Why Connect?

I was honored to have been interviewed for Educational Leadership, ASCD's flagship magazine, on the power of Twitter as part of a Personal Learning Network (PLN). You can read the article HERE.  Since only snippets of my responses were embedded into the piece I wanted to share the specific questions that were asked and my thoughts on each. As you will see, the true power of connected learning is what you glean from the people you engage with. 

When and why did you decide to get involved on Twitter? Did you have any initial challenges or reservations about it—and if so, how did you overcome those to develop a robust network and community?

I got on Twitter in 2009, which was an accomplishment in itself as I had previously convinced myself that I would never use social media as I didn’t have the time nor saw any value in it. Thus, the biggest challenge I had to overcome was a fixed mindset regarding how I could use a tool like this to improve my capacity as an educational leader. My “ah ha” moment came in March of 2009 after having read a newspaper article about Twitter in the Staten Island Advance.  This article switched the light bulb on as I finally saw value in how a tool like Twitter could help me become a better leader. The connection was to communicate.  You won’t find an effective leader who is not an effective communicator. Once I made an initial connection to supporting and enhancing professional practice I later learned how social media tools could be used to improve other areas of leadership. As my focus shifted from communication to learning that is when I saw unlimited potential.  We don’t know what we don’t know.  The humbling moments that the social media world provided became the primary driver in my pursuit to embrace digital leadership and work collaboratively with my staff to improve the learning culture at my school. 

How long does it take to develop a strong network on Twitter or other digital platforms? Does it help to focus in on one platform--like Twitter or FB--or do you need to build a diverse network with blogs, social media, podcasts?

The time it takes to develop a strong network on Twitter, or any social media platform is dependent on the quality of the content you share and create as well as the time you put in. I have found that educators are keen for more insight on practical ideas aligned to research and evidence of actual improvement. The more you can show, as opposed to telling, how innovative practices are improving learning outcomes leads to the development of a robust and respected network in my opinion. My rule of thumb is to start small by mastering one platform first and embed it consistently into professional practice.  Whether for learning, communications, telling your story, or developing a brand presence, consistency is essential.  Once you are comfortable with the use of one tool, the next step is to diversify your digital portfolio. This will open you up to even more information, ideas, opinions, connected educators, feedback, resources, and discussion. The bottom line, however, is to use the platform that best meets your needs and goals. It’s not about how many social media tools you use, but how well you use them to further your thinking and learning to continually grow as an educator while better serving your community in the process. 

Newbies are often advised to follow certain hashtags or prominent people as a way to ‘do’ Twitter, but sometimes that’s akin to walking into a crowded party and not having any idea who to start talking to or where the food is. How does one go about building a network, really?

Hashtags are an excellent way to begin to build your network as you can spread ideas and strategies to an established group. Amplification through hashtags combined with engagement plants the seeds that can lead to a vibrant network.  The key is to share original work aligned to the specific hashtag. People want to know what leads to results and ultimate success. The more practical the ideas, the quicker your network will form.  Other elements that go into network building are honesty, transparency, actively participating in discussions, and the right balance of sharing your work with that of others. The real strength of any network is not how many people follow you, but the quality of the people you follow and connect with. 

What’s the most valuable information, advice, or a lesson you’ve gotten from someone in your digital network? How did you use it to improve your practice?

I learned a long time ago to keep my message on point and aligned with my professional work. In my former role as a practicing school leader, this meant only sharing what my teachers and kids were doing during school hours. This not only protected me but ultimately helped to promote all of our successful practices while building my staff and students up in the process. In this sense, it has to be about “we” and not “me.”  Over time I learned that education had to change. “Don’t prepare students for something. Prepare them for anything!” – This is one of the biggest lessons I have learned from my time in the space. In the ASCD book, Learning Transformed that I co-authored with Tom Murray we provide a great deal of context on this. 

What three common mistakes do you see educators make when they try to develop a professional network or community on Twitter?

• Too self-promotional where it becomes humblebragging. 
• Tagging loads of people in your tweets for the primary purpose of getting him/or her to share your tweet. 
• Not responding to questions or comments that are directed to you.

On average, how much time do you spend each day on Twitter? Do you have any personal rules for unplugging?

Well, this depends on the day. My thinking is this – we all can allocate at least 15 minutes a day to learn and get better. Why not make the time to do this on a platform like Twitter where we can personalize the experience?  Balance is key. As such I do not have any personal rules for unplugging. I limit my use dramatically when I with my family so that I am present. That is the best advice I can give. 

Related to the last: How do you stay focused when you’re on Twitter—and not get sucked down a rabbit hole of distraction (oh! Those cat memes!)?

