Today's Topics
Guests: Michele & Kris EdCamp
Excellence in Professional Practice ISTE Standards A Standard 3
Guests: Michele & Kris EdCamp
Excellence in Professional Practice ISTE Standards A Standard 3
Sheninger 5,6, & 7
Chapter 5 Communication
Chapter 6 Public Relations
Chapter 7 Branding
Chapter 5 Communication
Chapter 6 Public Relations
Chapter 7 Branding
Chapter 5 ~ Communication
Transparency Honesty Accessibility Flexibility
Family And Community Engagement (FACE)
Chapter 6 ~ Public Relations
Social Media Tools
Telling your Story ~If we do not tell our story, someone else will (p. 98).
Social Media Tools
Telling your Story ~If we do not tell our story, someone else will (p. 98).
Chapter 7 ~ Branding
Brand-ED
School Culture Student Achievement School Funding/Resourcing
2 Conversations
Professional Brand - Your Relational Brand
School Brand - School Achievement, Quality of Teachers, Innovative Practice, Extracurricular
Brand-ED
School Culture Student Achievement School Funding/Resourcing
2 Conversations
Professional Brand - Your Relational Brand
School Brand - School Achievement, Quality of Teachers, Innovative Practice, Extracurricular
ISTE Standards-A ~ Standard 3 Excellence in Professional Practice
Twitter
Tweetdeck
Flickr
Facebook Pages
Vimeo
UStream
Thank you to Kris and Michele for the information on EdCamp. This is a great idea to connect educators across a region that have similar things they are passionate about or even just things they want to explore further. Erick and I talked about how you could organize this (on a much smaller scale) at the building level at the beginning of a school year - or even throughout a school year. So often teachers work in isolation and as we shift to a (hopefully) more collaborative culture, it is important for teachers to be able to talk with each other about ideas that are on their mind, questions they have or possibly even problems they are having that they need feedback on. It would take some organization, but it would probably also do a lot to foster a positive, collaborative culture at a school.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the EdCamp presentation! I would like to get in touch with you guys to set one up in Spokane potentially. I really enjoyed poking around on LinkedIN today, this was something that previously I had assumed was nothing but junk, but I now realize it is a very efficient way to network which is critical in the professional industry. Once again this class has far exceeded my expectations! Thank you for everything that you do!
ReplyDeleteAndy, my view of LinkedIn changed today as well! I used to think that it was something that business professionals and people looking for jobs used. The power of networking with other experts in our field seems like a great way to support our schools.
DeleteI am with you on LinkedIn! I had an account set up, but didn't take it anywhere. I am excited to connect and think it will be helpful as we become principals.
DeleteI really enjoyed setting up Linkedin today. I think it is going to be a great source for networking and ultimately finding a job! It's also going to be extremely useful to have the connections from this class already built in.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting today to hear about people's work communicating, creating public relations, and branding. I agree that this was the portion in Sheninger's Digital Leadership that really started to come alive for me. Prior to reading this book I had never wanted control over our Orchestra's facebook page or twitter accounts. After reading this book though, I have taken control over our groups facebook page and am working to get control of our twitter. The piece that sold me was the line that talked about being the one to control and share your news, because if you don't then someone else will. I guess it's time to grow up and take control of the social media posts about our program and me. The piece I'm still working through is ensuring that I'm achieving my communication goals while still aligning with district policy.
It was also fun hearing about edcamp. This is a format that doesn't seem like it should work, but seems to be quite successful based on what was shared today. I'm not sure it would work at the building level right away, but if you were able to develop the culture of your building in the right ways it could be quite effective.
I also loved hearing everyone talk about the different ways you can use social media to brand yourself and your school (or your department). I found my own principal today through a search on Twitter and apparently he has an account that he uses for our school, but I never heard about it and I noticed he rarely posts. So, I'm going to see if I can talk him into letting me take it over next year. I would love to hear about how it goes for you to be in charge of your page and see if you have any tips as you work further with it!
DeleteI think that the issue of how to personally use social media with students is a major gray area. Students are getting better and better at finding whatever they want to on the internet, regardless of whether or not you've posted it. I had two students last year that paid for all of my personal information off of white pages; address, phone number, middle name... etc. So I am skeptical at giving students even an inch into my personal life. I do like the idea of creating a different profile that I can use with students.
