The document summarizes different perspectives on communication technology use in schools: 1) "The Resistor" sees technology as making communication worse and believes face-to-face is best. 2) "The Dabbler" uses some tech but struggles to incorporate all available tools. 3) "The Avant-Garde" stays up-to-date and believes tech improves relations. It also provides statistics on student tech access and use, notes benefits and cautions of email communication, and discusses developing an Acceptable Use Policy and using technology for instructional purposes like distance learning and interactive whiteboards.

1. Chapter 9
Communication in an Electronic Era
Presented by
Kelly Szymborksi, Yo Derni, Agatha Miller, Angelica
Thomson, Kristin Daily and Derick Watkins

2. The Resistor, The Dabbler and The Avant Garde
The Resistor
Individuals who ignore technological advances are reassigned throughout the school system
Typically veteran administrators
Believe that communication that worked in the past should work now
Most effective way to communicate: face-to-face, telephone conversation, handwritten/typed notes
– Avoid miscommunication
– Avoid misreading the tone of the information
– Avoids creating a wedge between people
Technology makes communication worse and less genuine
The Dabbler
Educational leader interested in electronics but have trouble keeping up with and effectively utilizing it
Across age brackets and leadership positions
Use some technologies (wifi, cell phones, etc.) but don’t understand how to incorporate the multitude of
technologies available
Believe technology has improved communication but skeptical overuse technology
The Avant-Garde
Educational leader who uses cutting edge technology and stays up-to-date with newest technology
Acceleratingfuture.com
– Near-future technologies
Believe technology advancements improve their school-community relations to meet the needs of stakeholders,
both internally and externally (Fiore, 2011)
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3. Electronic Communication Devices
89% of high schools students have access to Internet-connected smart phones
50% of students in grades 3 through 5 have access to the same type of devices
While at home, 64% of students surveyed identify 3G- or 4G-enabled devices as their
primary means of connecting to the Internet, with another 23 percent saying they connect
through an Internet-enabled TV or Wii console.
60% of students are using mobile devices for anytime research
71% of teachers agreed that today’s digital technologies discourage students from finding and
using a wide range of resources for their research.
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4. Students who said they owned a laptop or smartphone increased by grade level, but
younger students were most likely to say they owned a tablet, at a rate of 51% among
elementary students and 52% among middle school students, but just 36% among high
school students
76% of teachers say, “Search engines have conditioned students to expect to be able to
find information quickly and easily”.
60% of mobile users expect a website to load in less than 3 seconds.
43% percent for educational games
More than 1.5 million apps are available in the Apple App Store and Google Play
Electronic Communication Devices -cont.
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5. Communicating via Email
247 billion e-mails are sent each day. That is one e-mail every 0.00000035 seconds
By the time you are done reading this sentence, some 20 million e-mails entered cyberspace
Every second, the world’s email users produce messages equivalent in size to over 16,000 copies
of the Complete Works of Shakespeare
Internet Sources:
•THE Journal
•The Pew Research Center
•Ed Tech Review
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6. Using E-Mail Externally
Communicating with external stakeholders (parents, community stakeholders)
Advantages
– Teacher-parent communication
• Extending learning to the home
• Open lines of communication
– Students
• Writing/typing experience
– Teachers
– Pen-pals across the globe
– Primary use is to inform
• Convenience of time
• No expectation of a response
Use with caution
– Should not be used in circumstances where more communicative “effort” is more appropriate
– Used for non-essential information that are least likely to be misinterpreted
– Anything on “paper” is subject to personnel or student record
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7. Using E-Mail Internally
Communicating with internal stakeholders (administration, faculty and staff)
Advantages
– Implication to budget - Cut cost of paper
– Address a single person, or a group of people
– Communicating important information at any time of day (outside school hours)
Practical Application
– List of recipients tailored to meet certain needs
• Whole school
• English Department
• Grade level chairs
Applications
•Inform staff of meetings and agendas
•Share information about new research
•Updates from VDOE
•Follow-up from a previous meeting with staff
•School newsletters
•Parent connections – helpful tips
•Community fundraisers
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8. Proceed cautiously with E-mail
Email flaws and “imperfections”
•recognized as the most used form of on line communication
•school districts focuses their efforts on the security issues
Schools set up their own system for internal e-mail
•in an effort to avoid viruses to spread through emails
•destroy the computer infrastructure as well as inappropriate messages.
Other considerations:
•Content of the email delivered to unwanted people- the power of forwarding an email
•Sending an email before proofreading
•When dealing with a high number of people and setting , a mass email could be sent
•Activity 1: E-mail etiquette
•Activity 2: Identify the errors, what happened
•Video- Dr. Nancy Siebring
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9. 1-9
Activity 1: E-mail etiquette
Example #1
From: Jones, Chrys
To: English Department-Everyone
CC:
Subject:
Importance: High
I need to speak to someone from your department.
Chrys Jones
Assistant Principal
Armstrong High School
ph: (317) 555-1234 x42
fax: (317) 555-4321
Reflection:
What do you think ? What elements are missing?
Proceed cautiously with E-mail- cont.

10. 3. From: Jones, Mike
To: Brady, Willow
Cc: Pratt, William; Giles, Miller
Subject: RE: Synergy Training
Wow, Willow, these guys must be real boneheads if they still
don’t get this program. I’ll forward you some instructions so you
can add it into your slides.
Mike Jones
Computer/ Technology Teacher - IT Department
Salem High School
ph: (317) 555-1234 x42
________________________________________
2. From: Brady, Willow
To: Pratt, William
Cc: Giles, Miller; Jones, Mike
Subject: Synergy Training
Good afternoon William,
Per our conversation, I will have the slides ready with the new
sections we touched base on, by the end of the week.
Best regards,
Willow Brady
Media Specialist
Salem High School
(317) 240-4100 ext 1337
________________________________________
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1. From: Pratt, William
To: Brady, Willow
Cc: Giles, Miller
Subject: Synergy Training
Hi Willow,
I would like to add two more sections to the Synergy Training, to
assure everyone's understanding. Please come see me after
school.
William Pratt
Assistant Principal
Salem High School
(317) 666-4628
(317) 666-1337 fax
Proceed cautiously with E-mail- cont.
Activity 2:

11. Reflection:
•Never include statements in your emails that could be identified as attacks or offensive.
•Remember to be careful about what you say
•READ YOUR EMAIL BEFORE CLICK ON “SEND”
Thoughts? Questions?
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Proceed cautiously with E-mail- cont.

12. The Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
What is it?
AUPs are rules, regulations and standards governing the appropriate use of electronic communications and
information gathering.
They provide a protection shield to users of the districts technology services.
Who needs it?
AUPs are necessary for all schools in this modern era.
AUPs and email security are essential for leaders to protect the students and ensure safety from online threats and
keep hardware safe from viruses and other threats.
Leader should provide all stakeholders with professional development for technology use.
How do you develop an AUP?
Customize an AUP to meet the needs of your individual school.
Develop Your School's Acceptable Use Policy
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13. Using Technology for Instructional Purposes
Distance Learning (i.e. Blackboard)
View Instructional content
Collaborate with educators
Evaluate academic performance
Achieve their educational objectives
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14. Using Technology for Instructional Purposes
The Smart Board
Integrate digital information into teaching, presenting and brainstorming
Easily connect to tools present in the classroom
Creates the ability to write notes, insert diagrams, link to websites, and to save work for future use
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15. The End!
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