Establish some personal norms and stick with them. Self-efficacy is the only way not to get distracted. I look at it this way. My time is valuable, and there must be a professional-life balance. Thus, my use on platforms like Twitter are all aligned to how I can become more effective at what I now do – helping educators, schools, districts, and organizations transform teaching, learning, and leadership. Even though my activity can come in many forms, the focus remains the same.  If I want cat memes and such I will move over to my personal Facebook or Instagram account. 

Do you think social media platforms are a give-and-take relationship? To receive good content, do you also have to create it? And if so, how?

To get anything valuable out of life, it requires to give and take.  You don’t have to create good content to obtain anything from the relationship necessarily. Case in point. One can lurk on social media and acquire proven strategies that have been successfully implemented in schools that have led to better learner outcomes.  The acquired content can then be used as a catalyst for growth and improvement in his or her context.  If you are willing to take the ideas that others are openly giving you and using them to move your professional goals forward, then a positive relationship exists. Creating content is not a means to an end if you don’t want it to be. It is the vetting of and then using, the material that others produce that leads to evidence of improvement that creates relationships in connected spaces. When, and if, you are comfortable building your content go for it, but never think that you have to to get something from the platform. 

What do you get out of Twitter (or other online connections) that you haven’t been able to get from a personal colleague?

Timely, practical, and specific feedback when and where I need it. The convenience of having a 24/7 support network that spans the globe is quite empowering.  I often get the best feedback and advice on how to improve. Another benefit is the ability to pull from a vast collection of educators who have a diversity of strengths and unique talents. 

One worry/complaint from people who are trying to build a network online is that there’s too much content. How do you sort through “the noise” to find the things and people who are most valuable to you?

The noise can be controlled by being selective about who you connect with. The beauty of social media is that it is all about YOU! Unfollow those who clog up your streams with information or posts that don’t align with your professional goals.  You can also use a tool like TweetDeck to manage your connections and hashtags in specific columns. By doing this, you essentially are applying your filter to your feed.  

When it is all said and done the true power of Twitter, or any other social media tool for that matter, is the people with whom you connect and engage with to learn. The best ideas and strategies in education come from those who are successfully implementing them and getting results. 

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The digital age allows you to create an infinite amount of rooms to engage with the brightest minds across an array of experiences in education and other fields. By building a network that works for you the short and long-term impact on your professional practice can be priceless. 

The Journey to Becoming an Author

I never imagined I would have authored or co-authored a book, let alone six.  My unexpected journey began with a decision to give Twitter a try in 2009.  This should never have happened either as I was convinced that any and all social media tools were a complete waste of my time and would not lead to any improvement in professional practice. Apparently, I was dead wrong on this assumption and quickly learned that Twitter in itself wasn’t a powerful tool, but instead, it was the conversations, ideas, resources, and passionate educators that connected with me.  The rest is history. 

As my mindset began to shift from one that focused on the “what ifs” instead of the “yeah buts,” my staff and I started to transform learning in our school to better meet the needs of our students.  Social media not only gave us the inspiration but also empowered us to take action.  It is important to note that we weren’t doing a bad job per se.  The fact for us, like every other school on the planet, was that we could be better.  In the beginning, we really weren’t sure what we were doing or whether it would lead to improved outcomes, but we did our best to align every innovative idea with research and sound pedagogy.  Thanks to my amazing teachers, innovative changes began to take hold and outcomes improved in the process. 

My essential role in the transformation efforts focused on helping to clarify a shared vision, supporting my teachers, showing efficacy, and celebrating success.  Sharing why we were innovating coupled with how we were doing it and what the results were, gathered a great deal of attention that was unexpected at first.  To this day I still remember sitting in a district administrator meeting in November 2009 when my secretary called to tell me that CBS New York City wanted to come to the high school and feature how we were using Twitter in the classroom to support learning.  To say that I was floored by the interest from the largest media market in the world would be putting it mildly.  This point in time was a catalyst for the eventual brandED strategy that evolved.  I learned that social media was an incredible tool to tell our story, praise staff, and acknowledge the great work of my students.  

Image credit

Little did I know, or plan for that matter, that sharing our transformation efforts would lead to me becoming an author.  This was not my intent or even a goal.  One day in 2010 I received a Twitter message from Bill Ferriter asking if I would be interested in co-authoring a book with him and Jason Ramsden titled Communicating and Connecting with Social Media.  My first thought was, “Heck no! I am no author.” Bill, the master teacher he is, reassured me that I could do this and would guide me through the writing process. Through his tutelage and many hours spent writing over weekends and breaks, the book took form.  Thus, my author journey began all because of the consistent efforts to share the work of my teachers.  

Shortly after this book came out, Solution Tree asked if I would work on another project. This one focused on a book for principals about teaching science, as this was where my experience was in the classroom.  I agreed to take this on only if one of my teachers could co-author the book with me.  This was just a small way of paying it forward since I would not have been in a position to author any books had it not been for the willingness of my teachers to embrace change and have the results to show efficacy.  

