Social Media in Early Childhood Education:
E-Literacy and Professional Tips
Melanie Parlette-Stewart, BA, MLIS
melanieparlettestewart.com
Twitter: @melanie_sarah_
April 2013

Today we will cover . . .
• Social Media and Early Childhood Education
• Ethics and Security
• Tools
• Tips
• Recommended Resources

Why should I care about social media?

• Communicate with your profession
• Build your professional brand
• Learn and engage

in context
SOCIAL MEDIA AND EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Challenges
Is social media a benefit or a distraction for
early childhood educators?

Benefit or Distraction?
• Our work lives take a lot of energy. By the end of the
day it might be hard to do much else.
• Our work lives can benefit from our growth achieved
through networking
• More people engaging = better conversations – The time
is now to jump in!
• Connecting allows us to learn and collaborate with
others

Challenges
Ethics and Responsibilities

Ethics and Responsibilities
College of Early Childhood Educators
• Early Childhood Educators are current in
their professional knowledge (Standard
IV)
• Early Childhood Educators build a
climate of trust, honesty and respect in
the workplace (Standard IV)
• Professionalism as an Individual: role
models for children, families, members
of the profession . . . (Standard IV)
• Confidentiality and Consent: Early
Childhood Educators shall not disclose
information concerning or received from
children under their professional
supervision, or the families of those
children (Standard VI)

Security
• Digital literacy is key to being secure online
• Social media sites intended for adults should not
be used by children
• Regular monitoring of security settings
• Revision of policies and procedures regularly

Policies
• Does your organization need a social media policy?
• Get opinions from people in your organization
• Determine how to best ensure the privacy of
the children
• Privacy settings
• Permission from parents if you plan to post
photos
• Use initials instead of full names
• Key to engage with parents using a variety of
methods
• Be an advocate for the causes children, their
families . . .

ECE and Social Media
TOOLS

What is Twitter?
• Microblogging social networking tool
• Read and write messages of up to 140 characters

Why should I be on Twitter?
• Connect with clients / colleagues
• Get feedback / engage
• Develop your online brand
• Keep up with the latest . . . news, trends, and more

Your Twitter Profile

Your Twitter Profile
• Always use a professional photo, ideally a headshot
• Include a bio – people want to know something about
who they are following
• Post at least two interesting tweets before you start to
follow people
• If you don’t have a website to link from your
profile, provide your LinkedIn profile link

How do I choose Tweeters to follow?
• People Search: Search for specific people you are
interested in following.
• Use a directory: Twellow (Twitter profiles are indexed
here by categories)
• Explore who other people follow and are following

Tweeters to Follow
• NAEYC
• EarlyChildhood News
• Teaching Strategies
• Canadian Child Care Federation
• CCAC
• CanadianECE.ca

#Hashtags to Explore
• #ECE What’s a Hashtag?
• #Preschoolers # People use the hashtag
symbol # before a relevant
• #EarlyEd keyword or phrase (no spaces) in
• #PreK their Tweet to categorize those
Tweets and help them show
• #ecetech more easily in Twitter Search.
• #childcare

Tips to make the most of Twitter
• Ask for help . . . ask for input, ask questions
• Help others . . . answer questions, provide feedback
• Plan a tweetup (meetup / conversation on Twitter, have
a designated hashtag)
• Make a plan to tweet often, set goals of how many
original tweets / retweets each week

What is Facebook?
• Opportunity to develop both personal and professional
pages and connect with colleagues
• Join groups and follow pages of interest

Why should I be on Facebook?
• Get in touch (find and be found)
• Learn and share professional experiences
• Build your online career identity
• Facebook for business

Your Facebook Profile

Your Facebook Profile
• Personal
– Don’t post unprofessional status updates
– Make your profile picture a picture of you
– Don’t post incriminating photos
– Customize your privacy settings
• Facebook changes their interface and privacy
options regularly. Be prepared for change and
regularly monitor your own settings.

