1. Social Media in Early Childhood Education:
Challenges and Next Steps
Melanie Parlette-Stewart, BA, MLIS
Melanieparlettestewart.com
Twitter: @melanie_sarah_
March 2013

2. Today we will cover . . .
• Social Media and Early Childhood Education
• Ethics and Security
• Tools
• Tips
• Recommended Resources

3. Why should I care about social media?

4. • Communicate with your profession
• Build your professional brand
• Learn and engage

5. in context
SOCIAL MEDIA AND EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

6. Challenges
Is social media a benefit or a distraction for
early childhood educators?

7. Benefit or Distraction?
• Our work lives take a lot of energy. By the end of the
day it might be hard to do much else.
• Our work lives can benefit from our growth achieved
through networking
• More people engaging = better conversations – The time
is now to jump in!
• Connecting allows us to learn and collaborate with
others

8. Challenges
Ethics and Responsibilities

9. Ethics and Responsibilities
College of Early Childhood Educators
• Early Childhood Educators are current in
their professional knowledge (Standard
IV)
• Early Childhood Educators build a
climate of trust, honesty and respect in
the workplace (Standard IV)
• Professionalism as an Individual: role
models for children, families, members
of the profession . . . (Standard IV)
• Confidentiality and Consent: Early
Childhood Educators shall not disclose
information concerning or received from
children under their professional
supervision, or the families of those
children (Standard VI)

10. Security
• Digital literacy is key to being secure online
• Social media sites intended for adults should not
be used by children
• Regular monitoring of security settings
• Revision of policies and procedures regularly

11. Policies
• Does your organization need a social media policy?
• Get opinions from people in your organization
• Determine how to best ensure the privacy of
the children
• Privacy settings
• Permission from parents if you plan to post
photos
• Use initials instead of full names
• Key to engage with parents using a variety of
methods
• Be an advocate for the causes children, their
families . . .

12. ECE and Social Media
TOOLS

14. What is Twitter?
• Microblogging social networking tool
• Read and write messages of up to 140 characters

15. Why should I be on Twitter?
• Connect with clients / colleagues
• Get feedback / engage
• Develop your online brand
• Keep up with the latest . . . news, trends, and more

16. Your Twitter Profile

17. Your Twitter Profile
• Always use a professional photo, ideally a headshot
• Include a bio – people want to know something about
who they are following
• Post at least two interesting tweets before you start to
follow people
• If you don’t have a website to link from your profile,
provide your LinkedIn profile link

18. @
The @ sign is used to call out usernames in Tweets, like this: Hello
@Twitter! When a username is preceded by the @ sign, it becomes a
link to a Twitter profile.
RT
Abbreviated version of "retweet." Placed before the retweeted text
when users manually retweet a message.

19. Discover
The Discover tab is where you can find top Tweets, Who to Follow,
Activity, Find Friends, and Browse Categories.
The Discover tab is all about discovering new and engaging things to do
on Twitter!

20. Follower
A follower is another Twitter user who has followed you.
Following
Your following number reflects the quantity of other Twitter users
you have chosen to follow on the site.

21. How do I choose Tweeters to follow?
• People Search: Search for specific people you are
interested in following.
• Use a directory: Twellow (Twitter profiles are indexed
here by categories)
• Explore who other people follow and are following

22. Tweeters to Follow
• NAEYC
• EarlyChildhood News
• Teaching Strategies
• Canadian Child Care Federation
• CCAC
• CanadianECE.ca

23. #Hashtags to Explore
• #ECE
• #Preschoolers
• #EarlyEd
• #PreK
• #ecetech
• #childcare

24. Tips to make the most of Twitter
• Ask for help . . . ask for input, ask questions
• Help others . . . answer questions, provide feedback
• Plan a tweetup (meetup / conversation on Twitter, have
a designated hashtag)
• Make a plan to tweet often, set goals of how many
original tweets / retweets each week

26. What is Facebook?
• Opportunity to develop both personal and professional
pages and connect with colleagues
• Join groups and follow pages of interest

27. Why should I be on Facebook?
• Get in touch (find and be found)
• Learn and share professional experiences
• Build your online career identity
• Facebook for business

28. Your Facebook Profile

29. Your Facebook Profile
• Personal
– Don’t post unprofessional status updates
– Make your profile picture a picture of you
– Don’t post incriminating photos
– Customize your privacy settings
• Facebook changes their interface and privacy
options regularly. Be prepared for change and
regularly monitor your own settings.