My teachers and students, as well as the support I received from the district, helped me evolve into the unlikeliest of authors.  Not only was I supported in writing books, but I was also encouraged to share our work at local and national events.  I cannot even begin to explain the sense of pride I felt by being asked to present on the work occurring at my school.  It was during one of these presentations at the National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference that I was asked by Corwin to consider writing Digital Leadership. At first, I said no as I really did not have the time needed to write a book all on my own.  After some persistence on behalf of my acquisition editor, I later agreed and scheduled the majority of the writing during the summer months when my students and staff were off. 

The publication of Digital Leadership in 2014 changed everything for me as the book performed exceptionally well and continues to do so.  As a result, I was flooded with speaking requests and asked to write even more books, including Uncommon Learning.  To this day I still can’t believe that anyone asks me to write a book.  The time then came that I knew a decision on my future had to be made. Even though I was fully supported by my district and dedicated myself 100% to the school, I came to the conclusion that I was not going to be fair to my students, staff, or community shortly. It was at this time that I made the painful decision to leave the principalship. 

You might be wondering what the actual point of this post was. As of late people have taken to social media to attack or discredit other educators who have written books while working in schools.  My take on it is this.  I am all for practitioners utilizing their time outside of classrooms and schools to write books that use research as a foundation while showing how their work and that of colleagues has improved teaching, learning, and leadership.  There is nothing more inspiring, and practical for that matter, to read about what actually works in the face of the myriad of challenges that educators endure on a daily basis.  There will never be enough books that lay out how efficacy can be achieved in the pursuit of providing all kids with an awesome learning experience.

There is a fine line here though. Authoring books should never conflict with, or have a negative impact on, professional responsibilities.  It goes without saying that all writing and sharing of books by practitioners should happen outside of regular school hours or on weekends and breaks.  My schedule as both a teacher and principal were jam packed so there was never aforethought about putting aside time to work on a book (or blog) that would take away from my contractual duties.  Sharing during the school day also sends a potentially negative message to colleagues and staff. 

Many people, like myself, never intended on becoming authors.  It was an unintended consequence of sharing successes of others who are in the trenches every day.   To this day I can’t thank my teachers, students, and district enough for not only believing in me but also empowering me to share the ideas and strategies that we put into practice.  I hope more and more educators contribute to the field by authoring books that will add to the vast knowledge base already available while providing practical solutions to transform education. 

Stop Ignoring Google+

In case you didn't know there are thousands of educators and an array of learning communities over at Google+.  The bottom line is that many people are missing out on some great content, resources, and conversation.  From my point of view educators become quickly attached to one specific social media tool as their go to source for his/her Personal Learning Network (PLN).  Take Twitter for example.  Now anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely love Twitter as a professional learning and networking tool. It has been and will continue to be my number one choice when it comes to learning in the foreseeable future. Twitter has many positive attributes, but also a growing number of negative aspects.  Some examples in my opinion, include an increasing amount of negativity and disrespect, rise in social media cliques, difficulty in following chats, noise, and overbearing opinions.  Even as Twitter still works great for me and others it is not the only player out there.  Nor should it be considered the best learning option for all. At times I just need to get away from the echo chamber to focus more on my learning.

Image Credit: http://blog.markerly.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/art-img-google-plus-20131102.jpg

Lately I have been spending more and more time over at Google+.  It amazes me that some people think that it is a dead community. This is obviously not that case or I would not be dedicating as much time as I have recently.  There are some similarities between the two social networks.  One great characteristic shared by both Twitter and Google+ are hash tags (#). The only difference being that popular hash tags in the Twitter world do not carry the same weight over in Google+.  Instead of favoriting a tweet you give it a G+.  The practice of retweeting is mirrored by a simple arrow at the bottom of the post that will allow you to share it across your network and beyond.  As a social network you can also share text, images, videos, and links, but in a much more dynamic way. This is one of the many ways that a Google+ experience differentiates itself from Twitter. Here are some other key differences that provide an enhanced learning and experience:

