Falkirk examples for Always On (Them): Digital and Social Media use in schools

1. Malcolm Wilson
ICT Curriculum Development Officer
Falkirk Council Children's Services
Falkirk experiences
Always on (them): Digital and Social Media Use in Schools
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

2. Why schools use social media
Graphic from Tweet shared by
World Economic Forum @wef
May 20 6 ways #socialmedia is
changing the world
http://wef.ch/1TrRuFh
• Engaging with
parents/carers
• Sharing, explaining &
illustrating learning or
achievements
• Additional means of
feedback

3. Class blogging – how it started in Falkirk
• Leading light teacher Margaret Vass - started class blog at Carronshore
Primary School after 2006 Scottish Learning Festival
• Masters dissertation on pupil voice
• Individual ePortfolios for all pupils
• Shared & encouraged staff through Local Authority secondment
• Pupil contributions, peer assessment and comments by pupils and
parents/carers and wider audience
• Collaboration between schools
• Podcasts, videos, slideshows, wikis, vokis and much more
• http://photopeach.com/album/117099y
• Blogging Rules – including "nicest grandmother rule" developed with class
then shared & adopted by many others across local authority
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

4. Examples of Class blogging in Falkirk today
P3/2 Kinnaird Primary School – photo galleries, pupil
comments
• https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/fa/kpsp32/
P5 St Andrew's RC Primary School – pupils as
contributors, including embedded Sway presentations
• https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/fa/mrandrewp5/
P7 at St Patrick's RC Primary School – year in life of class
– replaces Yearbook on CD
• https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/fa/p7stpats/
Larbert High School Physical Education Higher Class
• https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/fa/lhshigherpe/
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

5. Falkirk LA support blogs
• Started with ICT for Teaching and Learning in Falkirk Primary
Schools – over 100,000 visits, around 2,000 a month
• https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/fa/ICTFalkirkPrimaries/
• Falkirk Local Authority education blogs now include support
for:
• Literacy, Numeracy, Interdisciplinary Learning
• Mobile Devices, E-Safety, GIRFEC
• 1+2 Languages, Education Maintenance Allowance
• Learning Resource Service
• Curriculum Support Team
• Learning for Sustainability
• Health and Wellbeing
• Provides ownership, feedback opportunity, style to suit each
audience
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

6. Twitter for Professional Learning Network
• Teachers gain from colleagues working beside them and now via Twitter
worldwide – sharing teaching tips, strategy suggestions, resource ideas,
planning pointers & simply support of another professional in talking
through issues or sharing day to day experiences
• Building a Professional Learning Network (PLN) with worldwide colleagues
– no hierarchical barriers
• Online chats (realtime or asynchronous) on topics:
• #BATTTUK – Bring a Teacher to Twitter UK
• #PedagooFriday – teachers sharing a teaching moment highlight of the week
• #DigiLearnScot – learning using digital technologies
• #ScotEdChat – anything related to teaching in Scotland
• #UKEdChat – topics chosen weekly in advance
• #DLChat – Digital Leaders Chat – related to groups of pupils who support others in
schools in the use of digital technology for learning
https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/fa/ICTFalkirkPrimaries/personal-learning-network/
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

7. • Times Educational Supplement 2015 article based on
research by William Jenkins @EdTech_stories
• https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-
news/scottish-schools-urged-embrace-twitter
• Falkirk has five of the 10 most-followed high schools in
Scotland
• Falkirk has seven of the 10 most-followed primary
schools in Falkirk
• Moray Primary topped list with 1,466 followers - Depute
Headteacher said Twitter was “fast, efficient and
parents love it”
All Falkirk schools use Twitter
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

8. • Does not require anyone to have a Twitter account in order to view
content
• Comments from other users do not appear on school Twitter timeline
• Easily updated via mobile devices – can contain short texts, links, video or
images
• Where Twitter timeline embedded in school website can be quicker way
of updating and sharing information about activities of the establishment
than their website - does not replace the establishment website but
complements it
• Those who have a Twitter account, and who choose to “follow” the
establishment Twitter account, will get immediate updates in their
Twitter feed
From Twitter for Schools and Classes
https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/fa/ICTFalkirkPrimaries/twitter-for-schools-and-classes/
Why schools use Twitter
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

9. • Not sure how you'll use it? Start by looking at how other schools
use Twitter - all Falkirk schools use Twitter – see links here:
• https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/fa/ICTFalkirkPrimaries/twitter-
for-schools-and-classes/
• Consider school or project hashtags
• #LHSgetsDigital – Larbert High School week highlighting digital
technologies used for learning
• #VPStech – Victoria Primary School Digital Leaders
• #StBDigiLearn St Bernadette's RCPS Digital Leaders
• Develop shared understanding between senior education leaders,
teachers, parents/carers and pupils of purpose, practice,
safeguards and guidance
• Ensure access through filters
Pointers from Tweeting schools
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

