There's A Disconnect

If you have read my blog before, you know I am a proponent of the proper use of social media by schools and teachers.  I have tweeted recently that according to the PEW Research Center, 75% of parents use social media.  To me, this is a pretty good reason to at least explore the possibility of using social media to connect and communicate with your parents.  As a school leader, when is the last time you have had 75% of your parents in any one place?

Just yesterday, I came across another statistic.  According to a survey conducted by the Harris Poll for the University of Phoenix, 87% of teachers have not incorporated social media into their classrooms.  That is an incredible disconnect, and quite frankly, a missed opportunity.

Our school, Big Walnut Intermediate, located in Sunbury Ohio, has embraced the use of social media with the support of our central office staff and school board.  We have seen amazing results in the past two years because of it.  Great things were happening in our schools, but I am not certain that message was getting home to our families.  Through the use of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, that message is now being delivered, and our parents are appreciative.  In has made it down to the classroom level, as we now have teachers doing their own video newsletters, class blogs, and Instagram pages.  These are tools that not only inform our families about what is happening in their child's educations, but also serves as a hook to get the kids excited about coming to school the next day.

Again, the statistics are pretty mind boggling, and at least warrant a conversation about using social media.