• Circles - Unlike Twitter you can place all of the members of your PLN in different circles. With Twitter you send out a tweet and everyone who follows you, pulls up your page, or accesses the hash tag (if you use one) has an opportunity to see it. You can do the same thing on Google+, but you also have the ability to send your message to a specific circle, all of your circles, extended circles, or the entire Google+ world. With circles you can organize your PLN sort of the same way you would your websites using a social bookmarking tool.
• No Character Limits - Twitter is a bit prohibitive with it's 140 character limit. This is the one feature I love the most about Twitter as it allows me and others to be brief. What if you want more? With Google+ there are no character limits so you can be as detailed as you want. This really adds to your ability to make a point, explain a strategy, discuss an issue, etc. It also keeps all those random rants from entering into your stream that Twitter is becoming notorious for.
• Threaded Conversations - Twitter chats work for some, but they definitely do not work for all. Just the shear pace of a chat makes them difficult for many educators to follow. Personally I have found that when I try to engage and ask questions directed to specific people those questions go unanswered.  With Google+ each update becomes a threaded conversation that you can engage in at your own pace.  Comments also live in the update so you can go back and reference them at anytime. You can even share the thread across other social networks while accessing all of the resources, ideas, and knowledge that was discussed. I see this characteristic as bringing order to chaos.
• Dynamic Updates - In addition to sharing text, links, videos, and photos with Google+ you can also create and share events and polls right from your status update box. 
• A More Comprehensive Profile - Your Google+ account seamlessly links your YouTube account. If you use Picasa all of the pictures you upload will also go to your Google+ page. Another cool picture feature is that all pictures include in my Google Blogger posts are archived in the photo section of Google+.  The about section allows you to include much more detail than Twitter without character limits and and array of additional categories.
• Hangouts - Many educators are aware of Google Hangouts (GHO's) that allow users to engage in free group video chat.  Hangouts on Air are even more dynamic video chats where you can schedule live broadcasts, host interactive conversations by taking audience questions in real time or in advance, use live apps to enhance the viewing experience, and immediately archive to YouTube when finished.
• Communities - This is one of my favorite features of Google+. Anyone can join an existing community or create a new one. The difference between Twitter is that you can have rich conversations and share blog posts, resources, ideas/strategies, plan/publicize events, and have discussions aligned to specific categories. Evan Scherr and I have created a Digital Leadership Community. With the evolution of #digilead on Twitter our goal was to develop a space that brings together all the people, ideas, resources, and conversation related to digital leadership and learning. Evan and I hope that you will consider joining this community and sharing everything that you already do on Twitter. Not only is it free, but it gives you a chance to amplify your work and voice while engaging with like-minded educators at a deeper level. 

Google+ is a powerful and dynamic social media tool that many educators and leaders are not taking advantage of.  To begin simply start by setting up your circles, connect with other educators, share your content (i.e. blog posts) and lurk for a little bit. Search for and join a few communities as well. If you need any help please feel free to connect and engage with me on Google+.

So what is stopping you from using Google+? If you are using it consistently what added benefits would you highlight?

One Day That Changed Everything

I was just like every other principal on the planet prior to becoming connected. My narrow focus was on sustaining a school culture focused on rules, compliance, conformity, and preserving the status quo. The end goal was to make sure standardized test scores increased (or at least didn’t go down) and traditions were preserved.  On the inside everything was great. Students and staff seemed happy while the community was supportive of our efforts.  Each monotonous day began with students arriving at school and then going directly to their first-period class where they sat in desks arranged orderly rows.  After listening to the daily announcements the delivery of instruction began. My compliant students then went through their rigid eight-period day schedule with each class lasting forty-eight minutes.  At the end of each class, an annoying bell would notify everyone in the school that it was time to continue through the repetitive process.  Throw in a few specialized programs, assemblies, and pep rallies that this was basically the schedule we all followed each and every day.

Image credit: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bzly4ZyCMAE1uDY.jpg

It is scary to think that the culture I describe above is still prevalent in the majority of schools across the country.  The reality is that school for most students is the polar opposite of the real world. Thus they come to school knowing that they will sit through endless lectures, endure the same lessons that have been delivered year after year, be assigned homework that does nothing to support learning, be given assessments that require little thought because they are easy to grade, and have to succumb to numerous rules that are meant to make sure they conform more than learn.  Getting through the curriculum aligned to Common Core has become the driving force in many schools as pressure is mounting with high stakes testing looming right around the corner. This would have been our reality at my school as well if it weren’t for one moment in time that changed everything.

During my first couple of years as principal, I was in a rut and didn’t know it. I led my school in a way that I was brainwashed into thinking was the only way. Education had become more about schooling than learning. Then it happened. My epiphany came in 2009 when I begrudgingly decided to give Twitter a try to improve communications with my stakeholders. Little did I know that this moment in time would totally redefine my purpose in education. As my behavior shifted from communicator to learner I immediately discovered how blinded I was by a system so entrenched in methodologies and practices designed for a period in time that had long past. I learned how to unlearn and then relearn through conversations I began having with passionate educators across the globe. These conversations empowered me to begin the process of taking my school in a better direction for the sake of my students.  

My connected colleagues provided daily inspiration, support, feedback, resources, ideas, and strategies that I used to grow as an educator and leader. As my fixed mindset evolved into one more focused on growth the seeds for change were planted and began to take root. With a diligent focus on modeling changes to school culture slowly began to be embraced by teachers and students alike.  This was not an easy journey.  During the beginning years, I felt more isolated from my colleagues across my district and state than ever before. They did not see nor care to hear about the inherent value in connected learning.  Excuses often followed as a bunker mentality overshadowed the potential value that lied in using social media to become a better leader and learner. The only thing that kept me going was that once I had experienced the value for myself there was no turning back.  

