How to Engage in Using Social Media as a School Leader

Many school leaders and policy makers still express a high level of skepticism regarding social media’s potential as an educational tool. This is evident by administrative efforts across the country to block and ban the technology rather than engage it instructionally. As authors Ronald Williamson and J. Howard Johnston write in their book The School Leader’s Guide to Social Media:

“Given the explosive growth of social media, and its tremendous potential to change the way we communicate, learn, and teach, many educators argue that we have a moral and ethical obligation to teach our students how to use this technology effectively, ethically, and for the greater good. As one of our colleagues put it, ‘To ignore this technology is to deprive kids of the chance to see how adults use it for productive and responsible purposes. It’s not going away, so if we don’t do the job, it will be left to hucksters and others who see the technology as a way to exploit people rather than help them grow.’ That’s a tall order for school leaders, and a tremendous responsibility for the schools.”

Just as Williamson and Johnston suggest, the time has come for school leaders to stop trying to find ways to block and ban social media and embrace it as both an educational tool and a fact of life. It is time to overcome the fear of all the bad things that might happen, roll up our sleeves and begin the work that will give the technology it’s rightful place in our schools. The problem of getting started though, is often seated in a lack of knowledge and understanding of social media and its potential in education. That’s where Ronald Willamson and J. Howard Johnston’s book, The School Leader’s Guide to Social Media can help.

In this book, Williamson and Johnston provide a crash course on what social media technology is and how school leaders can step up and lead in tapping into its true potential as a educational tool. Loaded with tons of practical tips to help in the successful implementation of social media in teaching and learning, The School Leader’s Guide to Social Media is a comprehensive guide to using social media in education.

For example, Williamson and Johnston begin their argument for social media by providing school leaders with this list of top 10 reasons they should focus on social media:

• It’s here to stay and it’s only getting bigger.
• Kids are using it to talk about you and your school.
• It’s the way kids communicate.
• It’s a new workplace and higher education communication standard.
• Mobile devices put a computer in nearly everyone’s hands.
• It has huge potential for school leadership.
• It’s a great way to engage kids in instruction.
• Communication is instantaneous and widespread.
• It’s beyond the control of the school, but it can be used well in school.
• Schools can model and and help kids learn responsible use of social media.

In addition to providing a clear rationale for social media’s place in the school, Williamson and Johnston also provide a description of social media, its educational potential, an overview of the potential pitfalls of social media, and clear ideas to proactively address these pitfalls through solid acceptable use policies. In later chapters, the authors review the most commonly used social media tools and provide many, many ideas on how to engage the technology as a learning tool for both students and teaching professionals. They also give specific suggestions on how school leaders can engage in the use of these same tools in their administrative roles. The School Leader’s Guide to Social Media is an excellent resource for the school leader who has not yet bought into its potential as an educational tool, but needs more than a how-to-set-up-a-twitter-account approach. It is a book about the integration and engagement of social media. It is a book that definitely will end up with some pages dog-eared for future reference.

For me personally, the only negative with The School Leaders Guide to Social Media is that there is currently no eBook version for my Kindle yet. However, the publisher does offer a DRM Free version of the book at the Eye on Education Publisher's Website.

Three Reasons to Avoid Motorola Droid Phones

In this post, I am going to be honest. I once promoted Droid 2 Phones, but I've lived to regret it. Almost a year ago, I purchased a Droid 2 phone. I've been happy with the Android operating systems and the apps I use, but I found using a Motorola Droid phone to be major disaster. It's so unreliable, I would not recommend it or any other Motorola product at this point.  Here's three reasons why I won't use a Motorola product again, especially a Droid.

Battery life is unpredictable. I knew going into using a Droid that battery life was an issue. In the reviews I read  over the Web, users everywhere talked about how to extend the life of a charge, and I tried everyone of them. Nothing seems to work. What I have found is that my Droid 2 phone will last an entire day one day, and then the next day it won't last an hour, and that is after charging it fully the night before. The battery life is entirely too unpredictable for a school administrator who must be able to use his cell phone at any time. There have been times I have only been at school an hour, only to find my phone dead. Motorola's Droid 2 has a way too unpredictable battery life for me.

Touch Screen often hangs up. This problem has to be one of the most aggravating issues yet. I will try to activate my phone by sliding the activate tab on the touch screen, and nothing happens. Or, I will try to exit an app and nothing happens. Too many times I am finding the Motorola Droid 2 screen unresponsive. I just hope I never have to use my cell phone to make an emergency call because my screen might be frozen.