ReplyDeleteLinked in is something I have heard of before but not something that I have ever taken advantage of. This has spurred me to create a linked in and use it effectively. I will become an all star!
I am totally with you on students being able to find whatever they want on the internet. Last year we went 1:1 and had students downloading hacking software to bypass the district firewall so they could download games. The piece that I don't think I can pass up is the open line of communication that is already established with so many students and parents already on facebook. Good luck becoming an All-Star! Let us know when it happens!
DeleteI totally understand your apprehension with social media and HS students. A few years ago, I had a FB that was school related, but our district asked us to not have one. They actually wanted us to not even have a personal FB acct. I'm actually looking into what the current District Policy is so I know whether to start up a school related FB again.
DeleteI'm sure you will be a LinkedIN all-star by tomorrow!!
Hans, I see your point about the open and easy communication through technology. It is an amazing resource, but like a beast that needs to be tamed! You will all be very sad to know, I am still only an expert on LinkedIn :(
DeleteHans, I see your point about the open and easy communication through technology. It is an amazing resource, but like a beast that needs to be tamed! You will all be very sad to know, I am still only an expert on LinkedIn :(
DeleteThe EdCamp information was very useful. I plan on taking the format back to my staff to use as a form of professional development. It was also nice to look around LinkedIn. I know I will create a professional profile at some point this year and now have the background knowledge to do so. Slideshare is going to be a very useful tool since I create many presentations each school year. Very cool. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI think Slideshare is an awesome tool too! I'm excited to put the PD that is created on there for all staff to access. If you share your Slideshare, let me know. I'd love to see some of the PD you have done with your district.
DeleteTiffany if you do share Edcamp with your building please share out what worked and what was challenging. Thanks in advance! :) Kris
DeleteI was inspired the presentation by Kris and Michelle on their experience at Edcamp. The "unconference" conference is a great tool to create ownership and engagement of its participants; particularly having the ability to create, choose and facilitate the direction of the break-out sessions. I want to apply these concepts to staff meetings and professional development in the future. Sheninger's concepts of creating a brand for a school seems like a no-brainer! Why aren't more educational leaders using social media to engage their community?
ReplyDeleteLinkedIn appears to be a very useful way to connect to other professionals. I am eager to explore its features more!
I thought about the Edcamp stuff for staff meetings too, however I am wondering about the pitfalls associated with this activity if a culture of adhering to norms isn't set. As Michele shared, it can turn into a negative situation or dumping ground for problems rather than solutions.
DeleteAside from norms, I wonder how we keep the topics in a positive direction. Hans and I thought we could see this working at a district level first and then move towards a building level over the course of a couple of years. Thoughts on that?
Ryan interesting you say that (about starting at the district level) as Fife will be using this format in their FALL PD. I will be digging a bit deeper to see how it was received and if staff thought it was productive. I also believe a "facilitator" needs to be assigned to each group to enforce the norms. In addition, I believe the group should agree on one guiding question under the topic area so that the group can be productive to move forward (instead of spinning their wheels). Finally at the end of the session possibly allow 15 minutes for the group to share different ideas, questions & wonders. I believe this format serves many great purposes....it ignites our passion areas, it allows teachers to amplify their voice and finally sparks creativity (something that sometimes gets lost in education.)
DeleteI loved learning about EdCamp from Michele and Kris. I hope to be able to attend next year. Several of the ideas Michele and Kris shared could easily be utilized with staff. I like the idea of having staff write what is on their heart and areas of interest. I think this would allow you to gauge where your staff is and the direction your staff training and PD. I also like the idea of the Two Feet Rule and offering different topics of PD so staff can personalize their own learning.
ReplyDeleteI had a LinkedIn account set-up, but didn't understand the purpose of having one until today. I really liked slideshare to organize all the slides that are created for staff. I think it would be a great place for staff to access PD versus sharing everything on google docs. Those staff that are absent or want to review the PD again, can access it as needed. Plus, google docs can get so unorganized if you don't stay on top of it!