At this point, I feel the results speak for themselves.  New Milford High School became a globally recognized model for what is possible in education during my tenure as Principal and it all started when I became connected. After that, my role in the transformation process was placing my teachers and students in a position to experience the value for them.  Change became a collaborative and collective process that resulted in a school more focused on learning and one that worked better for kids than adults.  With all the challenges brought about by current education reform efforts, we moved forward with a bold vision for growth and innovation.  Even though learning across all spectrums looked different, achievement rose in virtually every area.  More importantly though was the fact that students appreciated the changes. Had I not become connected I can say with certainty that my school would not have changed.

This post is not meant to preach to the choir. It is my goal that it can be shared with the unconnected in the hopes that they will give connected learning a chance and ultimately reap the endless rewards that follow.  Our job to connect more educators is often fraught with frustration, ridicule, and disrespect, as we appear different. We cannot let this deter our efforts as all students deserve schools that provide them with the skills that our society now demands and expects. Keep pushing forward and thank you for all that you have done for me. 

Twitter as a Tool For Academic Discourse

New Milford High School teachers Jessica Groff and Joanna Westbrook created a Common Core aligned English Language Arts (ELA) task that incorporated Twitter into their unit on Julius Caesar and built on content  authentic to the Shakespeare's history play – i.e. social media re-purposed with and for academic discourse. To accomplish their goal, these teachers began with an informational text on the history of the Roman Forum to ground their use of social media in historical discourse and academic content. This step gave students a context and purpose for using Twitter with this particular play and in this particular way.  In addition, the teachers worked with students to reverse engineer the rhetoric of Twitter and generate a list of the type of tweets students see currently in their daily lives. As a result,  students had more than one reference point and more than one access point to literacy content, something of primary importance to the in-class support (ICS) teacher collaborating with this team, Lorraine Montecuollo. 

Image credit: http://edtechreview.in/images/Daily/E-Learning/twitter_learning_tool.jpg

Next, the team worked with the Digital Media Specialist, Laura Fleming, to find a way to help students use memes to improve the content of their tweets. They used Mozilla Webmaker tool called Mozilla Thimble to create memes that allowed both the tech-savvy and non-tech savvy to present their visuals in a more professional manner, while bringing visual clarity, some humor, and some creativity to their responses. Finally, the results of this project illustrate that the social aspect of this project is important. Students not only interacted with one another in class, but also with students in other classes, as Twitter opened up their ideas to a wider audience.

Moving Beyond 140 With Google+ #digilead

The following was written by Evan Scherr and the original post can be accessed at Just Thinking Out Loud.

I love Twitter. I have connected with some really amazing practitioners because of it. I have become friends with some really fantastic people as a result of it. Twitter serves as the bridge to my connecting and my learning.  It is a beautiful bridge. It is not a very long bridge to walk across. Sometimes, I just want to take a longer walk.

Eric Sheninger wrote a great book on Digital Leadership.  The timing of the book was fantastic. I had just accepted my first admin position with a large international school in Germany. I wanted a way to discuss the book with other leaders out there.  So I started a Google Plus Community in the hopes of connecting with other leaders out there to discuss the book and leadership in general.

Image credit: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/

Why Google Plus?

Twitter is great for those shorter walks. 140 characters of quick, rapid fire, tweets. That works well for me at times. The other times I just want to dig in and really begin to discuss a topic and not be limited by the 140 character limit. G+ communities provide me a way to accomplish all of this and so much more.

Other benefits of the G+ community are:

• The ability to hold threaded discussions
• The ability to add video chats (called Hangouts)
• The ability to remain in the Google Ecosystem and leverage other Google products like Calendars and Docs.
• The ability to further grow and deepen the PLN experience.
• Adding New Layers

The Digital Leadership community centers around Eric’s book. Last week we held our first BookOut (probably not a name that will stick) Hangout. Four of us, including Eric, connected and discussed chapter one of the book. This added a layer to the community that I really enjoyed. It was a great experience to have face to face (via video chat) conversations with other leaders and hear their thinking and ideas. Eric added more back story to the chapter and provided us with even more of his thinking and experience with the tools that he discussed in the chapter.

Beyond 140

The goal of the community is to go beyond 140 characters. It is a place where you can share your thoughts on the book, on leadership/digital leadership, or connect in new ways with new people from around the world. The community experience can be anything that you would like it to be. That is the beauty of it. You can even be a lurker, though I am hoping that you become an active participant and add your voice, ideas and knowledge to our growing thinktank.

