10 MAY 2016

Social Media and Electronic Comms Guide for FE Lecturers

As we demonstrated in our recent post 5 reasons to increase our use of technology in FE, there are some great reasons to bring more technology into Further Education classrooms

As we demonstrated in our recent post 5 reasons to increase our use of technology in FE, there are some great reasons to bring more technology into Further Education classrooms. From making life easier for teachers to providing pupils with unprecedented access to inspiring people and projects, technology has an exciting role to play in the world of education. However, to avoid ending up in hot water, it’s best not to dive in willy-nilly as there are plenty of pitfalls to exploring new platforms. Many students will likely take advantage of less structured lessons, or if you’re not careful you may find yourself connected to students, parents or colleagues on your personal accounts, which isn’t ideal no matter how close you are. The number of pitfalls increases significantly when using social media, whether you officially bring it into the classroom or not. So to help the process run smoothly, here’s a guide with some handy dos and don’ts to follow.  

Social Media for FE Lecturers – Rules to follow

 

1. Check Your College Usage Policy

If you are planning to use social media for educational purposes, you need to first inform your College Principal of your intended use. You will also need to ensure any College related pages reflect the policies and values of the institution and are in compliance with College policies.  

2. Always remain professional

Even if the platform you're using is generally informal in nature, you will need to maintain a formal, courteous and professional tone in communicating with pupils and ensure that professional boundaries are maintained at all times. To help with this, do not exchange private texts, phone numbers, personal e-mail addresses or photos of a personal nature with pupils.  

3. Keep accounts separate

A clear distinction should be made between personal and professional accounts, and the two should never mix. It may be simpler to use certain platforms purely for personal use and others for professional use, as some have been specially designed for educational purposes. One such example is Edmodo, a free platform where teachers can share content, distribute assignments and manage communication with students, colleagues, and parents.  

4. Dig into those privacy settings

Your students, colleagues and College are likely to search for you on social media at some point, so manage your privacy settings and keep them under review. These are particularly important in regard to photos. protecting your Twitter feed or privatising your Facebook profile should prevent most issues from arising, but remember no privacy mechanism is 100% guaranteed. It's worth noting that potential employers may try and view your online social media profiles.  

4. Careful what you share

It is wise to assume that all of your social media posts will be read by colleagues and students, even if your accounts are set to private. So be sure to Avoid discussing work-related topics to safeguard your professional reputation. Posting derogatory comments or private information about students, parents or colleagues is never acceptable. Teachers are required to uphold the reputation of the college and to maintain public trust in their profession. Content that is unrelated to work, but is deemed unsuitable or offensive is also likely to get you into trouble with management. Profanity, comments with a discriminatory connotation and photographs of lewd or reckless behaviour are all social media red flags and entirely unprofessional.  

5. Stay disconnected

Firmly decline student-initiated ‘friend’ requests from pupils and do not instigate any yourself. Use your own discretion when dealing with “friend” requests from parents but bear in mind no matter how friendly you might be, there has to be a clear line. If your relationship turns sour your comments could be made public, taken out of context and be very damaging to your professional reputation. It could also bring the college into disrepute and put your job at risk.  

6. Stay secure

Use strong passwords and change them regularly. Protect your mobile phone/smart phone/tablet computer with a PIN, especially when in school, to protect access to its content and potential misuse.  

How to deal with student misuse

If you come across or are made aware of inappropriate use of electronic communication or social networking by a pupil or concerning a pupil you must first report the matter to your manager using the appropriate procedures. It is then constructive to instruct your pupils in the correct behaviour to use online, and always ensure you are aware of and in compliance with your employer’s rules and policy in regard to taking and sharing photos of children.   For further guidance follow the Teachers’ Standards guide as set out by the Department for Education and read the GTC guidelines specifically regarding the use of social media. It is also worth checking your college’s policy.     Technology can be a positive step for good, used in the right way it can have a real impact on a student’s capacity to learn and study. As we have seen, it can be a useful learning aid that helps students learn in a completely unique way that can help them learn life skills, as well as help them to study for those all-important exams. On the other hand, technology can have a negative impact on your career if it’s misused. It has its place as a learning tool - but misuse it at your peril.