Social media in advocacy Continued from page 22
Unified (http://carlsbadunified.blogspot. com) are using blogs to increase outreach and share information with their communi- ties.
One of the reasons for the popularity in
blogging is not only the ease in publishing, but the fact that they are powered with RSS
(Real Simple Syndication) that enables the posts to be pushed and pulled into various settings. Users can “subscribe” to those posts and use a resource such as Google Reader or Flipboard to have new information pushed to the user, instead of the more traditional approach of “surfing,” where the user goes to various websites to obtain information. Check the TICAL website for a quick tutorial on how RSS works if you want to learn more
about this powerful feature (http://portical. org/Presentations/quick_takes/#rss).
So now what? Our school systems face daunting chal-
lenges, particularly now with such uncertain budgets. Our challenges include closing per- formance gaps, increasing graduation rates, and increases in class size. While there are growing examples of successes we can cel- ebrate, there aren’t enough of us telling the story to our constituents and to the policy- makers who most need to understand the impact of the decisions they make and the successes that can result. Using social media provides school lead-
ers with an opportunity to connect directly with others instead of relying on traditional media outlets to carry the news. Addition- ally, social media provides opportunities to increase connectedness and build rela- tionships that enhance social capital and strengthen communities. While learning how to use these social
media tools may seem a daunting challenge, if we truly want to lead our students into the future we need to take the leap and engage. We must do this if we are to remain relevant and connected. For the sake of our schools and districts, let’s get moving. n
References
Aaker, Jennifer & Smith, Andy. (2010). The dragonfly effect: Quick, effective, and pow- erful ways to use social media to drive so- cial change. Jossey-Bass: Hoboken, NJ.
Shirky, Clay. (2009). Here comes everybody. Penguin Books: New York.
Wordpress.com (2011). Retrieved 6/1/11 from
http://en.wordpress.com/stats.
Lisa Gonzales is a coordinator in Curriculum & Instruction at the Santa Clara County Office of Education and is ACSA’s Vice President for
Legislative Action. Devin Vodicka is the assistant superintendent of Business Services in the
Carlsbad Unified School District and is a member of ACSA’s Technology Leadership Group.
John White is a middle school principal in the Los Angeles Unified School District and the chair of ACSA’s Middle Grades Education Council. All three are TICAL Cadre members.
38 Leadership
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