The Right Way is Your Way

I have read some very thought-provoking posts and associated commentary over the past couple of weeks focusing on how particular educators use social media.  What I have found interesting is the powerful opinions as to how one should use social media.  I think it is great that so many people have focused opinions on what social media should, could, or should not be with a considerable emphasis on specific do's and dont's.  These specific methods and techniques work for them and it is important that all of us have some sense as to the why and how when it comes to our own social media use.  It is these opinions that always force me to reflect on my own use, objectives, and goals.

Image credit: http://www.somema.org/the-10-ds-of-creating-a-social-media-use-policy/

To make things clear there is no guidebook out there that educators must abide by when it comes to using social media.   Social media is like the "Wild West" in that there are no overbearing rules, which is why I love it so much.  I can be brief if I want to.  I can comment on a post or tweet if I want to.  I can share something if and when I want to.  I can follow or unfollow whoever I want at any time.  I can recommend educators to follow if I want to.  Heck, I can post pictures of my kids if I want to.  The only firm rule I would encourage all educators to follow is to use common sense when posting to the Internet and always remember your role as an educator in the community you serve. Everything else is basically up to you and your specific preferences.

This has led me to think about how I use a myriad of social media tools with Twitter being my main go to resource.  To put it simply here is how I use social media as an educational administrator and learner:

• Acquire, share, and curate resources
• Discussion forum and engage in conversations of professional interest
• Elicit feedback on ideas and initiatives I launch at my school
• Support
• Ask questions and receive answers
• Track conferences
• Digital newspaper
• Connect with practitioners as well as experts in the field of education
• Build, cultivate,and interact with a Personal Learning Community (PLN) to grow professionally and do what I do better
• Promote my work and the work of others
• Share the great things my students and teachers are doing
• Public relations
• Enhance communications
• Develop a positive brand presence for the school

Is there a right or wrong way to use social media? I personally don't think so. The beauty and power of social media is that it is adaptable to fit our particular needs and goals at a given time.  As our goals and needs change our use of social media will evolve.  My point here is that any way an educator decides to use social media is the right way. What are your thoughts on this? Should there be specific rules or guidelines for educators to follow in online spaces?

Jumping on the Bandwagon

I have been engaged with social media for over three and a half years now.  As I often reflect on my journey, I can’t help but think about the early days and months after I first began to use Twitter and some other tools.  There were many times during this early period that I questioned the value of the time I was putting in, or the actual impact any of this was having on teaching, learning, school culture, and leadership.   Add in all of the weird looks and ignorant comments I received, it is a miracle that I made it through the early adoption stage to full, blown-out social media fanatic. 

Image credit: http://www.netstrategies.com/blog/social-media/use-social-media-to-cross-promote

Obviously I stuck with it and my life as a principal has never been the same.  Social media has become embedded in virtually all facets of my professional practice as an educational leader.  It is so gratifying to see more educators locally, nationally, and globally begin to experience what social media has to offer on a professional level.  However, as much as I and others tout the many ways in which social media can improve communications, form a foundation for positive public relations, increase student engagement, enhance the teaching and learning process, discover opportunity, and lead to authentic pathways to grow professionally, I still find that many educators are skeptical about embracing this dynamic, multi-dimensional tool. 

At this point in my career, I cannot picture performing my duties as a Principal without social media playing some sort of role.  I truly believe that it has made me a more effective school leader by enhancing a variety of skill sets essential to the position.  The network of colleagues and friends I have developed has now become priceless.  As we prepare to begin another school year, it is important that we reflect on the impact social media has had and all make a commitment to encouraging, supporting, and modeling its effective use amongst our staff, stakeholders, and other educators.  I already know that this is tops on my agenda when we start up school again in September. 

It is my hope that this post will serve as a catalyst for a greater discussion on how we can empower more educators to embrace social media, become connected, and utilize this tool to help do what they do more effective.  In recent weeks and months I have seen a dramatic rise of educators in my home state of New Jersey who have embraced social media as a legitimate professional tool.  I have also been proud to witness the evolution of the #NJED hash tag and #SatChat.  On this Leadership Day 2012 I would like to remind all school leaders and educators that it is never too late to jump on the bandwagon. 

Twitter: A Tool For All

For those of you who regularly read my blog you know how passionate I am about Twitter and its positive impact on my professional practice as a school leader.  I am constantly advocating for other school leaders and educators to embrace this powerful tool to improve communications, enhance public relations, establish a positive brand presence, grow professionally through the formation of a Personal Learning Network (PLN), increase student engagement, and discover a world of opportunity. Currently I manage two separate Twitter accounts (@NMHS_Principal and @NewMilfordHS) to meet the objectives stated above.

