Social Networking Opportunities

Today’s pupils are motivated and inspired by interactive technology. Social media is a vital tool for them to communicate, network and learn. By embracing social media, schools are finding that it can have real benefits in terms of communication, extending the learning experience and networking with the wider education community.

Facebook
The most popular tool for social networking in the world. By creating your own school Facebook account you can bring school news, updates and highlights into the heart of your education community. Facebook also allows you to share photographs and videos as well as text and links. Schools have full management control over post sharing and can set up specific groups –
for parents etc – to restrict access.

Twitter
Twitter is a real-time data network that connects your school to the latest stories, ideas, opinions and news from the world of education. Simply find the accounts you find most compelling and follow conversations. Through your own school twitter account, you can also tweet members of your community as often as you like (each tweet is 140 characters long) reaching them in seconds.

Flickr
A sophisticated and evolving digital application for complete online photo management and sharing, worldwide. Flickr has two key features – (1) it helps users to share and exchange photos and (2) it provides a way of managing and organising picture  galleries. Schools can now integrate Flickr onto their website to visually promote all aspects of the school life and learning to parents, students, exchange partners and with their wider education community. Flickr is a fully interactive application that can be set up and controlled by schools so that only those with authorization can share photos.

Blogging
Blogs have been around for many years. Blogs are effectively your own unique online diary. Anyone can create an account and text can be supported with images and video to create impact. Schools have found that regular, well written blogs can keep their education community in contact with what they are doing, as well as being a device for engaging students and gaining
useful opinion.

Seamless connectivity and increased mobility is the future
4G technology (fourth generation wireless technologies) is imminent. For the first time ever, wireless networks will be faster than the landline. This means we can all look forward to seamless connectivity and mobility so many more of us will work and interact whilst mobile. Schools are starting to embrace the fact that social networking and interactive new media is the way forward, but there is much work still to be done.