31. Your Facebook Profile
• Business
– Create a business page
– Images and videos are best to promote visibility on
feeds of followers
– Engage and build relationships
– Comment back
– Link to your website or blog
– Ask your friends to invite their friends

32. Why should I have a Business Page
(not a profile) on Facebook?
• Access to Analytics (statistics)
• Facebook is #1
• Branding
• Listen – get feedback and answer questions
• Engage – ask questions

33. Pages on Facebook
• Your alumni association
• Professional groups

34. Pages on Facebook
• Early Childhood Professional Resource Centre (PRC)
• Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario
(AECEO)
• KidsAbility Centre for Child Development
• Campaign for a Canadian National Child Care System
• Healthy Canadians
• The National Association for the Education of Young
Children (NAEYC)
• Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care (OCBCC)
• Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario
(AECEO)

35. Tips to make the most of Facebook
• People will search for you. Keep you image
professional, update your background and education
information and show your interests.
• Connect with potential collaborators and/or employers.
“Like” their pages.
• Really think about the photos you post.
• Keep your Facebook resume up to date.
• Limit your friend list / expand your friend list
• Be aware of what you post on Facebook.

37. What is LinkedIn?
• Database for professionals
• Ability to search for professional contacts
– Education, Company etc.

38. Why should I be on LinkedIn?
• Get in touch (find and be found)
• Learn and share professional experiences
• Build your online career identity

39. Your LinkedIn Profile

40. Your LinkedIn Profile
• Always use a professional photo, ideally a headshot
• Just use your name (do not include titles, acronyms,
credentials)
• Have a catchy headline
• Connect with as many people as possible
• Write in the first person
• Build credibility through recommendations
• Join Groups
• Use your vanity URL
• Own a company? Create a company profile

41. Recommendations

42. Recommendations on LinkedIn
• Provide recommendations for colleagues and employees
• Unpredictable potential
• Reach out to people and ask for recommendations

44. Why should I join Groups on LinkedIn?
• Learn from the discussions
• Identify opportunities to collaborate
• Discover best-practices
• Explore and post job opportunities
• Build relationships

45. How do I choose Groups to join?
• Corporate
• Industry
• Alumni
• Geographic

46. Groups on LinkedIn
• Early Childhood Technology Network
• Early Childhood Education, Child Care, and CCR&R
Professionals...
• Early Childhood Education Network
• Early Childhood Professionals Group
• Advocates of Early Childhood Education

47. Tips to make the most of
LinkedIn Groups
• Plan to visit your top groups at least once a week
(ideally 2-3 times/week)
• Identify discussions in groups that interest you
– Respond to comments
– Provide insight (examples on your own experiences /
reflections)
– Ask questions
• Start a discussion in a group
• Be Active

49. What is a Blog?
• A website where you can communicate ideas,
experiences and information on a regular basis

50. Why should I have a blog?
• Builds your online identity
• Increases your credibility
• Establishes you as an expert
• Opportunity to have a voice

51. Your Blog

52. Tips for your Blog
• Think about why you would like to blog
– Personal satisfaction?
– Share your career and professional experiences?
– Focus on a specific subject/ topic?

53. Tips for your Blog
• Think about your audience
– Your profession?
– Your clients?
– Your colleagues?

54. Tips for your Blog
• Think about your time
– How much time can you commit?
– Set a goal for how many posts per week/
per month

55. Blog Tools
• WordPress
• Blogger
• Tumblr

56. Blogs to Read
• Let the children play
– Also provides a great list of blogs
• Topics in Early Childhood Education
• The Living Classroom
• For the love of Learning
• Inspirational Early Childhood Education

58. What is Pinterest?
• A content sharing site
• Users can “pin” images, videos and other web objects

59. Why should I have Pinterest?
• Have a presence
• Gather ideas and become inspired
• Method of filing and organizing potential projects or
ideas

60. Pinterest Terms
• PIN: A pin is a picture or video you bookmark or “pin”
on Pinterest. Pinboard – (Also known as “board”) A
collection of images, usually focused around a
specific theme.
• REPIN: When someone pins an image someone else
has pinned. If you want people to repin your images,
it’s a good idea to repin theirs whenever possible.
• LIKE: When someone pins an image someone else has
pinned. If you want people to repin your images, it’s
a good idea to repin theirs whenever possible.

