«Yes, I'm from Extremadura and… when I knock on the door I don't say my name, I say: >». «Yes, I'm from Extremadura and when I want to call someone I don't say: >; I say: >». This is how a video begins, starring the students of the Nuestra Señora del Carmen school in Puebla de la Calzada de Badajoz, which was recorded during Extremadura Week last March. It went viral on social media, garnering more than 3,000 likes and more than 200 comments on its Facebook profile. It was an idea from the school itself, which, with fewer than 300 students, managed to put it on the map and publicise its educational project; an initiative that any educational community manager would consider a success.
Social media management
As with many other tasks, especially in public institutions, this work is usually carried out by a teacher or member of the management team who is interested in or likes the world of social networks. “This person must be willing to actively listen to the needs of the community and be able to manage reputational crises that may occur within social networks,” explains María Jesús García, professor of the Master of Educational Technology and Digital Skills at UNIR. For her part, teacher Carmen Iglesias, who works precisely as an educational community manager thanks to the wide dissemination of content she carries out on her own social networks, points out that “in reality, any teacher could take on this role, although ideally they would be free to be able to carry out the work 100%.” However, the person who is usually in charge is the ICT coordinators, since they are responsible for ensuring that the entire technological infrastructure of the center works correctly. This is the case of Chema González, who began to be in charge of the social networks of his school – the CEIP Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba (Madrid) – when he acquired the role of ICT coordinator. “I saw that it was a way of putting the school in orbit and, in addition to informing the school community of my school, that the other educational centers also knew what was being done in our center and, even, the educational authorities,” says the teacher.
What should a teacher who is going to coordinate social networks take into account? As the person responsible for the project, one of his main tasks is to create the digital identity of the center, for which he must have a content plan that strengthens its image abroad. In addition, this will help to turn the educational institution into an example of the good use of social networks. To do this, it is essential to be aware of all the activities that take place in the center and communicate them, taking into account the image rights of the students themselves. “It is important to know what type of activity is going to be carried out and how it is going to be carried out so that the news can be communicated with as much information as possible,” says González. And what content should be shared? It is important to keep in mind that the public of an educational social network is made up of families and students, former students, teachers of the center and also other educational communities. “Therefore, the most common thing is to share innovation projects, student empowerment, classroom experiences, excursions, workshops, project exchanges with other centers, participation in educational innovation events…”, says Iglesias. For her, it will be very useful to propose initiatives to other teachers and encourage them to develop them, visit the different departments to find out what projects they will carry out and analyze how to make them known, offer information about training (courses, calls, competitions, congresses, workshops) and its capacity to curate content: organize the information and 'select' that which is of vital importance for the educational project. A recommendation that González also shares and considers essential is “to inform about the main dates to take into account, educational offers in the area offered by different entities, external training offers for families…”. In this sense, the center's website or blog also acquires special relevance. As indicated in the objectives of the INTEF 'Educational Community Manager' course, with four editions behind it, the website and the blog must be taken into account as tools for communication and content creation, since it is the basis of everything that is disseminated through social networks.
According to Iglesias, the other functions of the school include establishing a coordination plan within the educational community (teachers, families and students) based on the following points: Investigating the needs and resources of the educational community: training, willingness and desire to cooperate. Participating actively in social networks to inform about the latest trends. Facilitating the immersion of the teaching staff in social networks.
Tips for getting started
Once the communication plan has been created and the content that best represents the centre has been chosen, the educational community manager must also take into account some aspects, which Iglesias highlights in the form of advice: Establish communication based on respect by thinking and reflecting before publishing. Listen to and consider suggestions for improvement that come through the educational community. Always keep in mind pedagogy, the methodology of innovation and the consolidation of digital competence. Take care of the spelling and writing of the publications, in addition to being consistent with them and keeping them updated using language that is appropriate for the educational community. Take into account the privacy of students and families.