I liked the idea of the '2 feet rule' too! What a great idea. How often have you been in a PD situation and thought, "how does this apply to me?" All too often it feels like a waste of your time, but you're expected to be there so you sit and get very little out of it. I like the idea that if something isn't working for you, or isn't going where you need it to, you are welcome to join another group. Plus, I think it speaks to the trust you have in your teachers that you area allowing them (as professionals and frankly, as adults) to choose what will benefit them the most as an educator! Good ideas... lots to think about!
DeleteBranding is essential to providing the right message and creating the story you know needs to be viewed by the masses. I heard this about a year ago and it has changed my perspective completely. I am currently trying to brand myself as a paperless solutions consultant. And, should you need anything paperless, please contact me as I have a multitude of resources and ideas. I am passionate about this topic. As for accepting or declining coworkers or students I just do it. I am not great at updating or using social media, but this may be the catalyst for change.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit like you, Ryan. I'm buying into the whole branding thing as well and trying that out. Also, I am great at viewing social media and reading it, but I'm not so great at using it for updating or commenting. I think that this class is already getting me more exposure and more usage out of social media.
DeleteRyan has Glenn shared the book "The Power of Banding - Telling Your School's Story by Tony Sinanis and Sanfelippo (Follow them on Twitter too!) It is a great EASY read.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the edcamp share and learning more about it. I wish I would've known about it sooner as it sounds like something I would really like to attend! Ah well, now that I know, next year I can go! The edcamp experience sounds like it would be a great way to not only make some connections with colleagues and continue my network, but also to get some great ideas that I can take back to my building immediately! Also, I am pleased with the amount of time we are getting to "play" around with the different websites and tools. I've never used linkedin before and I was glad to get some time to experience and set up. I don't know if I would ever have made an account otherwise.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest take-away from today's ideas on how to brand myself and my school. Creating a brand for schools is important because it gives administrators a tool to spread “good news” to the community. Often schools get labeled by outside agency and this is a great way to try and turn this around.
ReplyDeleteI have used twitter for a long time, but never looked at it as a platform to help promote myself or my class. The one issue I see in using social media is that it will take time to do it correctly. If you are not updating often, people will stop following or seeking you out for new information. As a principal, you (or an appointmented person) should update the social media often.
Linkedin can be a great resource as we move to different points in our professional lives. This is a new tool to get our names out there to the rest of the community. It also allows you to connect with professionals in different parts of the state, country, and beyond.
Also, I think slideshare is going to save a lot of time!
ReplyDeleteThinking about what we did today, I felt that LinkedIn was a very useful tool that I had previously felt might be cumbersome. I think LinkedIn relates directly to the chapters of our Digital Leadership book we discussed today. Building yourself as a digital leader to me means that you cannot work in isolation and must be willing and able to continue your personal growth in order to lead your building in its overall growth. You also must see the need and communicate the need to those who are in roles that can support the branding of your school.
ReplyDeleteAs a new principal, I believe that it is essential to connect to your community and communicate your mission and vision that you bring to your new building with each stakeholder in your community. In doing this social media can be a very useful tool. However, I think that consistency is key in doing this and in order to maintain consistency, you must ensure that you do not take on too much or try to use all social media options.
The other idea that I am thinking about based on class today is the way that information spreads and how, in times of dissenting opinions such as levies and bonds, it is important to get your version of a message out there. For this, social media is another great option for people to use.
Agree that it is crucial to connect with your greater community. I think social media is a tool that I have not utilized.
DeleteI think it is also important with bonds and levies.
Today's work was really new and interesting and I really appreciated the time to just work through the different sites and tools that we used. I loved using the first 30 minutes of class to begin to get more comfortable with feedly. I think that is a tool that I will continue to work with and appreciate more and more.
ReplyDeleteI was also pleasantly surprised by the usefulness of LinkedIn. I will be honest, I have gotten LinkedIn invitations from people before and ignored it, naively thinking that LinkedIn was only for people in true business world occupations. But I see now that it is another way to keep an eye out for job openings and apply for pools.
PS I just saw that I typed this yesterday and did not click publish! sorry!