Building a Social Media Presence Instructor Name, Title Instructor Office Participants will look at the BCPS social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Vimeo, Instagram, blogs) and relevant policies in order to come up with a plan for building their social media presence.

What is Social Media? Miriam-Webster: “forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content.”

Why Social Media for BCPS? Blueprint 2.0: Develop and implement effective two-way communication for external stakeholders. Danielson 1d: Demonstrating knowledge of resources to extend content knowledge and pedagogy Danielson 4c: Communicating with families information about the instructional program Danielson 4e: Growing and Developing Professionally

Why Should Teachers and Schools Use Social Media? Connect: to build relationships with others Collaborate: to work jointly with others for producing or creating content or knowledge Curate: to collect, organize, and display digital resources Publish: to display thoughts, products, information, or experiences with others

Why Should Schools Consider Branding? Branding affects external perspectives; schools are integral to community identities. Effective branding helps schools connect with parents and guardians who are then more informed when making decisions about their students’ education options. Branding helps advertise the qualities that are expected in potential students and employees. Branding gives students, faculty, and school leaders a sense of pride and camaraderie for a healthy learning environment. Adapted from http://talentedk12.com/the-importance-of-branding-for-schools/ by Carlos Antequera Additionally: https://www.edsurge.com/n/2014-10-07-shout-shout-let-it-all-out-telling-your-school-s-story-online

Why Should Individuals Consider Branding? A positive social media presence opens the door to existing and future opportunities. By advertising your beliefs and ideas through your actions, you become a leader. Don’t sell and tell; you need to show and share. Social media connections create a network that will be a lifelong source of professional growth and learning. Establishing a brand helps achieve goals through attention, influence, and recognition. http://gettingsmart.com/2015/07/build-brand-positive-social-media-presence-can-lead-career/ by Haley Osborn

Best Practices for Building your Presence Be consistent in your use and make sure communication is two- way. Share information relevant to your purpose and start conversations around it. Avoid confrontations and ignore trolls. Tell a story and involve your followers. Be transparent. Be creative. Keep personal and professional accounts separate. Either create two accounts per tool, or use different tools for different purposes. Determine your purpose, share it, and stick with it. Make sure your account name and avatar are professional. Beware who you associate your account with. Do they bolster your brand or detract from it?

BCPS Social Media Identify Key Take-aways General Rules of Thumb Policies, Rules, and Forms Identify Key Take-aways

Twitter Microblogging Connect Collaborate Curate Publish In Context: Good to know: “Follow us on Twitter @username” “We will tweet that information” “Use the hashtag #keyword” “Please retweet to your followers” Official BCPS Twitter account: www.twitter.com/BaltCoPS Many schools and teachers have Twitter accounts You do not need a Twitter account to view tweets Tweets are limited to 140 characters, so always aim for 120 or less to allow for retweets Twitter 101 4 ways to use Twitter for schools to increase engagement Managing your Twitter Account

Facebook Social networking site Connect Collaborate Curate Publish In Context: Good to know: Official BCPS Facebook page: www.facebook.com/BaltCoPS Many schools have Facebook pages You do not need a Facebook account to view many public pages “You can like us on Facebook” “We will update our Facebook status” “We will post that information on Facebook” “Please tag us in that photograph when you post it” Facebook 101 Creating a Dynamic Facebook Page for your School Help Center: Creating and Managing Facebook Pages

Flickr Digital photo sharing site Connect Collaborate Curate Publish In Context: Good to know: “You can follow us on Flickr” “Look for the pictures on our photostream” “We will make a Flickr album for that event” “Please tag us in that photograph when you post it” Official BCPS Flickr page: www.flickr.com/photos/bcps Photos posted on Flickr can be shared through Facebook or Twitter You do not need a Flickr account to view many photostreams Flickr has various privacy levels and creative commons licensing Get Started with Flickr 13 Ways to Use Flickr in the Classroom

Vimeo Video hosting site Connect Collaborate Curate Publish In Context: Good to know: “Check out the latest on your Vimeo stream” “I’ve added that to my Vimeo PD album” “You can subscribe to my Vimeo channel” Official BCPS Channel: https://vimeo.com/bcps Mobile device friendly for playback Privacy settings allow you to control who can see, share, embed, comment on, and curate your videos Vimeo Basics 5 Brand-building Videos Your School’s Website Is Probably Missing

Instagram Social photo sharing Connect Collaborate Curate Publish In Context: “You can follow us on Instagram” “We posted that on Instagram” “Please tag us in that photograph when you post it” Good to know: Official BCPS Instagram Account: instagram.com/teambcps Photos posted on Instagram can be shared through Facebook or Twitter You do not need an Instagram account to view many posts Instagram is intended to be used on a mobile device Instagram Tutorial 10 Ways to Use Instagram in the Classroom

WordPress Blogging platform Connect Collaborate Curate Publish In Context: Good to know: “Check our blog frequently for updated posts” “Subscribe to our blog for update notifications” “Check our blog archives” “You can leave comments on our blog” Official BCPS Blog: deliberateexcellence.wordpress.com There are many different blogging platforms, most of which are free You do not need an account to read blogs Wordpress Resources How to Use Blogs in the Classroom

Management Hootsuite - Connect 3 profiles, access basic analytics, schedule messages Google Analytics - Free service to collect analytics for blog pages Tweetdeck – specifically to manage multiple Twitter feeds

Consider your Purpose Do you just want to share information, news, opinions, etc.? Do you want to elicit responses and encourage interaction? Do you want to share helpful resources and hyperlinks? Do you need a place to store and share photos and videos of your school and students?

Guiding Questions as You Build Your Plan Which tool are you and your administration most familiar with? What is the purpose for using this social media tool? What email address will you use to set up the account? What will your profile image or banner image be? Who is going to manage the account? Who else should have access to it? How will you market it? How will you know if it’s achieving your purpose?

More Information BCPSODL.PBWORKS.COM

More Resources Social Media 101: http://www.gcflearnfree.org/socialmedia Social Media for Educators Pinboard: http://www.pinterest.com/thejennzer/social-media-for- educators/ Social Media for Teachers: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/social-media-resources- educators-matt-davis Party analogy: http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottlevy/2013/11/22/do-you- really-know-what-social-media- is/#2715e4857a0b414e2ad7661f Resources for Parents on Social Media: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/social-media

Q&A Time

Thank you! Please complete the workshop survey (which will be emailed to you) in the next 24 hours If you are enrolled in Digital Learning University, complete a reflection within 10 school days (DATE) and email it to DLU@bcps.org Email me any time with questions! ______@bcps.org