SOCIAL NETWORKS AS A MEANS OF FORMING A POSITIVE IMAGE OF PRESCHOOL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Introduction. The introduction of information technologies into education significantly expands the possibilities of conveying educational information to students, promotes the forming of informative and communicative competence of teachers, educators and consumers of educational information. Purposes. The aim of the article is to analyse views on the interpretation of the concept of «image of preschool education institutions»; to characterize social networks as a means of mass communication; to reveal the possibilities of using social networks during the forming of a positive image of the institution of preschool education. Methods. It was used the following theoretical methods and techniques of cognition analysis and generalization of scientific literature, comparison, synthesis, systematization and generalization of information. Results. It has been found that in January, 2022, the social network «Facebook» covered more than 48% of active Internet users in Ukraine; the video service «YouTube» had more than 70% of the audience and the social network «Instagram» – almost 30%. Based on the analysis of the experience of scientists who deal with the problems of creating a positive image of organizations, we propose to consider the following rules in the process of forming the preschool educational institution's image by means of social networks: 1. While choosing the social networks to create a web-page of a preschool institution in order to represent its image, it is necessary to take into account the preferences of the target audience (users of Internet resources) and therefore give preference to the most popular among them. 2. While filling the content of the page of the educational institution in social networks for the representation and correction of its image, it is advisable to take into account the experience of other educational institutions, not only preschool. 3. The created image should correspond to the capabilities of the educational institution; therefore, it should be objective and not exaggerated. All photos of the rooms, areas and playgrounds of the preschool institution, which are posted on its pages in social networks, must be real and unprocessed through filters and other specialized programs. 4. While creating the image of the preschool institution, it is necessary to communicate constantly with the pupils' parents and the public through the posting the information about events in the educational institution on the pages of popular social networks. 5. Due to the fact that the image is dynamic, the external requirement for its constant adjustment and updating on social networks is objective. Originality. The views of scientists on the concepts of «image», «image of institution of preschool education», «social networks» are analysed, their characteristics are presented and the most common social networks among Ukrainian users are identified. Conclusion. The optimal choice of a social network based on the preferences of the target audience; introduction of the best experience of other educational institutions; objectivity of the created and represented image; constant communication with the children's parents and the public; continuous improvement of the existing image – are the basic rules of forming a positive preschool educational institution's image through social networks. It is also necessary to monitor whether competitors use manipulative technologies against the educational institution, and to respond to external challenges adequately while forming the image of an institution of preschool education.