Social Media Stations

Published on 13 January 2010 in Facebook, Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service and Social Media. 0 Comments

Yesterday I went to visit Formby Community Fire Station where I was met by Steve Haw and his team.

Like a lot of people Steve has noticed how Facebook has evolved and become extremely popular, not just for personal use, but also professional. He wants to get on board and take advantage of Facebook whilst it is free and so popular.

Together with the Fire Fighters on duty we had a discussion about how Facebook could be utilised to MF&RS advantage. We agreed that each station should have its own Facebook public page. This would allow members of the public with Facebook profiles to ‘become a fan’ of their local station. On the page the Fire Fighters would keep the public updated with news, events, what is going on in the area, promotion for community events such as car washes, along with a number of others things.

The information that can be put onto the page is endless from competitions to contact details for a range of service. The opportunities that could be created from utilising this service are numerous, such as allowing the community to ask location specific questions to the Fire Service and allowing each station to provide its own response. Not only this but it would allow the station to communicate with other local businesses improving relationships and service for the public.

I could conduct research on whether this would work or not for the next year, however the only real way we can find out is to ‘just do it!!’

As Steve rightly stated, this is the time to do it while Facebook is so popular and free!

Formby Fire Station

CYP Online Advisory Board

Published on 7 January 2010 in Youth Engagement. 0 Comments

An idea which I find extremely appealing is the launch of a Children and Young Persons Advisory Board. This board would be made of selected current and past participants on the Youth Engagement Programmes run by MF&RS, such as Prince’s Trust and Beacon). They would not only moderate and advise on the content of our online space (i.e. Facebook) but would also offer advice, information and answer queries that are sent in.

Having been through or currently completing the program, it is their point of view that is most valuable, knowing what will appeal to other people in a similar situations to them and to highlight how the programmes have effected them personally.

This is something I would like to look into in more detail and speak one to one with the young people about what they think.

Happy New Year!

Published on 4 January 2010 in E-Safety and Social Media. 0 Comments

2010 has arrived and with it a large amount of children and young people are online!

Christmas brought presents and this year among the most popular presents were net-books, laptops, games consoles and mobile phone; all giving their owner access the world wide web.

Children as young as 5 have been given netbooks from Father Christas, allowing them to borwse the web anywhere they want at any time they want; in their bedrooms, at their friends house, in the shopping centre… the list goes on.

Although I believe that it is excellent that young people are becoming familiar and confident using technology to enhance their lives, I am worried about the lack of knowledge parents have surrounding e-safety and just how accessible the Internet is.

As we approach Safer Internet Day in Febuary I aim to find out what parents know, what they want to know and what they should know. Breaking down the knowledge barriers between adults and young people will help both sides understand why the other is so interested in what they are doing and increase safety starting from a young age.

3/4 children admit secretly visiting social networking sites without their parents knowledge

Published on 18 December 2009 in E-Safety, Facebook, In the News and Social Media. 0 Comments

According to research by Professor Tanya Byron, clinical psychologist and television presenter, three quarters of children are visiting social networking sites in secret without their parents knowledge. In fact her research shows that a massive 90% of parents believed they had banned their children from sites such as Facebook and Bebo, but unbeknown to them, their children were still using the sites. A similar percentage allowed their children to use social networking unsupervised.

Click here to read the full article from the Telegraph.

This research highlights the key issues surrounding social networking. The answer is not to ban children from using these sites, but in fact to embrace it and bridge the gap between your knowledge and theirs.

  • Set up the computer in a family room where you can always see what is on the screen.
  • Sit down with your children and set up social networking sites properly – using all the security features.
  • Familiarise yourself with it so you know exactly what is on there and how to change it.
  • Talk about it with your children so that they do not feel embarrassed or scared when they have a question or need advice.

Following simple steps like this will bridge the gap and stop children from sneaking onto sites such as Facebook and Bebo, and using them unsafely, putting themselves in danger.

Using SmartBoards

Published on 16 December 2009 in Youth Engagement. 0 Comments

I attended a one-to-one session yesterday with Nancy Waine from Knowsley City Learning Centre. We looked at various ways the SmartBoard can be used for education and professional use. I was extremely impressed at the endless capabilities and the various scenarios in which it could be used effectively.

