School to Home Communication

School to Home Communication

Communicating More Effectively Through an Integrated Online Network

Scott Watkins, Website CoordinatorJeannine Rainbolt College of EducationUniversity of [email protected]

Innovative Learning Institute 2010

http://www.ou.edu/education.html http://ntouch.ou.edu

Who Is This Guy?

http://www.ou.edu/education.html http://ntouch.ou.edu Scott Watkins, [email protected]

1. It’s My Job


2. We’re Implementing It

Shameful Plug

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artrock2006/4177475479 & http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-lion/2469444622


Say What?


How do you communicate with your parents, students, & alumni?

Face to Face Meetings?

Phone Conversations?

Print Magazines?

Print Newsletters?


Email Newsletters?

Email Messages?

Text Messages?

Web Sites?

Ever Heard of Social Media?


What are Social Media?


Wikipedia Defines Social Media as:

Social media are media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques.

Social media use web-based technologies to turn communication into interactive dialogues.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media

Social Media Are:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthamm/2945559128


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFZ0z5Fm-Ng

Video


Why Are Social Networks so Successful?

Interaction


Why Are Social Networks so Successful?

What About Online Communication?


Wikipedia Defines Online Communication as:

Online communication between home and school is the use of digital telecommunication to convey information and ideas between teachers, students, parents, and school administrators.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_communication_between_school_and_home

What are Some Online Communications Vehicles?

Blogs (or Weblogs)

Wikis (Hawaiian for “Quick”)

Discussion Forums (Multiple Threaded Conversations)

Podcasts (Audio Recordings Distributed Online)

Video Blogs (Video Journals Distributed Online)

Photo Galleries (A Picture is Worth…)

Micro Blogs (Short and Tweet Sweet Messages)


Say What?


So, What Do We Do?


We use these social media in our communications strategy

or

We develop an integrated online network of our own

or

WE DO BOTH!


So, What Do We Do?

Hint: This is the right answer.

Say What?


Integrated Online Network?


Dictionary.com Defines Integrated as:

combining or coordinating separate elements so as to provide a harmonious, interrelated whole.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/integrated

What Are Those Elements?


Blogs (or Weblogs)







But Why an Integrated Network?


From Wikipedia

Online communication emphasizes 21st century skills, self-directed learning, self-advocacy, global awareness, and thinking skills for learners. Utilizing online communication methods, schools help students develop Netiquette, and technical and computer skills. In addition, teachers can provide parents with frequent information about school programs and their children's progress through automated e-mails, official websites and learning management systems. This communication can be achieved either synchronously or asynchronously, providing greater time flexibility.



From Wikipedia

Online communication emphasizes 21st century skills, self-directed learning, self-advocacy, global awareness, and thinking skills for learners. Utilizing online communication methods, schools help students develop Netiquette, and technical and computer skills. In addition, teachers can provide parents with frequent information about school programs and their children's progress through automated e-mails, official websites and learning management systems. This communication can be achieved either synchronously or asynchronously, providing greater time flexibility.





Other Benefits?

Greater Reach into Your Audience

More Frequent Message Delivery

Parents Feel More Connected and Involved

Students (Yes, Even the Shy Ones) Tend to Become More Involved in Online Activities

Online Communication Enhances Strength of Relationship Between Parents, Teachers, and Students


No El

ectro

nic Com

mun

icat

ion

Via

Text

Mes

sagi

ng

Via

Emai

l

Secu

re W

ebsite

Web

site

Other

010203040

How Do Schools Communicate with Parents Electronically


http://www.nextgenerationlearning.org.uk

Some Cons…

Online Communication Can Lead to Unreasonable Expectations That Teachers Are “On Call” at All Times

Training May Be Necessary

Access May Be Limited

Activity Will Be Minimal at First



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54hA_qZg__8

Video


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHXtvtpu1Wk

Video

What Are Those Elements?


Blogs (or Weblogs)







Blogs


A blog (a blend of the term web log) is a type of website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

Most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via widgets on the blogs and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

Wikis


A wiki ( /ˈwɪki/ WIK-ee) is a website that allows the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used to create collaborative wiki websites, to power community websites, for personal note taking, in corporate intranets, and in knowledge management systems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki

Discussion Forum


An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived. Also, depending on the access level of a user and/or the forum set-up, a posted message might need to be approved by a moderator before it becomes visible.

Forums have their own language; e.g. A single conversation is called a 'thread'. A forum is hierarchical or tree-like in structure: forum - subforum - topic - thread - reply.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_forum

Podcasts


A podcast (or non-streamed webcast) is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication. The word usurped webcast in common vernacular, due to rising popularity of the iPod and the innovation of web feeds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast

Video Blogs


Video blogging, sometimes shortened to vlogging (pronounced 'vlogging', as opposed to 'v-logging’) or vidding or vidblogging is a form of blogging for which the medium is video, and is a form of Internet television.

Entries often combine embedded video or a video link with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in one take or cut into multiple parts. It is also a very popular category on YouTube.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_blog

Photo Galleries


Photo sharing is the publishing or transfer of a user's digital photos online, thus enabling the user to share them with others (publicly or privately). This function is provided through both websites and applications that facilitate the upload and display of images. The term can also be loosely applied to the use of online photo galleries that are set up and managed by individual users, including photoblogs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_sharing

Micro Blogging


Microblogging is a broadcast medium in the form of blogging. A microblog differs from a traditional blog in that its content is typically much smaller, in both actual size and aggregate file size.

A microblog entry could consist of nothing but a short sentence fragment, an image or embedded video.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microblogging

OK, How Do We…?


Build It.

Buy It.

Borrow It.


Build It. (Get a Developer)

Buy It. (Get the Check Book)

Borrow It. (Get Online)


$ Free.99


Online Social Communities We Can Use to Build Ours

Ning ($)

Schoology

Tapped In

Edmodo


Hosted Solutions

ExpressionEngine ($)

Elgg

Mahara

Dolphin

Self Hosted SolutionsMay Require Development

http://www.google.com/search?q=social+network+for+teachers


http://www.schoology.com

Video


http://community.education.ufl.edu/community/

Video

What Next?


http://ntouch.ou.edu


Thank You!


Scott Watkins(405) [email protected]