At the last Board of Ed meeting on February 7, we spoke a bit about the District creating a Facebook page. It's something we've been discussing in the Communications Committee and I've personally been advocating for it for over a year. We brought it up at the BOE meeting to just let the community know we're thinking about it. So far, the response has been very positive. I've heard from several people who think it's a great idea to get information out to the community -- as well as offering the potential for comments and/or questions from community members.
The Ridgewood News featured an op-ed piece supporting the idea of a Facebook page for Ridgewood Public Schools.
Many, many Ridgewood residents are on Facebook, with a large percentage of them interacting with Facebook in some way, several times each day. Having a page for the District just gives us one more way to communicate with people where they are...in a way that they may choose to communicate. The viral nature of Facebook allows us to spread information in an organic and easy fashion -- friend to friend to friend.
The intention would be for the Facebook page to augment our other communications channels, including the District website, eNews, the press and the occasional District "Newsline." The page could feature announcements of upcoming school events, reminders, snow day announcements, photos from construction projects, links to interesting stories about education or teaching, and links to news about legislation impacting schools.
The main concern expressed at the meeting last week was in establishing responsibility for the page. Our administrative staff is already stretched thin...does updating and monitoring a Facebook page add too much? Personally, I know from my own Facebook use that it shouldn't take but a few minutes each day. But we don't know for sure, and it is smart to think it through before we start down some path we can't sustain.
The idea of adding the Facebook page is somewhat of a big deal...and yet not really a big deal. It's just one more communication tool. But it does represent the District working to engage with the community on the community's terms. It also helps us model good digital citizenship for our students and their parents.
We'll continue discussing the Facebook page in the coming weeks and I'll post an update here (and on Facebook!) when there's news to report.
Showing posts with label social networking. technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social networking. technology. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Fun today: Tri-State Education Technology Conference.
updated 10/12/10
I’m blogging live from the first annual Tri-State Education Technology Conference, being held at New Milford High School. What a cool event. Considering this conference was conceived just a few months ago, it is amazing to see 400 educators here, attending approx. 40 different sessions on technology and education. There’s quite a lot of focus on social media technologies in the classroom – for example Twitter, Facebook, blogs, YouTube, wikis, and mobile tech (cell phones, etc.). Also a lot of focus on all the amazing (and FREE) professional development that’s available today.
Speaking of social media, the keynote session by Lisa Nielsen, Professional Development Manager for New York City Public Schools, opened with a video commentary on Ridgewood's own BF Principal Tony Orsini’s interview last spring on Good Morning America. Awkward! Haha not really, I mean, I have seen Ms. Nielsen’s video response before and I’ve corresponded with her over Twitter, so it was nice to meet her face to face. I just wasn’t expecting to sit today with 400 people who probably think differently than Mr. Orsini...it makes sense, I was just caught off guard. No worries.
As you know, since I started blogging about it when Mr. Orsini’s message first hit the media, I totally support and appreciate the intent of Mr. Orsini's message. He was focusing first and foremost on the safety and well-being of the children in his school. I do believe, however, that on another level, his thoughts and comments represent a good starting point for some much-needed dialogue in Ridgewood, among parents and educators.
Lunch break is over, I’m going to get back to the conference now. In the meantime, why don’t you watch Ms. Nielsen's video response to Mr. Orsini, and share your comments if you like. You can see Ms Nielsen's video by clicking here.
Find out more about the Tri-State Education Technology Conference, click here.
This is part of the Tri-State Education Technology Conference (TSETC) Blogger Café Contest sponsored by edSocialMedia. TSETC is brought to you by Schoology.
I’m blogging live from the first annual Tri-State Education Technology Conference, being held at New Milford High School. What a cool event. Considering this conference was conceived just a few months ago, it is amazing to see 400 educators here, attending approx. 40 different sessions on technology and education. There’s quite a lot of focus on social media technologies in the classroom – for example Twitter, Facebook, blogs, YouTube, wikis, and mobile tech (cell phones, etc.). Also a lot of focus on all the amazing (and FREE) professional development that’s available today.
Speaking of social media, the keynote session by Lisa Nielsen, Professional Development Manager for New York City Public Schools, opened with a video commentary on Ridgewood's own BF Principal Tony Orsini’s interview last spring on Good Morning America. Awkward! Haha not really, I mean, I have seen Ms. Nielsen’s video response before and I’ve corresponded with her over Twitter, so it was nice to meet her face to face. I just wasn’t expecting to sit today with 400 people who probably think differently than Mr. Orsini...it makes sense, I was just caught off guard. No worries.
As you know, since I started blogging about it when Mr. Orsini’s message first hit the media, I totally support and appreciate the intent of Mr. Orsini's message. He was focusing first and foremost on the safety and well-being of the children in his school. I do believe, however, that on another level, his thoughts and comments represent a good starting point for some much-needed dialogue in Ridgewood, among parents and educators.
Lunch break is over, I’m going to get back to the conference now. In the meantime, why don’t you watch Ms. Nielsen's video response to Mr. Orsini, and share your comments if you like. You can see Ms Nielsen's video by clicking here.
Find out more about the Tri-State Education Technology Conference, click here.
This is part of the Tri-State Education Technology Conference (TSETC) Blogger Café Contest sponsored by edSocialMedia. TSETC is brought to you by Schoology.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
If you're reading this blog, are you out of middle school?