Your Facebook Business Profile
• Business
– Create a business page
– Images and videos are best to promote visibility on
feeds of followers
– Engage and build relationships
– Comment back
– Link to your website or blog
– Ask your friends to invite their friends

Why should I have a Business Page
(not a profile) on Facebook?
• Access to Analytics (statistics)
• Facebook is #1
• Branding
• Listen – get feedback and answer questions
• Engage – ask questions

Pages on Facebook
• Your alumni association
• Professional groups

Pages on Facebook
• Early Childhood Professional Resource Centre (PRC)
• Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario
(AECEO)
• KidsAbility Centre for Child Development
• Campaign for a Canadian National Child Care System
• Healthy Canadians
• The National Association for the Education of Young
Children (NAEYC)
• Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care (OCBCC)
• Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario
(AECEO)

Tips to make the most of Facebook
• People will search for you. Keep you image
professional, update your background and education
information and show your interests.
• Connect with potential collaborators and/or employers.
“Like” their pages.
• Really think about the photos you post.
• Keep your Facebook resume up to date.
• Limit your friend list / expand your friend list
• Be aware of what you post on Facebook.

What is LinkedIn?
• Database for professionals
• Ability to search for professional contacts
– Education, Company etc.

Why should I be on LinkedIn?
• Get in touch (find and be found)
• Learn and share professional experiences
• Build your online career identity

Your LinkedIn Profile

Your LinkedIn Profile
• Always use a professional photo, ideally a headshot
• Just use your name (do not include
titles, acronyms, credentials)
• Have a catchy headline
• Connect with as many people as possible
• Write in the first person
• Build credibility through recommendations
• Join Groups
• Use your vanity URL
• Own a company? Create a company profile

Why should I join Groups on LinkedIn?
• Learn from the discussions
• Identify opportunities to collaborate
• Discover best-practices
• Explore and post job opportunities
• Build relationships

How do I choose Groups to join?
• Corporate
• Industry
• Alumni
• Geographic

Groups on LinkedIn
• Early Childhood Technology Network
• Early Childhood Education, Child Care, and CCR&R
Professionals...
• Early Childhood Education Network
• Early Childhood Professionals Group
• Advocates of Early Childhood Education

Tips to make the most of
LinkedIn Groups
• Plan to visit your top groups at least once a week
(ideally 2-3 times/week)
• Identify discussions in groups that interest you
– Respond to comments
– Provide insight (examples on your own experiences /
reflections)
– Ask questions
• Start a discussion in a group
• Be Active

What is a Blog?
• A website where you can communicate ideas,
experiences and information on a regular basis

Why should I have a blog?
• Builds your online identity
• Increases your credibility
• Establishes you as an expert
• Opportunity to have a voice

Your Blog

Tips for your Blog
• Think about your audience
– Your profession?
– Your clients?
– Your colleagues?
• Think about why you would like to blog
– Personal satisfaction?
– Share your career and professional experiences?
– Focus on a specific subject/ topic?
• Think about your time
– How much time can you commit?
– Set a goal for how many posts per week/
per month

Blog Tools
• WordPress
• Blogger
• Tumblr

Blogs to Read
• Let the children play
– Also provides a great list of blogs
• Topics in Early Childhood Education
• The Living Classroom
• For the love of Learning
• Inspirational Early Childhood Education

What is Pinterest?
• A content sharing site
• Users can “pin” images, videos and other web objects

Why should I have Pinterest?
• Have a presence
• Gather ideas and become inspired
• Method of filing and organizing potential projects or
ideas

Your Pinterest

Tips for your Pinterest
• Have a variety of boards – display your interests
• Post your resume and accomplishments
• Monitor photos and comments
• Check your security

Pinterest Boards to Follow

Pinterest Boards to Follow
• Favourite Early Childhood & Education Blogs
• Early Childhood Education Skills
• Early Childhood Education Ideas
• Spring Crafts and Activities
• Arts and Crafts With Kids

ECE and Social Media
TIPS

Thinking about social media . . .
• Use your best judgment
• Privacy, privacy, privacy
• Don’t overdo it
• Keep things up to date
• Give credit where credit is due
• Have fun!

