Edudemic recently interviewed Kristin Magette, Communication Director at Eudora School District in Kansas on their recent adoption of Facebook and Twitter for their schools. As a movement to streamline parent-teacher communication, Magette says, ”I don’t think social media is an option in school districts, I think it is imperative.”
In a four part video interview series with Edudemic, Magette shares why every school should consider adopting social media:
- Social media tools open up the walls of the classroom and provide parents a means of seeing what their kids are up to.
- Teachers can develop an online presence through Facebook pages and Twitter, which enriches student learning and builds the school’s education network.
- District teachers have expressed excitement about the program noting that communication with parents has never been easier.
- The push toward social media integration is inevitable, according to Magette. It is only a matter of time before social media tools start lapping other antiquated means of communication.
The open nature of social media does expose the school to undesirable posts from outsiders, says Magette. However, she assures negative comments have never taken over the dynamic of their community. She credits this to their “social ambassadors,” who are a select few enthusiastic teachers who have received more in-depth social media training. These teachers have then spread their knowledge to other faculty members, and so far, the social media movement has been a success at Eudora.
For schools on the fence about making the switch to communicating through social media, they need to make sure everyone (principals, board members, teachers, and parents) are a part of the process. Once everyone buys in, the seeds will be planted, and only time will tell how the social network will grow.
For more information about the Eudora School District’s social network, check out the article here on Edudemic: http://edudemic.com/2013/05/social-media-parents-students/
About Ryan Lee
Ryan Lee is a Gates Millennium Scholar currently studying at Boston College. With interests in psychology and computer science, Ryan is most focused in finding ways of facilitating efficient learning with the technology available today. He is most excited to bring ed tech stories to you as they come and is looking forward to contributing his all to EdTech Times. Fun fact: Ryan is an avid runner and recently kicked off his marathoning career with the 2013 Boston Marathon!