10. • The facility to get feedback on the Facebook page is what provides more two way
interaction than the establishment website
• Does not require anyone to have a Facebook page in order to view content
• Where parents/carers use any social media, Facebook is one of most likely to be used
• Where Facebook timeline embedded in school website can be quicker way of updating and
sharing information about activities of the establishment than their website - does not
replace the establishment website but complements it
• Those who do have a Facebook account, and who choose to “like” the establishment
Facebook page, will then get immediate updates in their Facebook news stream
• Provided it is well managed Facebook can be a powerful tool for building the profile of
education establishments in the local community
From Facebook for Schools Engaging with Parents and Wider Community​
https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/fa/ICTFalkirkPrimaries/facebook-for-schools-engaging-with-parents-and-wider-community/
Why have a school Facebook page?
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

11. • Kinneil Primary School – 2014 winner of international
Edublogs Award for Best Educational use of Social
Media
• Antonine Primary School – time-management by
auto-posting from Twitter – sharing safety messages
• Extensive consultations, school pilot with
development of guidance and presentation to
Elected Members
From Facebook for Schools Engaging with Parents and Wider Community​
https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/fa/ICTFalkirkPrimaries/facebook-for-schools-
engaging-with-parents-and-wider-community/
School Facebook page examples
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

12. Yammer
• Advice often to educators not to have learners following on social media
• Yammer, in its protected education-only eco-system of Glow (and with the
additional safeguard of moderators and a reporting system), addresses
need to have environment in which learners and educators can co-exist so
that learners can have modelling of social media in a positive way. and
pupils in safe online environment learning how to use social-media for
educational purposes
• All users presented with acceptable behaviours agreement before access
granted – reinforced through gentle guiding teacher moderation nationally
• Reporting system for learners or educators to raise concerns – monitored
nationally and issues fed back to LA and school to deal with in line with
behaviour policies – avoiding knee jerk reactions to make it about a tool
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

13. Yammer – fastest growing uptake
• Since launch Easter 2016 to June 2016 Glow Yammer membership surpassed 7000
members of which around 3800 (55%) are pupils
• 30% public versus private groups (inter-school or national and class sites)
• Tiny number of instances of inappropriate language detected - dealt with swiftly and
often within minutes while the users have still been logged in
• Provides spaces for class groups for peer support and sharing of activities
• Example inter-school/national groups:
• Digital Leaders – national
• Cluster transition
• Science teachers
• Working parties
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

14. • It’s free, handles very large file sizes & streams video
viewable on any device
• Tools to add captions, royalty-free music, or blur faces
• Can be shared by simple link or embedded in website
or blog
• Important to ensure nothing infringes copyright of
others
• Ensure permission of those in the video obtained
Why have a YouTube channels for school?
Video: sharing the learning through a school YouTube channel
https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/fa/ICTFalkirkPrimaries/video-sharing-
the-learning-through-a-school-youtube-channel-or-other-tools/
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

15. • YouTube channel for Falkirk Council Children's Services
• https://www.youtube.com/FCEducationServices
• Links to all Falkirk school YouTube channels
• Playlists include videos for active literacy, outdoor
learning, early years and more
• Westquarter Primary School – look for P1 CPR video!
• Braes High School – music department
• Survey of teachers determined access in schools
through filters for pupils
YouTube channels for Falkirk schools
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

16. • Providing infrastructural and cultural environment in which digital
technology can be used to best support learning & teaching
• ICT strategy built on views of learners and educators within our
schools as well as colleagues and experiences worldwide
• Acceptable Use Policy based on crowd-sourced AUPs
• Documents collaboratively created using Word online
• Clear guidance for staff on use of social media and mobile devices
• Helpdesk system for staff to report issued with access to software,
online tools – logging system which staff can see online
• Sharing guidance, tips and examples via blogs
Guidance and AUPs
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

17. • Keep your Facebook access secure by also keeping your PC, tablet or
mobile device secure
• Passcode protect your device
• Enable remote wiping in event of device theft
• Set auto-lock of device after short period of inactivity
• Ensure anti-virus protection is installed and kept up to date
• Keep device operating system updated
Keeping your device secure
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

18. • Don't scare - just make aware!
• Remove reference to technology from the equation
when considering appropriate action – what would
you do if the technology was not involved?
• Separate the tool from the behaviours of the people
using it
• Negative associations can build an anxiety of social
media in organisations or schools for those unfamiliar
with the tools
• Build understanding with learners, educators and
parents/carers of positive purpose and safeguards,
develop mutual trust
It's about behaviours not technologies
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

19. • Don't fuel negative comment –
request communication either in
person in school, or by
telephone or email
• Take screen shot
• Block user if abusive
• Report user to social media
platform if appropriate
Dealing with negative comments
Graphic from
https://www.facebook.com/AntiBullyingPro/posts/973013476099555:0
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach

20. • Online source of support for
parents/carers, children and
young people, and educational
professionals
• Practical advice about mobile
devices, social media, apps,
guidance, tips and advice
Digital Citizenship & E-Safety
https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/fa/centralesafety/
Malcolm Wilson on Twitter @claganach