61. Your Pinterest

62. Tips for your Pinterest
• Have a variety of boards – display your interests
• Post your resume and accomplishments
• Monitor photos and comments
• Check your security

63. Pinterest Boards to Follow

64. Pinterest Boards to Follow
• Favourite Early Childhood & Education Blogs
• Early Childhood Education Skills
• Early Childhood Education Ideas
• Spring Crafts and Activities
• Arts and Crafts With Kids

65. ECE and Social Media
TIPS

66. Thinking about social media . . .
• Use your best judgment
• Privacy, privacy, privacy
• Don’t overdo it
• Keep things up to date
• Give credit where credit is due
• Have fun!

67. ECE and Social Media
QUESTIONS

68. CONTACT
MELANIE PARLETTE-STEWART
melanie.parlettestewart@gmail.com
melanieparlettestewart.com
http://pinterest.com/melanieparlette/
https://twitter.com/melanie_sarah_
ca.linkedin.com/in/melanieparlette/
https://www.facebook.com/melanie.parlette

69. More Resources
• http://canadianece.ca/social-media/my-social-media-journey
• http://www.engagestrat.com/web20_ece_nonprofit
• http://www.engagestrat.com/socialece
• http://www.slideshare.net/vcv1/impact-of-social-networking-on-the-ece-community-5450901
• http://www.uniteforsight.org/global-health-university/sesame-street
• http://www.thinkport.org/ece/technology/socialmedia.tp
• http://prezi.com/coqdav1vjllc/early-childhood-education/
• http://www.slideshare.net/FSSimon/everything-ece-directors-always-wanted-to-know-about-social-media-
16488475
• http://www.slideshare.net/FSSimon/tools-of-engagement-status-report-on-technology-in-early-childhood-
education
• http://www.slideshare.net/FSSimon/digital-and-dap-what-ece-faculty-administrators-and-trainers-need-to-
know-to-help-teachers-use-technology
• http://canadianece.ca/
• http://www.ccsd.ca/cpsd/ccsd/i_ece.htm
• http://ecl.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/12/27/1468798411430101.abstract
• http://altechconsultants.netfirms.com/jmle1/index.php/JMLE/article/view/143/145
• http://www.msera.org/Rits_191/Rits_191_Barone_1.pdf
• http://www.slideshare.net/FSSimon/everyone-is-doing-it-managing-social-media-in-the-early-childhood-
ecosystem

70. More Resources
• ttp://fssimon.wordpress.com/2010/08/08/does-social-media-open-doors-or-distract-early-childhood-educators/
• http://www.engagestrat.com/socialece
• http://pinterest.com/dianekashin/professional-learning-for-early-childhood-educator/
• http://www.msvu.ca/site/media/msvu/Documents/MSVU%20winter%20spring%202013%20PD%20brochure.pdf
• http://www.twibes.com/early-childhood-educators/twitter-list
• http://deta.qld.gov.au/earlychildhood/about/news/atoz/index.html
• http://www.ece.gov.nt.ca/files/Early-Childhood/success_in_early_childhood_en.pdf
• http://www.ecetech.net/about/who-we-are/margaret-a-powers/
• https://www.facebook.com/pages/Association-of-Early-Childhood-Educators-Ontario-
AECEO/189978994376068?group_id=0
• http://earlyliteracycounts.blogspot.ca/2009/08/technology-literate-early-childhood.html
• http://www.ecetech.net/events/webinars/
• http://www.fpg.unc.edu/node/1955
• http://www.childcarequarterly.com/pdf/fall11_business.pdf
• http://globalearlyed.wordpress.com/global-tools/teacher-tools/
• http://www.naeyc.org/topics
• http://www.slideshare.net/FSSimon/engaging-with-parents-on-social-media-ccrr
• http://www.slideshare.net/FSSimon/tools-of-engagement-status-report-on-technology-in-early-childhood-
education
• http://www.slideshare.net/FSSimon/increasing-enrollment-and-parent-engagement-using-social-media-and-
online-communication-tools
• http://www.slideshare.net/Mediakasvatusseura/part-of-a-picture-media-education-in-early-childhood-
education
• http://canadianece.ca/early-childhood-education/ece-and-technology