Using social media can seem tricky until you get the hang of it, which is why the National Association for the Education of Young Children launched a tutorial for preschools just in time for the group’s 42nd annual Week of the Young Child, April 14-20.
The Washington-based membership organization offers a journalism primer in a guide free to all that showcases the power of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and photo-sharing websites like Flickr. Learn what in the world a hashtag is used for, how to create a poll and the best ways to lobby policymakers.
The guide, found here , has been popular with viewers, said Associate Executive Director Peter Pizzolongo.
“We’ve experienced tremendous growth in NAEYC’s social media following,” he said. “For example, we first launched our Facebook fan page in 2009, and now we have over 40,000 fans.”
Another cool feature now on the general NAEYC website: an interactive map of the United States that plots where events are scheduled to take place during the Week of the Young Child. Once preschool administrators and teachers have read the social media guide, they can upload their website addresses and other contact information.