Social Media for School Communication

It’s easy to dismiss social media as a fascination of young people but to do so minimizes one of the fastest growing trends in technology. The Pew Internet and American Life Project recently found that over 71% of teens have a Facebook profile and 75% of adults have one too. Social media tools have become the way for a school or business to quickly and efficiently disseminate information. Because of the almost universal access to social media across all demographic groups it often reaches people that traditional forms of communication miss.

The online presence for many schools has moved beyond the school website. It now includes a Facebook page (www.facebook.com), a Twitter account (www.twitter.com), blogs by teachers, principals or the superintendent, and YouTube (www.youtube.com) and Flickr (www.flickr.com) for sharing videos and photos about school events.

Seven Reasons to Pay Attention to Social Media

1. It Builds Relationships – Creating relationships is important for leaders and social media is a new, and very effective, way to build support among your stakeholders.
2. It’s About Customers – Parents and employees often come from a different generation, one that wants to work differently and to be involved in the educational process. Social media is a way to engage them in the life of your school.
3. They’re Already Talking – Check out the Internet and other online sites. People are already commenting about your school and about your leadership.
4. Listen as Well as Share – The principal is responsible for maintaining the school’s image. Use social media to interact with parents and community. Use it to both hear from them and to share information. It can provide a way to detect rumors and allow you to respond quickly.
5. You’ll Be Well Received – Almost everyone we’ve talked with reports the positive reception they get from having a blog, a Twitter feed or a school Facebook page.
6. It Builds Community – People commit to things they care about. As we described earlier, the public is less trustful of schools. Social media promotes community by inviting people to be part of the conversation.
7. It’s Here to Stay – While the forms of social media continue to change the evidence is that our use of the tools will only accelerate. Increasingly the expectation is that schools stay connected to their families and their community. Social media is the tool. (Adapted from: Porterfield & Carnes (2010), AASA Online)

Tips for Use of Digital Communication

We're always looking for useful tips about how school leaders can use social media technology tools. The January 2012 issue of eSchool News includes an article with tips on the use of social media technology to enhance communication with families and communities. Nora Carr from the Guilford County Schools in North Carolina describes five tips. I was fascinated with the use of QR (quick response) codes for lunch menus, schedule changes, reminders about parent-teacher conferences and other information for parents and families. QR codes are those "goofy looking" bar code squares that are popping up everywhere. You use the camera on your phone to scan the code and retrieve the information. This can be particularly useful for the new generation of parents who are much more comfortable with technology. The Pew Internet and American Life Project recently found that more than half of US adults use social media and more than 6 in 10 say they use it to stay in touch with family and retrieve useful information.