I've only been an administrator for a short while, but I have met a number of Principals and Vice Principals over the past five years who still shudder at the thought of having a personal Facebook account or become suddenly overwhelmed by the prospect of engaging on Twitter. When I ask about the possibility of establishing accounts for their schools, the silence is sometimes deafening and the the looks are their faces are too priceless, almost as if to say aloud, "... but why would we do that?" I'm not sure what it is. Are the age-old misconceptions about social media still pervasive? Is there anxiety about one's ideas floating around in cyberspace? Are we still afraid of the "evils" lurking amidst the users of the Internet? Are people simply stuck on the word "social"? News flash folks: education IS social (the last time I checked, there are an awful lot of people in the mix...). Knowledge IS a social construct. Literacy and Numeracy (an pretty much everything else that is taught and learned) ARE social practices. Leveraging social media is a golden opportunity to expand an individual's and a school's social network, facilitates access to a multitude of resources and provides a variety of platforms on which to share in the many success stories our schools experience everyday.
Tonight (as I'm typing actually), I'm participating in an online discussion with educators everywhere, facilitated by Mark E. West @ShiftParadigm, with the #whatisschool hashtag. These were the questions posed:
Participants in this discussion shared how social media has been personally beneficial by being part of supportive PLNs with like-minded educators that crossed geographic boundaries. Twitter chats such as this one are definitely a hit, and I can personally attest that it is a really neat experience to be in the comfort of my own home, in my pjs, sipping a cup of coffee and being a part of such a rich and relevant discussion. Educators remarked on how much they valued the support and inspiration they not only provided by received from others. A lot of ideas were shared about how social media is being incorporated in PD opportunities. From what I could tell, many were describing cultural shifts happening in schools and entire districts as more teachers and administrators were taking risks. It was refreshing to read how one educator commented: "
A4-Honestly, it's helped me shift from "that's the way we've always done it" thkg to being vulnerable, exp possibilities. @vkcommeducate
YES!!! This has been a truly invigorating experience, to be connected with like-minded educators who see value in social media the way that I do. It's nice to know that other educators are looking to contribute to our profession in new ways. I makes me hopeful.
This year, one of the goals on my annual growth plan is to increase my school's presence on social media. As someone who is new to the school, this is THE chance to get to know as many people as I possibly can. This will afford me endless opportunities for collaboration with staff and all the councils, teams and clubs within the school. I'm excited! What I am planning to propose to my principal is the following:
1. the creation of a main school Twitter account; the function of this account is to share pertinent information, recap daily events at school and within the classroom when it is appropriate, and make connections within the community in order to promote the fabulous work our students and staff are doing; I also want to be able to promote all of the council and club Twitter account and assist them in increasing their following
2. link that Twitter account to a school Facebook account
3. create a school Instagram account that is linked to the Facebook account
4. there is already a school blog in place of a newsletter but no one reads it because it isn't really promoted well, sooooo.... I plan to use all of the social media accounts to send out notifications of new posts to promote the school; this is especially important since students contribute to this blog and parents appreciate it
5. work with the head secretary to have links to all accounts on the school website
The purpose and aim: to give parents as many options as possible for keeping up with the latest comings and goings. Yes, I want to take this on and it's not for lack of work to do. I believe that as a digital leader, I have to model for students and teachers how social media can be meaningful in an educational context. In fact, Eric Sheninger, in his book Digital Leadership (Corwin 2014), writes that principals MUST do this work themselves so that teachers can see how it can be integrated in their classrooms (p. 43) and it will also help students to see how they use their devices in a new light. Using social media is also an effective and efficient way to communicate with parents about the school's progress and keeping the community informed about school goals (p. 43). Another incentive to use social media is the following:
I think that speaks for itself.
Wish me me luck! I hope my principal is as receptive as I am excited. He and I have worked together before so he knows my position on what being an administrator in the 21st century is all about. If nothing else, I really believe this will allow me to support him as the leader of a vibrant and exciting school community that I am thrilled to be joining.
Tonight (as I'm typing actually), I'm participating in an online discussion with educators everywhere, facilitated by Mark E. West @ShiftParadigm, with the #whatisschool hashtag. These were the questions posed:
Participants in this discussion shared how social media has been personally beneficial by being part of supportive PLNs with like-minded educators that crossed geographic boundaries. Twitter chats such as this one are definitely a hit, and I can personally attest that it is a really neat experience to be in the comfort of my own home, in my pjs, sipping a cup of coffee and being a part of such a rich and relevant discussion. Educators remarked on how much they valued the support and inspiration they not only provided by received from others. A lot of ideas were shared about how social media is being incorporated in PD opportunities. From what I could tell, many were describing cultural shifts happening in schools and entire districts as more teachers and administrators were taking risks. It was refreshing to read how one educator commented: "
A4-Honestly, it's helped me shift from "that's the way we've always done it" thkg to being vulnerable, exp possibilities. @vkcommeducate
YES!!! This has been a truly invigorating experience, to be connected with like-minded educators who see value in social media the way that I do. It's nice to know that other educators are looking to contribute to our profession in new ways. I makes me hopeful.
This year, one of the goals on my annual growth plan is to increase my school's presence on social media. As someone who is new to the school, this is THE chance to get to know as many people as I possibly can. This will afford me endless opportunities for collaboration with staff and all the councils, teams and clubs within the school. I'm excited! What I am planning to propose to my principal is the following:
1. the creation of a main school Twitter account; the function of this account is to share pertinent information, recap daily events at school and within the classroom when it is appropriate, and make connections within the community in order to promote the fabulous work our students and staff are doing; I also want to be able to promote all of the council and club Twitter account and assist them in increasing their following
2. link that Twitter account to a school Facebook account
3. create a school Instagram account that is linked to the Facebook account
4. there is already a school blog in place of a newsletter but no one reads it because it isn't really promoted well, sooooo.... I plan to use all of the social media accounts to send out notifications of new posts to promote the school; this is especially important since students contribute to this blog and parents appreciate it
5. work with the head secretary to have links to all accounts on the school website
The purpose and aim: to give parents as many options as possible for keeping up with the latest comings and goings. Yes, I want to take this on and it's not for lack of work to do. I believe that as a digital leader, I have to model for students and teachers how social media can be meaningful in an educational context. In fact, Eric Sheninger, in his book Digital Leadership (Corwin 2014), writes that principals MUST do this work themselves so that teachers can see how it can be integrated in their classrooms (p. 43) and it will also help students to see how they use their devices in a new light. Using social media is also an effective and efficient way to communicate with parents about the school's progress and keeping the community informed about school goals (p. 43). Another incentive to use social media is the following:
"Transparency through the use of social media breeds attention to programs, initiatives, and leadership style. Good news travels fast, and social media transmit the news to numerous stakeholders who are embedded in these spaces..." (p. 182)
I think that speaks for itself.
Wish me me luck! I hope my principal is as receptive as I am excited. He and I have worked together before so he knows my position on what being an administrator in the 21st century is all about. If nothing else, I really believe this will allow me to support him as the leader of a vibrant and exciting school community that I am thrilled to be joining.
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