School to Home Communication

School to Home
Communication
Communicating More Effectively
Through an Integrated Online Network
Scott Watkins, Website Coordinator
Jeannine Rainbolt College of
Education
University of Oklahoma
swatkins@ou.edu
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, swatkins@ou.edu

1. It’s My Job
2. We’re Implementing It

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artrock2006/4177475479 & http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-lion/2469444622
http://www.ou.edu/education.html http://ntouch.ou.edu Scott Watkins,
swatkins@ou.edu

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)

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?

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)
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)

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.

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

0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
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

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 Solutions
May 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) 325-7962
swatkins@ou.edu

School to Home Communication

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