EdTech: Digital Literacy & Online Communities
Sara Terrell
Education no longer begins and ends in the classroom. Technology has transformed how we teach and learn, with online communities now central to supporting administrators, teachers, and students. These digital spaces provide access to knowledge, resources, and support that extend learning, streamline communication, and strengthen school culture.
As a school administrator, it’s vital to understand the ins and outs of these virtual communities to tap into their potential benefits, both for your teaching staff and students.
Here’s what you need to know.
The Applications and Benefits of Online Communities in Education
Online Education Communities
Online education communities focus widely on education as a sector, with emphasis on educational technologies, policies, and optimal teaching strategies.
Members often share value-added content, such as education-related conference videos, webinars, online courses, and think tanks. Some share their personal experiences and advice on how to handle specific challenges and obstacles.
These resources provide insights into the future of education and how best to engage and educate learners in the age of technology.
For administrators or educators, these communities help you stay up to date with the latest trends and best practices in education. Many also allow you to network with other education professionals and use their guidance to inform your strategic planning processes.
Online Teaching Communities
Many online communities are designed specifically to support educators. They offer:
- Guidance and tools for professional development.
- Advice from knowledgeable teachers.
- Subject-specific discussions and forums.
- Professional learning networks that promote career and skills development for staff.
These communities benefit teachers by exposing them to new and innovative educational strategies and by connecting them with other professionals in their fields to strengthen their networks.
Student-Facing Online Communities
Students now use a variety of online communities, both for social and academic reasons. Some schools actively make use of collaborative platforms, and many students seek out social media groups, third-party apps, or gaming platforms like Minecraft servers, where teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving play out in real-time.
As an administrator, it’s essential to understand the risks and potential benefits of these platforms.
Student-facing online communities carry risks like misinformation, malinformation, privacy threats, and cyberbullying.
All these risks should be managed carefully. But with appropriate management, these platforms can promote collaborative learning, effective teamwork, and a sense of belonging for students.
How Online Communities Can Support Administrative Success
Educator Support and Development
By encouraging your staff to join professional online communities, you can ensure they have the support they need.
Developing an internal online community for your school is one way to cultivate a culture of workplace collaboration and keep staff members on the same page. You may use the platform to share:
- School-wide best practices.
- Recommended teaching methods.
- Newly implemented protocols and initiatives.
Strategic Planning and Management
Online education communities offer important information on new and emerging trends in education. Monitoring these developments can give you insight into how best to adapt your school’s workflows in the future.
Posting your own professional insights on these groups can also support teachers in other establishments. Additionally, this could help to build a strong reputation for your own school online.
Student Safety and Digital Literacy
With meticulous management, online communities can consistently support students while teaching them valuable digital literacy skills at the same time. The key is to design and implement a clear policy on how students should use approved online communities. Your policy should educate students on:
- How to behave responsibly online.
- How to protect their privacy.
- How to quickly spot and report misinformation.
You can reach out to parents and ask them to promote digital literacy and safety at home. This will ensure your students have the knowledge needed to use online community platforms responsibly.
Best Practices for Integrating Online Communities into School Environments
Online communities offer a host of benefits for staff, educators, and students when implemented strategically.
Here’s how to integrate online communities into your school environment to maximize their potential benefits.
Draft a Comprehensive Implementation and Use Policy
Your online community implementation policy should focus on a few critical areas. These include online safety, digital literacy, and responsible use. Draw up a policy that provides staff and students with clear, concise use guidelines for online platforms.
Provide examples of approved platforms and their acceptable use, and be sure to describe any consequences of misuse as well.
Train Your Staff
Online communities are relatively new tools in education. Your staff members may need training and guidance to use them effectively. Host educational workshops for your educators on topics like online community engagement, digital literacy, cybersecurity, and handling misinformation.
Train your staff on how to moderate and manage discussions online, and provide them with the resources they need to build professional networks.
Promote Online Community Use by Students
Online communities can be monumentally beneficial to students, as long as they are equipped with the skills they need to meaningfully connect with their peers online.
Promoting initiatives like student-led online safety programs and workshops on healthy online behaviors will teach your students how to use school-approved platforms to support their educational goals.
Protect Your School’s Data
Research from Microsoft shows that there are around 600 million cyberattacks per day, and the use of online communities and other online resources carries persistent privacy and data risks.
Using a secure student information system like Gradelink will help to ensure that your school’s, educators’, and students’ data remains secure and encrypted at all times.
Gradelink provides secure, school-sanctioned online community alternatives with controlled access through secure logins. Our 100% web-based system allows for secure SSL logins and daily data backups, keeping private teacher and student information protected.
The system’s security activity logs and discipline tracking tools enable you to monitor teacher and student behaviors within the system. This, in turn, gives you the power to create and maintain a safe, supportive digital environment.
Building Stronger School Connections Through Online Communities
In an increasingly digital-driven world, online communities serve as powerful aids for school administrators, teachers, and students. These virtual spaces provide each group with the knowledge, resources, and guidance they need to thrive.
By setting clear use guidelines, training your staff and students on how to use these platforms, and actively using these spaces yourself, you can effectively integrate online communities into your school’s workflows.
With Gradelink, you can build a secure, centralized online community that connects administrators, teachers, students, and parents, while protecting your data every step of the way.
Sara Terrell is a versatile writer covering topics from education to business.