments arise don't escalate by replying negatively - they can be acknowledged and noted but not shared via the establishment Twitter feed - and specific (spam) users can be blocked from sending messages to the establishment account • Where issues arise encourage dialogue with establishment through  face-to-face visit, telephone or email so that individual issues can be more appropriately addressed outwith the glare of public comments via Twitter

12. Safeguards - mobile device • Many people find the ease of use of Twitter via a mobile device gives the quickest way to share short nuggets of information - which then automatically also appears on the establishment website (when the Twitter feed is embedded there) • Ensure mobile device is password/passcode protected • Recommended to set device to erase data if several attempts are made to access without passcode

13. Safeguards - Guidance & Policies • Falkirk Council Service Circulars relevant to an establishment's use of Twitter: • SC22 (Photography and Video Recording in Schools) • SC30 (ICT Acceptable Use Policy for Pupils) • SC45 (parental Involvement Strategy) • SC50 (Data Protection abd Registering Personal Details on Websites • http://underground.falkirk.gov.uk/corporate/services/education/policies_strategies/numerical_index.aspx Short link to above: http://glo.li/1ivNdxc • Falkirk Council ICT Policies which apply to employees of Falkirk Council relevant to the use of an establishment Twitter account: • Acceptable Use Policy • Data protection guidelines • Information Security Policy • Social media Guidelines • http://underground.falkirk.gov.uk/work/ict_services/council_policies.aspx • Short link to above:http://glo.li/1kgyYQC

14. Creating a Tweet • A Tweet can be no longer than 140 characters • This can include an image (uses up characters) or a link (uses characters but automatically compressed to short link) • You cannot edit a Tweet - only delete and re-publish • Access the special training account for Falkirk Early Years staff: https://twitter.com/FalkirkEYs • Username is: FalkirkEYs • Password will be provided to you during the session

15. Twitter Lingo! • Tweet - a message or post in Twitter • Retweet - share a message to your establishment's followers from another user • Direct Message - private message only between one Twitter account and another • Timeline - messages listed one after another - either of those you follow or of your own account's messages • Username - preceded with @ • Hashtag - # in front of key words lets users group messages on same topic

16. Resources • https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/fa/ICTFalkirkPrimaries/2013/03/05/twitter-for-schools-and-classes/ • Short link to the above: • http://glo.li/12iKXTz • Want help to create a Twitter account for your early years establishment? • Contact: • malcolm.wilson@falkirk.gov.uk