2. Twitter Basics
• Register for get a twitter “handle” such as
@XYZSchool
• Send out short “tweets” – messages of 140
characters or less
• Use #hashtags to label and tag topics in your tweet
• “Followers” can see your tweets and reply,
favorite, or retweet
• Anyone with a twitter account can send a public
message to your twitter handle
3. How can it be useful for schools?
• Send out announcements useful to students and
parents (snow days, schedule changes, deadlines
for scholarships, etc.)
• Share good news with the community, about
student and staff achievements, sports scores,
and other events.
• Connect with other stakeholders (Windham High
School example of tweet from Senator Ayotte)
4. Cautionary Tales
• Twitter opens up the school for additional threats
– A Tennessee school had to respond to atwitter-posted bomb threat
this month
• Fake or unauthorized Twitter accounts can cause confusion
– In Pennsylvania a snow day was called from an account that looks
like the superintendent’s real Twitter account
• When you open the lines of communication, be prepared for
some unhappy customers
– In Virginia, students unhappy with a decision to hold school during
a storm took to Twitter. Even the local meteorologists got in on the
criticism!
• If you don’t get on Twitter, it leaves you open to unofficial
Twitter handles that look official (check out @high_exeter)
5. Items for Schools to Consider
• Know what your goal is
• Decide who will be in charge – one handle per
school? Multiple users? Every teacher?
• Who will you follow? Why?
• Will you respond if you get a message?
• How will you promote your account and
secure followers?
6. Additional Considerations
• Do you need to change your Acceptable Use
Policy or Social Media Policy to allow students
and staff to interact via Twitter?
• What training do you need to provide to staff,
students, and parents?
• How will you know if your foray into Twitter
has been a success?