Surprise phone crashes. This last problem is driving me crazy. On too many occasions to count, I have reached down to answer my ringing phone, but when I touch the screen, the phone crashes and reboots. Basically my phone crashes at those times when I need it most to work. I just hope that last call I got was not an emergency call.


The bottom line is this: My Motorola Droid 2 phone has become a much too unreliable product for me as a school administrator.  I've taken it to my Verizon dealer, and I basically had to tell them what I thought was wrong with it. I can honestly never tell when I might reach down to use it and the battery will be dead or screen frozen. I have downloaded the latest updates, and I have even taken my phone in for service, and no one has answers. At this point I will be switching to another product when my contract runs out in three months. I would welcome any suggestions any of you might have for smart phone products. If your district is looking at a new smartphone product, you might want to look elsewhere.

Symbaloo: An Interesting Way to Share Resources

Recently, a colleague suggested I try a web site called Symbaloo. Symbaloo is a visual interface that allows users to create what are called "Webmixes." A "Webmix" consists of content gathered from around the web. Each web site in a Webmix is represented with a tile and an icon, either selected by the user or derived from the web site. It is basically a tool to organize web sites and web services on one page. Users can share their Webmixes through social media or by URL.

Symbaloo Webmix Page

In my explorations for potential uses of this particular tool, I have planned to use Symbaloo in a Web 2.0 training session with teachers and administrators next week. I've created 3 Webmixes of Web 2.0 sites that I've stumbled across.

Symbaloo is an interesting idea. I can see using it to create specific Webmixes for specific audiences. For example, I could use it to create a Webmix of resources for my new teachers. It is a Web tool with potential uses. Feel free to check out my experimental Webmixes below.

My First Webmix of Web 2.0 Tools

My Second Webmix of Web 2.0 Tools

My Third Webmix of Web 2.0 Tools

Let me know if you see any more potential uses for this site.

Simple Note Taking App for the iPad: Simplenote

Sometimes the simplest iPad app  is the most powerful. That has sometimes proven to be true for the desktop as well. Recently, I stumbled upon one of those "powerful, but simple" apps when I started using the Web 2.0 App and iPad app Simplenote. Simplenote is exactly what its name implies. It offers users the ability to take notes, and apply a simple tag to those notes for organizational purposes. Then, the note is accessible from the iPad, the web, from the desktop, and from smartphone. The desktop access to Simplenote is through an application called ResophNotes (which is downloaded from here), and there are a few Android apps that sync with Simplenote as well.

Simplenote Web Interface

The premium subscription for Simplenote makes the app ad-free, and adds other features as well:

• unlimited third party app usage (allows use of apps such as the Android apps)
• Dropbox syncing
• creation of notes by email
• read notes or share them as RSS feed

Simplenote isn't a replacement program for Evernote. It is a much simpler application that focuses on just taking notes. It gives users an environment to take simple notes and share them with others. Once you've installed the iPad app, third-party Android app, the ResophNotes desktop app, you have access to your notes anyplace you might be. Through Dropbox syncing, and that access expands even further.

iPad Simplenote Interface

Simplenote lives up to its name. While Evernote offers the same ability, it might be just a be more complicated for some administrator and educator tastes.. If you want a simple note taking app, Simplenote is the application for you. (To get started, set up a free account at the Simplenote Web Site.)

My Preliminary Google+ Resource List for Educators

I have been exploring the capabilities of Google+ for just a few days, and I can already say there are features that might make it so much more functional for administrators and educators.

• Select Sharing: The Google Circles idea is genius. Users can set up groups called circles and place whomever they wish in each of the circles. The potential for this feature is obvious: for example, an administrator could place teachers within an individual circle, guidance department within a circle, and so on. With Google+, selective sharing is fantastically easy. Unlike Facebook, with Google+, you don't have to make everything you share public.
• Simple User Interface: This is actually a plus as well. There isn't a lot of clutter within Google+'s screens. Its buttons are simple to use, and navigating through each of the screens is quite simple.
• Lot's of Unexplored Possibilities: Haven't yet begun to use all of Google+'s features, but I can already see where it has great potential as the social media environment for educators.I can hardly wait to explore all of its possibilites.

Some Google+ Links and Resources

Mashable's "Google+: The Complete Guide"

Mashable's 19 Essential Google+ Resources

Google+ Unveiled: 9 Things You Need to Know

Chris Brogan's Screencast: Getting Started with Google+

28 Google+ Tips To Enhance Your Google+ Experience

Google+: 8 Quick Tips and Tricks

Your Google+ Guide: 15 Tips for Newbies

Google+ Cheat Sheet 1

Google+ Cheat Sheet 2