Should I avoid using social media for school things?

[LanguageAsAFlower]

We use Twitter/Facebook to communicate with parents/older students, to celebrate achievements/share revision resources etc.
It's been on my mind recently that I should maybe challenge/change this- just reading DJLippy's post about being banned from Twitter has almost made up my mind. The positives of using these platforms for educational purposes are far outweighed by the dangerous/pornographic material that they are allowing to be on there- aren't they?

What are everyone else's thoughts? Is this a baby and bath water situation or do I need to just keep my communication about school on the school website?

I don't have good advice here, unfortunately. What I will say is that I agree with you, it's probably a case of weighing up risks versus benefits. The individuals you are communicating with will likely be on these social media platforms regardless of your own policies, and perhaps it's the most effective way of sharing information. Certainly I would think about basics like making FB groups private, and being mindful of posting identifiable information online, but if you don't think people will regularly check the website then maybe some form of social media presence is still worth keeping?

Every school I have worked in departments have had authorised school accounts through a school email and approved by IT for discussing with students and sharinf revision etc.

Any member of staff using their own social media account (even if separate from their 'personal' one) is classed as using a personal account to contact students. Whilst no malice would be attributed, the member of staff would probably be called in for a chat about leaving themselves wide open for allegations and tols school would strongly advise them removing the account.

After student have left is probably more grey. I have had students drop me an email/message when they're in their 20s and about to finish uni asking for career advice or my thoughts on things and I've happily responded then. That's been allowed because they are adults and that's for me to decide. I have no issues having older ex students who I've known in other capacities (e.g. hobbies, church, knowing their parents) added because I can confidently explain the connection. I wouldn't go anywhere near accepting a recent leaver.

Yeah you are right, at least about FB. Twitter I think we encourage them to use to share resources and I just don't want to be the person that told them to go on twitter and inadvertently expose them to some of the crap on there.

I agree with you. I would also add that those that wouldn't habitually use these platforms are kind of forced to when info is circulated like this. Not everyone is on or wants to be on facebook or twitter.

Could you do the same via a whatsapp type group?

maisypops Yes to all of that, and I think (hope) I've got all that fairly right. It's more to do with if I post revision links to my Year 11 on twitter School account and then while they are on there they see inappropriate/pornographic things. Should I be on a moral level be not using Twitter because I know the sort of thing they are allowing on there.

Could you do the same via a whatsapp type group?
In a school? Not without breaking all kinds of professional boundaries.

If it's school revision material which is helpful to all students then it should be on a platform accessible to all students.

Don't know why my autocorrect wants to capitalise "school"

LanguageAsAFlower
Cross post.
If you're using a school approved account to post links etx then I'd probably say you should also be putting them somewhere all students can use.

Beyond that I wouldn't have said you are responsible for the content they see on social media anymore than a teacher setting a research homework would be responsible for an erroneous sexy image in a Google image search.

Yeah Whatsapp needs phone numbers that's a no go.

We do have private platforms/Show My Homework type things. With Twitter I just imagine it like if I was going to send them to a real life library where I knew there would be people promoting and shouting about inappropriate things I wouldn't do it, it just doesn't feel responsible now that I know the sort of things that are on there.

maisypops
Wise and sensible advice

I think maybe I'm getting myself worked up about it unnecessarily. Better to make sure they are critically minded and capable of dealing with and understanding the stuff they will inevitably read/see.

My DB is a teacher and he avoids social media entirely. No FB, not even on the top security settings. He feels it's all too easy for boundaries to be breached.

There are apps and school/ education platforms that can be used specifically for this. I personally think FB is too open and unsuitable for this this.