Schools using Twitter

Quote:

---

Keep it simple and use a format the majority of people can relate to - a simple news letter or actually talking to a real person.

---

These are normally the first form of communication with parents/pupils but its sometimes not practical to send an extra newsletter out or take a megaphone to the gates and announce that footballs cancelled tonight :)

Thats where email/txt/blog/RSS/twittering can help.

Also, its a good backup for pupil post failure :)

regards

Simon

We've enabled Twitter for a school in south London - Eltham College.

The Head updates his Twitter feed every day, with the message posted to the front page of the website. With the CMS, he can update the home page any way, but he liked the idea of Twitter and finding different ways to engage the community. The ability to post from his phone is a bonus.

We used JQuery to break down the elements of the Twitter feed and present it in the way we wanted, so it doesn't look like an obvious Twitter feed, and doesn't use the Flash plugin (which has obvious accessibility and SEO issues).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mattx

What if the parent has no access to a computer ? What if they want to speak to a real person ?
What’s wrong with face to face communication? [It’s been going on for years & is free]
Can you portray emphasis on phrases / words / situations / facial expressions etc on twitter ?

Yet again this shows [ and I'm not having a personal dig at you btw !! ] the over emphasis on IT & computers in schools.
Keep it simple and use a format the majority of people can relate to - a simple news letter or actually talking to a real person.

---

Though what about the flip side? What if a parent can't get into the school? Doesn't like using the phone for simple questions. Is house bound?
As an added bit of communication that can fill a gap I think it is good and will look into this. No it isn't a full solution but it is another avenue to use and if parents pick up on it and use it all the better.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TechMonkey

Though what about the flip side? What if a parent can't get into the school? Doesn't like using the phone for simple questions. Is house bound?
As an added bit of communication that can fill a gap I think it is good and will look into this. No it isn't a full solution but it is another avenue to use and if parents pick up on it and use it all the better.

---

It does not fill a gap at all, in fact it creates yet another gap where people tend to communicate via a screen or through a device which stops the normal day to say communication of using one's own mouth & face.
A full face one to one conversation is much better than hiding behind a keyboard and monitor in which more and more people do these days.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mattx

It does not fill a gap at all, in fact it creates yet another gap where people tend to communicate via a screen or through a device which stops the normal day to say communication of using one's own mouth & face.
A full face one to one conversation is much better than hiding behind a keyboard and monitor in which more and more people do these days.

---

Just stick to your chalk & slate then ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by webman

Just stick to your chalk & slate then ;)

---

Too right !! ;)

A good teacher [ thank god I am not a teacher !! ] won't need a fancy computer, IWB, fancy 'educational software' and whizz bang graphics to hold a pupil's attention. If they do, then they shouldn't be teaching.
Name 2 bits of 'educational software' that have really influenced you, now name 2 teachers who have.....

The more I think about computers in schools, the more I am against them - Clifford Stoll has a lot to answer for !!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fernt

While developing our new school website, I'm trying to make a case for us to start using Twitter as a way of communicating with both parents and pupils as well as a marketing tool (being an independent school) by boosting our web presence.

I think the powers that be would be more comfortable with the idea if they knew of other schools (both independent and state sector) who used Twitter.

---

Thanks for all of your help.

The reaction was very positive, with the only opposition coming from someone who was worried that if the account details were given to a number of members of staff (as is the plan), then we would somehow want to 'proof' tweets before they are sent as the spelling and grammar of some leaves a lot to be desired - a very valid point.

Looks like we'll be using it in conjunction with our new website though, which is great news.

"if the account details were given to a number of members of staff (as is the plan), then we would somehow want to 'proof' tweets before they are sent as the spelling and grammar of some leaves a lot to be desired - a very valid point."

Exactly - the staff cant be trusted in their spellin` and the tweet content. What they are sending out could not only be deemed incorrect but could also not correctly portray the image disired by the school.

I liked the idea of the "Headmasters daily tweet", but I doubt our head would find the time, but i may be wrong.

To all the schools that have unblocked "tweeting" internally, do you not have a huge problem of students tweeting and reading tweets other than the intended school tweet? While I can see its benefits, is it not just unblocking another social networking site?

I was thinking about doing this before this half term and have handed it over to the head. The feed would be on our website which means instant communication.

I think the possibilities at school events would be brilliant.
Live "tweets" as things happen at football or music events. Even with photographs to Twitpic.
When the event is over, the tweets could be consolidated into an accurate blog about the event.

I just hope she says yes, now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mattx

Too right !! ;)

A good teacher [ thank god I am not a teacher !! ] won't need a fancy computer, IWB, fancy 'educational software' and whizz bang graphics to hold a pupil's attention. If they do, then they shouldn't be teaching.
Name 2 bits of 'educational software' that have really influenced you, now name 2 teachers who have.....

The more I think about computers in schools, the more I am against them - Clifford Stoll has a lot to answer for !!!

---

You are Phil Beadle and I claim my five pounds!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WithoutMotive

I was thinking about doing this before this half term and have handed it over to the head. The feed would be on our website which means instant communication.

I think the possibilities at school events would be brilliant.
Live "tweets" as things happen at football or music events. Even with photographs to Twitpic.
When the event is over, the tweets could be consolidated into an accurate blog about the event.

I just hope she says yes, now.

---

Yay!
It was approved the other day and now the school has a Twitter account which feeds to our website.
So, visitors can either catch up with updates on our website or follow us on Twitter.

It's useful for event updates, immediate information (like when the phones are down AGAIN!) and other stuff.

Yay Twitter.

Hi guys,

We are a Primary school in Litherland, Liverpool who have been using twitter feeds for a short while now in school to update the school website. Feel free to check it out here: www.englishmartyrs.co.uk
Our twitter blog here: English Martyrs (EnglishMartyrs) on Twitter

We feel it is a useful reason for using twitter. Headteacher's phone is set up to update too.

Regards,

Lewis

yes we use twitter
and its a really good way of getting the info across to both parents and student