Robust Educational Communication by Harnessing Digital Tools
Success thrives on effective communication and successful education. Instruction grows from the seeds of communication and learning from one another. In the world today, technology is at the center of everyday activities, yet it is rarely used effectively within the realm of education. There are so many different platforms of technological communication tools that it can sometimes be difficult to decide which is best for your particular school district. Additionally, technology is constantly changing and improving to meet the demands of society, school districts and administrators can barely keep up.
It sometimes feels as though the evolution of technology happened overnight. Effective administrators are charged with the task of keeping themselves and their staff educated on the latest devices and tools that can enhance learning and communication. "If you are an administrator who wants to promote the effective use of technology in your school district, you must provide valuable and ongoing training in not only how to use the tools, but how to implement them effectively into the curriculum"(Crompton, 2015). I think this is an important idea. Many times administrators feel as though by providing teachers with the professional development on using technology they have done their part; however, many teachers need to be educated on effective technology implementation. If not implemented effectively, technology can be more of a burden and have a negative impact on the learning environment. It is also important as administrators to communicate to staff that technology is not designed to replace instruction, it is only a tool with which educators can enhance learning. Monitoring how it is used is also a crucial administrative role in successful implementation.
Throughout this course, I have grown so much as an educator. I used to become so frustrated with the lack of communication with my students' parents. Since embarking on this course I have begun to explore a variety of digital tools and have found a few that have had an enormous impact on positive communication with parents. Remindme.com is one such tool. I simply add the parents' phone number, they receive a text message and Voila... communication.
I have also embraced the world of Google. I have found Google-docs to be a very effective tool to use when leading PLCs. Every staff member can add their ideas and suggestions, making everything into a live working document. I've found staff members to embrace this process and feel like they have more input into, and control over, how ideas and procedures are enforced.
I am not familiar with back-channel communication. From what I have read it appears to be a great tool for blended learning. Allowing students who struggle with class discussion an alternative form of communication. Small group discussions through Twitter is also something I read. I am interested in exploring this type of communication for parents and other stakeholders in the school district. Sharing ideas about how to move forward as a school district can be cumbersome. Harnessing a form of back-channel communication can provide every stakeholder with a platform for sharing ideas. Just as with Google-docs, this can become a live working document where everyone has ownership and contributes to the conversation in real-time!
References
It sometimes feels as though the evolution of technology happened overnight. Effective administrators are charged with the task of keeping themselves and their staff educated on the latest devices and tools that can enhance learning and communication. "If you are an administrator who wants to promote the effective use of technology in your school district, you must provide valuable and ongoing training in not only how to use the tools, but how to implement them effectively into the curriculum"(Crompton, 2015). I think this is an important idea. Many times administrators feel as though by providing teachers with the professional development on using technology they have done their part; however, many teachers need to be educated on effective technology implementation. If not implemented effectively, technology can be more of a burden and have a negative impact on the learning environment. It is also important as administrators to communicate to staff that technology is not designed to replace instruction, it is only a tool with which educators can enhance learning. Monitoring how it is used is also a crucial administrative role in successful implementation.
Throughout this course, I have grown so much as an educator. I used to become so frustrated with the lack of communication with my students' parents. Since embarking on this course I have begun to explore a variety of digital tools and have found a few that have had an enormous impact on positive communication with parents. Remindme.com is one such tool. I simply add the parents' phone number, they receive a text message and Voila... communication.
I have also embraced the world of Google. I have found Google-docs to be a very effective tool to use when leading PLCs. Every staff member can add their ideas and suggestions, making everything into a live working document. I've found staff members to embrace this process and feel like they have more input into, and control over, how ideas and procedures are enforced.
I am not familiar with back-channel communication. From what I have read it appears to be a great tool for blended learning. Allowing students who struggle with class discussion an alternative form of communication. Small group discussions through Twitter is also something I read. I am interested in exploring this type of communication for parents and other stakeholders in the school district. Sharing ideas about how to move forward as a school district can be cumbersome. Harnessing a form of back-channel communication can provide every stakeholder with a platform for sharing ideas. Just as with Google-docs, this can become a live working document where everyone has ownership and contributes to the conversation in real-time!
References
Crompton, H. (2015, 7 1). Know the ISTE Standards
for Administrators: What does the Research Say? Retrieved from ISTE
Central: https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=264
"If you are an administrator who wants to promote the effective use of technology in your school district, you must provide valuable and ongoing training in not only how to use the tools, but how to implement them effectively into the curriculum"(Crompton, 2015). I think this is an important idea. Many times administrators feel as though by providing teachers with the professional development on using technology they have done their part; however, many teachers need to be educated on effective technology implementation.
ReplyDeleteI agree that PD must be valuable and ongoing...in fact, research shows that a single instance of PD will not change practice. More often than not, what I see are folks buying devices and not investing gin PD/coaching.
Ann Marie, I appreciate seeing you grow in your use of technology. Being a learner everyday is something administrators and teachers will need to do to keep up with the rapid advancements. Silvia posted in her blog how these tools are opportunities, and i would add "learning" opportunities for adults in addition to students.
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