SAFE SOCIALISING: Thorndon School children's art is on public show, but their social networking learning will be private and safe thanks to a new programme. PHOTO: Zamzam Aden
WHILE many schools are wary of social media, Thorndon School is embracing it and hopes to have its own network in place early next year.
The school is looking at setting up a social network site which will be school specific allowing students to contact one another outside of school while teachers monitor it.
“We looking at a programme called My Portfolio, which allows children to develop their own e-port portfolios,” says Bill Sutton, the school’s principal.
The social network site will teach children about ways of using social media that is sensible and will be incorporated as a media education tool, says Mr Sutton.
“Teachers don’t want to be there all the time but they can look and see what the children are writing,” says Mr Sutton.
Teaching social media at such a young age could bring new challenges to educators, says Massey University communication lecturer Dr Andrew Chrystall.
“All our former strategies for teaching media no longer apply as the young and old alike seek the massaging and controlling effects afforded by older media landscapes as a recreational pursuit,” says Mr Chrystall.
Thorndon school already makes use of blogs where the children publish work , however the school has found that there was not much real time response from parents.
“Teachers are generally digital immigrants, they didn’t grow up with it, children are digital natives, they have grown up with the internet. Teachers didn’t,” says Mr Sutton.
However My Portfolio will train parents to respond usefully and get them actively involved in what the children are doing.
”It’s all about engaging with children with a medium they are familiar with,” says Mr Sutton.