Toward the end of Monday’s Board of Ed meeting, I raised a topic during “other business” that I would describe as having been “hot” over the past week or so. That would be the issue of technology and our students’ access to it. Perhaps you saw the letter that BF Middle School Principal Tony Orsini sent to parents, where he urged them to block their children’s access to all social networking sites, such as Facebook. Or maybe you received GW Middle School Principal Katie Kashmanian’s email in (semi) response, where she took a slightly different approach to internet safety for tweens and teens. Or maybe you saw one of the sound bites online or in the newspaper, since, in the space of 2-3 days, Mr. Orsini was interviewed or quoted by CBS News, Good Morning America, CNN, ABC Radio, Bergen Record, BBC Fox News…and was quoted, re-quoted, tweeted and retweeted among bloggers and others online around the country.
Obviously, Mr. Orsini’s email struck a chord. It’s gotten a lot of attention, and started people talking, which is (mostly) a good thing. It’s definitely gratifying to know that Ridgewood Public Schools have staff that truly care about our students – care enough to reach out to parents and go out on a limb with an important message.
As I said, a conversation has been sparked, and it’s a conversation we clearly need to have in Ridgewood.
To start with, it’s definitely not the school district’s job to tell people how to parent their children. At the same time, we can all recognize that the fallout from some online activities – bullying, harassment, gossip – comes into the schools and can affect both our teachers’ ability to educate and our students’ ability to learn. According to Mr. Orsini and one of the BF guidance counselors who was interviewed, they have been spending an inordinate – and growing – amount of time helping kids who are upset by online bullying, etc. The counselor said on CBS News that recently she has been spending 75% of her time on issues related to Facebook! That’s amazing! I can certainly see how that would prompt Mr. Orsini to act. I do understand his intent – to protect kids.
On the other hand, I don’t want Ridgewood to be the district that’s afraid of technology. Technology such as social networking is here to stay. It has taken hold. It has a lot of benefits and some risk, too. But, in my opinion, circling the wagons and locking the doors is not the answer.
What interests me more, right now, is how this incident has brought out into the light some issues...some mixed messages...and many opportunities for improvement.
Some questions I think we need to consider:
What is our “technology belief system?” What are our “guiding principles?” What is our vision?
How do we reconcile the different approaches of Mr. Orsini, who wants to limit (ban) students’ access to Facebook (for example) and Dr. Kashmanian, who has her own Facebook profile and a “Principals’ Blog” on the GW website?
How do we as a district balance the principles of Alan November, whom the District brought in last Fall, and who advocates teaching students to use technology wisely, with an educator's statement that seems to devalue technology because “90% of student homework doesn’t require going online?”
How do we as a community keep our children safe, protect them from bullies, stop aggressive online behavior, manage anonymous environments and help our kids to be good digital citizens?
How can schools partner with parents to address these issues and together...to create a vision for technology in our children’s lives?
I think these are good, legitimate questions…the basis for a conversation I’d love to have – and have it with gusto.
Hopefully in the coming weeks we can strike while the issue is hot.
I’d love to hear what you think.
Obviously, Mr. Orsini’s email struck a chord. It’s gotten a lot of attention, and started people talking, which is (mostly) a good thing. It’s definitely gratifying to know that Ridgewood Public Schools have staff that truly care about our students – care enough to reach out to parents and go out on a limb with an important message.
As I said, a conversation has been sparked, and it’s a conversation we clearly need to have in Ridgewood.
To start with, it’s definitely not the school district’s job to tell people how to parent their children. At the same time, we can all recognize that the fallout from some online activities – bullying, harassment, gossip – comes into the schools and can affect both our teachers’ ability to educate and our students’ ability to learn. According to Mr. Orsini and one of the BF guidance counselors who was interviewed, they have been spending an inordinate – and growing – amount of time helping kids who are upset by online bullying, etc. The counselor said on CBS News that recently she has been spending 75% of her time on issues related to Facebook! That’s amazing! I can certainly see how that would prompt Mr. Orsini to act. I do understand his intent – to protect kids.
On the other hand, I don’t want Ridgewood to be the district that’s afraid of technology. Technology such as social networking is here to stay. It has taken hold. It has a lot of benefits and some risk, too. But, in my opinion, circling the wagons and locking the doors is not the answer.
What interests me more, right now, is how this incident has brought out into the light some issues...some mixed messages...and many opportunities for improvement.
Some questions I think we need to consider:
What is our “technology belief system?” What are our “guiding principles?” What is our vision?
How do we reconcile the different approaches of Mr. Orsini, who wants to limit (ban) students’ access to Facebook (for example) and Dr. Kashmanian, who has her own Facebook profile and a “Principals’ Blog” on the GW website?
How do we as a district balance the principles of Alan November, whom the District brought in last Fall, and who advocates teaching students to use technology wisely, with an educator's statement that seems to devalue technology because “90% of student homework doesn’t require going online?”
How do we as a community keep our children safe, protect them from bullies, stop aggressive online behavior, manage anonymous environments and help our kids to be good digital citizens?
How can schools partner with parents to address these issues and together...to create a vision for technology in our children’s lives?
I think these are good, legitimate questions…the basis for a conversation I’d love to have – and have it with gusto.
Hopefully in the coming weeks we can strike while the issue is hot.
I’d love to hear what you think.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
