Learning to Achieve

Blogging as a

Window to the World for

Early Years Establishments

February 2014

Malcolm WilsonICT Curriculum Development Officer

Falkirk Council Education Services

Learning Intention

• Developing an understanding of the use of a blog by early years establishments, in Falkirk and elsewhere, as a way of sharing information with parents, carers and the wider community

Success Criteria

• I can identify ways to use a blog share the learning which goes on every day in my early years establishment

• I can explain appropriate safeguards to take in sharing information, photographs and videos online

• I can work with others to edit, and add content to, a blog

Content

• This is an introduction to the use of a blog as a way of sharing information with parents, carers and the wider community.

• This will show how early years establishments use a blog to share, with appropriate safeguards, photographs and videos of activities, and the impact on engagement.

• As well as illustrating how blogs are being used in Falkirk and elsewhere there will also be a demonstration of how to edit, and add content to, a blog

Example Early Years Blogs

• Heathrigg Nursery - Sunbeam Room, Slamannan

• http://glo.li/1hM5Nkm• Glow blogs use same staff

Glow usernames and passwords as for access to all of Glow resources

• Glow blogs use Wordpress• Glow blogs have range of

customisable templates from which to choose

Example Early Years Blogs

• Falkirk Early Years Collaborative

• http://glo.li/18nBiAW• Blogs can include:

– Images– Text– Video/Audio– Links– Pages – Posts– Feed from other blogs– Twitter feed

Example Early Years Blogs

• Heathrigg Nursery - Rainbow Room, Slamannan

• http://glo.li/1iwt1ez• Blogs can easily embed

video from YouTube

Example Early Years Blogs

• Woodburn Nursery • http://glo.li/1iwvmWX• Blogs let viewers browse by

category, keywords (tags), date of posting, pages, comments, and can search by word or phrase

Example Early Years Blogs

• Westquarter Primary School Nursery

• http://glo.li/1iwHGqf• Created using Primary

Blogger• Requires usernames

and passwords specific to users of this blog

• Also runs using Wordpress

• Has choice of templates

Example Early Years Blogs

• St Bernadette's RC Primary School Nursery

• http://glo.li/1khg6RF• Created using Primary

Blogger• includes Nursery Twitter

feed on blog

Link to establishment website

• The website is where parents, carers and the wider community would expect to visit for information about the establishment

• Add a link to your establishment's blog onto the establishment's website

• Add a link from the blog to the establishment website

• A blog generates a feed of the latest posts (called RSS feed) - so this can be added to a website

Safeguards - names/photographs• Same guidelines apply to establishment's blog as they do for establishment's

website in relation to photographs and videos of activities• Normally pupils would not be named online - if named should be first name only• Photographs of pupils would only be included where parent/carer permission

has been given• Where photographs of children are included they would normally only be of

groups, and individuals would not be identified with anything other than their first name

• IF IN DOUBT - LEAVE IT OUT! Many times the focus of photographs can be of the activity - avoiding showing anything which would identify an individual

• Recommended to have "About" section explaining that in order to safeguard pupils the establishment will not name individual children in photographs unless parental permission has been given, and then will not use full name

Safeguards - comments• Comments should be acknowledged and welcomed - this will help engender

involvement by parents/carers and wider community• Share received comments with children to increase involvement and enjoyment

in the activities they've experienced and which have been shared on the blog• Request that parents/carers and others not identify children in any comments

they may make on the blog• Comments are only made public by a staff member as blog administrator - on

set up this option needs enabled to ensure comments don't go live right away • Where negative comments arise (which would be rare) it's important not to

escalate by replying negatively - they can be acknowledged and noted - they do not, however, need to be published/made public by the staff blog administrator

• Where issues arise encourage dialogue with the establishment through another route (such as face-to-face visit, telephone or email) so that individual issues can be more appropriately addressed outwith the glare of a public comments box on the blog

Safeguards - Guidance & Policies• Falkirk Council Service Circulars relevant to an establishment's blog:

– SC22 (Photography and Video Recording in Schools)– SC30 (ICT Acceptable Use Policy for Pupils)– SC45 (parental Involvement Strategy)– SC50 (Data Protection abd Registering Personal Details on Websites– http://underground.falkirk.gov.uk/corporate/services/education/policies_strategies/numerical_i

ndex.aspx

• Short link to above: http://glo.li/1ivNdxc • Falkirk Council ICT Policies which apply to employees of Falkirk Council relevant

to the use of an establishment blog– Acceptable Use Policy– Data protection guidelines– Information Security Policy– Social media Guidelines– http://underground.falkirk.gov.uk/work/ict_services/council_policies.aspx

– Short link to above: http://glo.li/1kgyYQC

Resources

• Class Blogging as a Classroom Window to the World

• https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/fa/ICTFalkirkPrimaries/2011/08/18/class-blogging-window-to-the-world/

• Short link to the above:

• http://glo.li/qMeQl3

Adding & Editing Content

• Falkirk Nurseries blog - add content and edit• https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/fa/FalkirkNurseries/

• Short link to above: http://glo.li/1iwPng4 • Here's a "How to" video:• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WINtVdG5vVg

So, ready to get started?

• If you'd like support in getting started with a Glow blog for your Early Years establishment then get in touch: malcolm.wilson@falkirk.gov.uk

• Just provide:– the name you'd want your blog to be called– staff names (they'll become joint administrators)– a couple of images (which could be used for header

banner, background image)– colour choice (may be uniform or badge colour) for

colour scheme for blog background and buttons