9 Keys For Successfully Using Facebook to Connect Educators

After years of moderating Facebook groups, I've discovered nine keys for success. This year at ISTE, I along with my New York City colleagues, JoJo Farrell (@FarrellJoJo ) and Jackie Patanio (@JPatanio ) shared how as school district administrators we have worked together to form a supportive community that encourages educators around New York City and helps them get instant answers, feedback, advice, and kudos, from colleagues around the clock.

If you’re thinking about creating an online community for the educators where you work, our keys to success may be helpful for your community too.

9 Keys to A Successful Online Community

1. Go where your audience is (for us Facebook).
2. Have clear, simple guidelines.
3. Secure solid moderators that don’t dominate, but rather facilitate in the background.
4. Jargon (PLNs, Connected Educators) can be scary. Just invite folks to join your group.
5. Be consistent: Group name, social media hashtag, conference name.
6. Vendors can be your friend if you set the tone.
7. Remember the importance of scheduling face-to-face meetings (meetups, conferences) too.
8. Celebrate!
9. Ask screening questions to get the right members in the group.

So what do you think? Are these some keys you think can work successfully in a group in which you moderate or participate? Anything missing? Anything about which you want to know more?

You can see our presentation below.