Image credit: http://professorjosh.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/austin-tx-watch-out-nisod-millennials-social-media-and-education-presentation/

My message is plain and simple - Twitter should be a tool utilized by all educators.  I recently did a webinar for the Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22 in Pennsylvania.  Check out the archive HERE and learn how you can easily and freely harness the power of Twitter.  Below is a brief description of the webinar:


Whether you are a teacher, administrator or classroom assistant, Twitter is an excellent resource to connect with other educators, follow experts in a particular field, share and exchange ideas, and learn from others at your own pace.  Join us for an exciting session about Twitter and its impact on education.   

Putting What I Learned Into Practice: Getting People on the Bandwagon.

One of my goals when I present on leadership, change, and transformation is to inspire other school leaders to begin to blog.  I remember years ago my initial hesitation to blog until Ken Royal encouraged me to submit a guest post on his blog at the time almost three years ago.  With that being said please welcome Paul Vieira, Principal of East Bridgewater High School (MA), to the blogosphere. Below is his first blog post as an educator.

I have been inspired by what I learned at the NASSP Annual Conference last week, a recent blog post by Carrie Jackson, and my conversations with Eric Sheninger and Patrick Larkin to write my first blog about getting administrators in East Bridgewater on Twitter.

Image credit: http://tpreskett.blogspot.com/2011/10/in-post-social-media-supporting-teacher.html

I joined Twitter this summer because I wanted to see what the buzz was all about. I tinkered with it, followed a few people, and re-posted some tweets over the next few months. It wasn’t until this fall that I started following the right people and the right hash tags. I began to see the power of Twitter as a professional development tool. I was able to learn from other educators and ask questions for things that I wanted to learn more about. Currently we are piloting the iPad with a small group of teachers. We hope to roll out a 1:1 initiative during the 2013-2014 school year. Twitter has served as a great resource to learn about 1:1 initiatives, how to roll them out, and how they can improve student engagement and learning. It also has been very helpful in obtaining information on useful apps to share with staff to help them use the iPad in their classes. Last month Pat Larkin was kind enough to put together a 4 hour PD day at his school for us to learn from him and his teachers. This was free PD and one that was made possible through a relationship that was fostered on Twitter.

This October I put together a one hour introductory Twitter lesson, with the help of my assistant principal, for teachers. We went over the basics of Twitter and how teachers can use it to learn as educators, expand the walls of their classrooms, and share information with students. A few teachers joined Twitter after that session. It wasn’t until my Faculty Meeting in February that I really started to see Twitter begin to gain some momentum in my school. I asked a few teachers that use Twitter to explain to the staff how they use it in school and this started a very brief discussion on the power of Twitter. The real excitement happened over the next few weeks when I saw more and more teachers begin to join Twitter and follow each other. They have joined the bandwagon and we have started to have discussions in school about Twitter. I never thought I would hear people say, “Hey, I saw you on Twitter last night.” “ ”I saw that article you reposted.” Or “Wow, you were really busy last night on Twitter, you reposted 15 articles.”  We are learning from each other and Twitter is making us better educators and teachers.

Now the next step for me is to get my district level administrators and colleagues on board. I was going to use the same PowerPoint I used with teachers last fall but I decided against it when I realized it was awful. And it was only awful in the sense that I have learned so much since I first created it. My knowledge of Twitter and what it can do has grown so much in the past few months that I needed to create a new one. Using information that I learned from Eric Sheninger's presentation this weekend and Carrie Jackson's post from earlier this week, I will highlight the 4 reasons to join the conversation today: “Free Professional Development, Sharing Ideas and Getting Feedback, Telling your Story, and a Personal Reflection Tool” (Thanks again Carrie) and get them on board. My hope by the end of this presentation and the end of this year is that people are not asking the question why should I Tweet?  But asking telling people why wouldn’t you Tweet. 

I will let you know how it goes.....

Twitter: A Resource For All

Everyone that knows me is well aware of my professional affinity for Twitter.  As I have previously mentioned many times on this blog, it was Twitter back in March of 2009 that served as a catalyst for my transformation into the leader that I am today.  Prior to delving into this 140 character world I utilized traditional mediums for communication and professional development, had no idea what Web 2.0 was, and adamantly believed social media had absolutely no place in education.  I would say things have changed a bit.


This past December I was honored to have Scholastic visit my school.  They were led here, after all, by Twitter.  The video below details my thoughts on this game-changing resource that is available for free to all educators.

Video credit: http://www.scholastic.com/administrator/ 

On this, the first Digital Learning Day, I have some questions for those of you reading this post.  Why do you use Twitter?  If you don't, what are your reasons? Finally, how can we move more schools to embrace social media in general as a valuable educational tool?


(You can view the entire winter Scholastic Administrator magazine HERE).