Model Good Social Media Practices
• Don’t post private information on personal profiles (i.e.
phone numbers / addresses)
• Block harassing or bullying posts
• Monitor the activities of children online
– Did you know that 40 out of every 1,000 children on Facebook
are 6 years old or younger*?
– Software
– Social Media just for kids i.e. ScuttlePad.com, yoursphere.com,
GiantHello.com, and Everloop.com
*Source: http://www.minormonitor.com/2012/04/minormonitor-surveys-1000-
parents-of-children-on-facebook-shares-results-on-realities-parental-concerns/

ECE and Social Media
QUESTIONS

CONTACT
MELANIE PARLETTE-STEWART
melanie.parlettestewart@gmail.com
melanieparlettestewart.com
http://pinterest.com/melanieparlette/
https://twitter.com/melanie_sarah_
ca.linkedin.com/in/melanieparlette/
https://www.facebook.com/melanie.parlette

More Resources
• http://canadianece.ca/social-media/my-social-media-journey
• http://www.engagestrat.com/web20_ece_nonprofit
• http://www.engagestrat.com/socialece
• http://www.slideshare.net/vcv1/impact-of-social-networking-on-the-ece-community-5450901
• http://www.uniteforsight.org/global-health-university/sesame-street
• http://www.thinkport.org/ece/technology/socialmedia.tp
• http://prezi.com/coqdav1vjllc/early-childhood-education/
• http://www.slideshare.net/FSSimon/everything-ece-directors-always-wanted-to-know-about-social-media-
16488475
• http://www.slideshare.net/FSSimon/tools-of-engagement-status-report-on-technology-in-early-childhood-
education
• http://www.slideshare.net/FSSimon/digital-and-dap-what-ece-faculty-administrators-and-trainers-need-to-
know-to-help-teachers-use-technology
• http://canadianece.ca/
• http://www.ccsd.ca/cpsd/ccsd/i_ece.htm
• http://ecl.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/12/27/1468798411430101.abstract
• http://altechconsultants.netfirms.com/jmle1/index.php/JMLE/article/view/143/145
• http://www.msera.org/Rits_191/Rits_191_Barone_1.pdf
• http://www.slideshare.net/FSSimon/everyone-is-doing-it-managing-social-media-in-the-early-childhood-
ecosystem

More Resources
• ttp://fssimon.wordpress.com/2010/08/08/does-social-media-open-doors-or-distract-early-childhood-educators/
• http://www.engagestrat.com/socialece
• http://pinterest.com/dianekashin/professional-learning-for-early-childhood-educator/
• http://www.msvu.ca/site/media/msvu/Documents/MSVU%20winter%20spring%202013%20PD%20brochure.pdf
• http://www.twibes.com/early-childhood-educators/twitter-list
• http://deta.qld.gov.au/earlychildhood/about/news/atoz/index.html
• http://www.ece.gov.nt.ca/files/Early-Childhood/success_in_early_childhood_en.pdf
• http://www.ecetech.net/about/who-we-are/margaret-a-powers/
• https://www.facebook.com/pages/Association-of-Early-Childhood-Educators-Ontario-
AECEO/189978994376068?group_id=0
• http://earlyliteracycounts.blogspot.ca/2009/08/technology-literate-early-childhood.html
• http://www.ecetech.net/events/webinars/
• http://www.fpg.unc.edu/node/1955
• http://www.childcarequarterly.com/pdf/fall11_business.pdf
• http://globalearlyed.wordpress.com/global-tools/teacher-tools/
• http://www.naeyc.org/topics
• http://www.slideshare.net/FSSimon/engaging-with-parents-on-social-media-ccrr
• http://www.slideshare.net/FSSimon/tools-of-engagement-status-report-on-technology-in-early-childhood-
education
• http://www.slideshare.net/FSSimon/increasing-enrollment-and-parent-engagement-using-social-media-and-
online-communication-tools
• http://www.slideshare.net/Mediakasvatusseura/part-of-a-picture-media-education-in-early-childhood-
education
• http://canadianece.ca/early-childhood-education/ece-and-technology