Scottish Charity SC Food for Thought: Communications Guidelines Hilary Robb Hubs Manager, Scottish Business in the Community

Scottish Charity SC Blogosphere Teachers – Glow Blog policies Children – pupils blog rules Businesses – Communication policies?

Scottish Charity SC The Art of Commenting Children: Better writing skills Improvement of communication skills Development of social skills Greater understanding of utilising the internet and cultivating IT skills Use of creativity

Scottish Charity SC The Art of Commenting Teachers: Share best practices Promoting business partnership Showcase the school Involving parents

Scottish Charity SC The Art of Commenting Businesses: Promotion of good practices and community engagement Interaction with stakeholders (children, school, teachers) in order to truly assess the impact of their support Raise profile of the business

Scottish Charity SC Netiquette – business blogging Businesses: Accuracy to ensure credibility Think of the target audience when writing the blog – plain English Company’s opinion vs blogger’s opinion – represent the company & brand Refer to communications policy Privacy and confidentiality – if in doubt check before citing any info. Competition in the same project/school? Be respectful Think of reputational risk

Scottish Charity SC Netiquette Children: If it is inappropriate for the classroom, it is inappropriate for the blog. Write in full sentences, blog is not texting. Be polite – avoid any post that could hurt anyone or any business. If in doubt, do not publish and seek guidance. Show respect – remember any post will be read by lots of people. Beware of copyright (company logo, plagiarism, pictures that others have taken)

Scottish Charity SC Safety tips Children: First name is fine to be mentioned, but no surname. Think of what private, personal or sensitive information is revealed. Addresses, s, phone numbers should be avoided. All posts to be monitored and moderated by school teachers and/or Kerry Crichton. Discuss with pupils that in case of any uncomfortable message to tell teacher immediately and not to reply to the comment.

Scottish Charity SC Final Thoughts Now that you are aware of the pitfalls, make most of this great opportunity, share good practices and let your pupils have fun and express creatively.