Week three furthered our investigation of Social Media use. This time we focused on the more beneficial side of it. Our guiding question was “how can it be used in a crisis”? What we found was a crazy amount of benefits to having a pre-established social media network. In an emergency, social media can be used to quickly and efficiently sent out information to parents and community members. On the flip side it can also be used to issue an “all clear” if there was a dangerous situation.
I have to admit that I hadn’t looked at social media this way before. I think of the shooters in Paris last year and how the people at the club were sending out messages via Twitter and Instagram. I remember thinking that it was sad but not really thinking of the impact this must have had on the people trapped in the line of a gunman. They must have felt less alone and helpless because they were able to communicate using these tools.
Being a classroom teacher we have monthly “lock down” drills. I look at these through a changed lense now. I realize that I could be the first to “call” for help using my Twitter or Instagram account. I could let parents know my students were OK.
I do realize that this “first info out” method could cause some widespread panic but one must believe that it would be helpful, especially when and if there is a social media crisis plan in place. Which, I should note, there isn’t in my school.
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