Reflection 2: Why Social Media Matters

Be an Agent of Change

 

“It is more than foolish for school leaders to pretend that education is somehow untouched by new media; it is negligent, and it reinforces the image that many Americans have of schools and school leaders – that leaders keep their eyes on the rear-view mirror as they run our schools, and that our schools are just not in step with the times” (7).  I do not want to be this type of leader.  I want to be an agent of change because with change comes great things. 

One of the greatest things that can come from changing the tools that we use in our schools is the way that we interact and communicate with students, staff, parents and the community.  “Communication – made easier by technology – builds partnership both inside and outside the classroom” (34).  We will develop relationships that foster trust with the very people who have an incomplete understanding of our vision.  Our successes (and failures) will become transparent, on our own terms, because we are controlling the stories told. 

As I’ve mentioned before, as a leader, I will focus on using the internet and social media to “practice good communication to link school to students’ families and communities” (33) because “a good deal of evidence supports the popular view that parent involvement has a strong bearing on student achievement” (33).  And as an educator, my first responsibility is to achieve success for my students while bring my school into the 21^st century.  To ensure that this happens, I will use Facebook, Blogs and Twitter to get information across to my stakeholders in real time. In the continued development of my leadership brand, I will set aside 20 minutes a week to practice and grow my abilities in these tools.  In addition to this, I will share a prep period with two math teachers, so I will be able to introduce and teach them how to use these tech tools to engage students; and to communicate with parents.

One important aspect to consider before beginning to use social media as my main, but not only, communication tool is to create a media policy that establishes guidelines for appropriate use.  I won’t be reinventing the wheel, though.  There are many schools and associations that have already crafted these types of guidelines, and I can use theirs as a template to craft one for us.

Taking a risk and embracing technological change will lead to success for our students and “create a place where people will find it worth their time to join in conversation” (64).  I look forward to having my school community join in communication with me.

How will you encourage your community to foster change and join in communication with you?