I now want to look at how the SmartBoards that we have can be used to engage with C&YP and assist their learning and also how they can be used in presentations and training.

Project Plan

Published on 14 December 2009 in E-Safety, Emerging Technology, Facebook, Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, Projects, Social Media, Topics and Youth Engagement. 0 Comments

Video Diary / Podcast

Programme – Huyton Prince’s Trust

Team – Richie Evered, Jade Cotter

 Giving students the facility to create video diaries / enhanced podcasts:

  • Track progress throughout the 12 week course
  • Provide evidence of activity for log book
  • Creating an online ‘e-portfolio’
  • Ability to evidence work placement activity
  • For use in the final presentation evening
  • Reflective log

Continue reading ‘Project Plan’

Internet Safety in Schools

Published on 8 December 2009 in E-Safety, In the News, Links and Publications. 0 Comments

Internet Safety is to become a compulsory part of primary education in 2011 it has emerged today.

The campaign ‘Zip it, Block it, Flag it ’ intends to encourage children to not give out personal information on the web, block unwanted messages on social networks and report any inappropriate behaviour to the appropriate bodies. The campaign will used as an online ‘Green Cross Code’ which children and parents will follow to protects themselves online.

Zip it, Block it, Flag it!

By starting the education at a young age, there will hopefully be less and less incidents as the children grow older and internet safety will become common practice.

Google Doc’s

Published on 7 December 2009 in Information Management, Links, Projects and Youth Engagement. 0 Comments
As I have wrote about it an earlier blog, I have investigated setting up an email account for each Prince’s Trust student as part of the program. This is so they can use the e-mail account for applying for jobs , training or education as the accounts that some of the students are using now may not be suitable for professional use. I looked at Google Mail and decided it was the most suitable due to the ease of setting up an account and also so that the students can continue using the account after the course has finished.
Building upon this I have looked into the other applications that Google offers. One in particular is ‘Google Doc’s’. This offers users various software to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations free of charge as well as an online storage space.

 

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I want to start looking into utilising these applications so that when the young people need to ammend or send their CV’s to someone, the CV is easily accessible and editing it is simple, espeically from access points other than home, such as libraries.

Positive news about technology!

Published on 3 December 2009 in Emerging Technology, Facebook, Social Media, Topics and Youth Engagement. 0 Comments

The BBC must have seen my post yesterday about Facebook receiving bad press… Today there is an article about how technology such as social media, blogs and text messaging is giving young people improved writing skills.

Johnathan Douglas from the National Literary Trust said “Engagement with online technology drives their enthusiasm for writing short stories, letters, song lyrics or diaries.” (BBC)

Typing on a laptop

 

By building up young peoples confidence using social networking, blogging and video diaries, it will then enable the young people to approach potential employers and trainers whether it be by phone call, letter, email or in person.  Every-time a person writes a comment on somebodies Facebook wall, sends them an email or even a text, they are practising their communication and writing skills with out even knowing it.

Facebook in the news

Published on 2 December 2009 in E-Safety, Facebook, Social Media and Topics. 1 Comment

Yet again Facebook has received bad press because of the lack of knowledge users have. Today on BBC there is a story about doctors being warned about not responding to ‘flirtatious approaches’ on social networking sites. This has come about after a number of patients have found the doctors that have treated them in surgeries or hospitals on sites such as Facebook and have been able to get information on their interests, and then proposition them. This is all down to the user not knowing how accessible their information is and how to adjust privacy settings so that their details are private from the general public.

This highlights the need for e-safety to circulate around as many people as possible so there is a better awareness of such issues, not just young people but adults too. Facebook can then be used as the excellent resource it is. The bad press, such as this, gives social networking a bad name, especially for those who have never used it and will continue to be put off. It is not often that good news or success stories, such as Wiggly Wigglers (see below) in the press showing the potential that social networking holds.

Those who have a bad view of sites such as Facebook, are generally those who have never used it and are not aware of what it has to offer. By increasing the awareness of e-safety and educating more users on how to keep their profile private, hopefully there will less ‘horror’ stories and more ‘success’ stories.