Positive Impact

Earlier this month I was fortunate to speak at #140edu in New York City.  The title of my 15 minute presentation was "School Improvement One Character at a Time."  I used this opportunity to discuss the positive impact that social media has had on the culture of my school and professional growth as a school leader.  Here are 6 ways I am using social media in education to improve teaching, learning, and leading:

• Communication
• Public Relations
• Branding
• Professional Growth/Development
• Student Engagement
• Opportunity

The video of my presentation below describes each of the categories above in more detail.




Is social media having a positive impact on your work as an educator?  If so how?

A Tweet For Your Thoughts

Large classrooms can make students feel anonymous, and as a result, many may feel less compelled to actively participate or pay attention during class. Whether it is in primary or secondary school, or in a college classroom, getting students to become engaged in the materials being presented can be a frustrating battle. This is especially true now that students can become distracted during class by a number of things, including the Internet and technology. Yet, teachers can use these very same things to bring the interests of students back to the classroom, such as is the case in some classroom experiments with educational Twitter accounts.

Twitter fosters critical thought in the classroom because it removes the element of self-consciousness from the equation. Those who do not actively participate in class or ask questions when they are confused often fail to do so because they do not want to speak up. This is why in most classrooms, only the same handful of students seem to participate time after time while the rest remain silent. Twitter allows for even the shyest individual to reach out and expand on the topic discussed, as it allows students to get their queries answered without being afraid of classmate judgment. In fact, a professor at the University of Texas at Dallas has a fully Twitter-integrated class, which allows for students to tweet their thoughts and questions to the professor while class is being conducted, according to an article published on Mashable. The professor and the class teaching assistants regularly look over these tweets and respond accordingly, whether through Twitter or live during the lecture. Classroom participation has increased since this tool was first introduced.

In addition, Twitter allows for students to continue thinking about a topic long after the class has ended, thereby encouraging critical thought even outside of class. Students may formulate new thoughts on classroom lectures after mulling over the information for longer than a single class period would allow, and once they have a new question or epiphany about the topic, they can tweet about it and receive responses from other classmates or from the instructor. Students in the class can all set up a Twitter account even a separate one solely for educational purposes and "follow" their instructors and fellow classmates. This way, they will receive updates each time something new is posted about the class. Instructors can keep the information on Twitter organized as well, using hashtags to label different classroom topics.

While Twitter is not without its flaws after all, each "tweet" can only be 140 characters long, which can make sharing thoughts on a complex topic challenging it certainly holds promise when it comes to inspiring students to put their thoughts and interests back into their classes.

References Cited:

http://mashable.com/2010/03/01/twitter-classroom/

Social Media in Education

The other day Bill Ferriter told me that he was working on an article for ASCD and asked if I would answer a few questions.  Of course I obliged as we are working on a book together for Solution Tree Press and I have come to know and greatly respect him as a member of my PLN.  He is the author of The Tempered Radical.  If you have never read his blog I highly suggest you do!  My answers to Bill's questions provide a snapshot of my social media in education journey.  They also provide some great tips for administrators willing and eager to take the plunge.

What made you interested in using social media to reach out to your school community?  Was it something that you decided to do on your own?  Was it something that your community asked you to do? 

In early March of 2009, I was reading my local newspaper, The Staten Island Advance, and came across an article on Twitter.  Now I had heard of this social network before, but only viewed it as a means for celebrities and other people to send meaningless messages about things they were doing.  As I read the article I learned more about Twitter and its capabilities.  Suddenly the light bulb went off in my head that I could utilize this to greatly enhance school communications.  Best of all was the fact that this service was free and stakeholders could receive information on school events, news, student accomplishments, and innovations in the classroom on their mobile devices.  So I created an account (@NMHS_Principal) and off I went, experimenting and learning on my own.  For me, Twitter opened the door to the world of social media.  About 6 months later my community did confront me in a positive fashion about Twitter.  At a PTO meeting a parent basically told me that the educational information I was sending out on Twitter was great, but 6-7 tweets or more a day was way too much.  This conversation led to the creation of a Twitter account exclusively for New Milford High School (@NewMilfordHS).  My students took notice of my affinity for Twitter and during a meeting with members of student government they opened up to me about their thoughts on social media.  In a nutshell, they conveyed that Facebook was a more appropriate medium to reach them and disseminate the same information that I was sending out on Twitter.  After this meeting in late March of 2010, I created a Facebook page for New Milford High School.  I became so fascinated with social media as a communications and public relations tool that it eventually led to the creation of a blog, something that I swore I was never going to do because I was not the least bit confident in my writing ability.  Low and behold though, not only do I now like to write, but I love being able to share the great things going on at my school in more detail than Twitter and Facebook allow.

How successful have your efforts to reach out to stakeholders in social media spaces been?  Do you think that you're reaching people better now than when you relied on traditional communication tools?  How do you know?  Can you give a tangible example of something you've done with social media spaces that you wouldn't have been able to do without them?

My efforts to reach stakeholders using social media has not only been successful, but has also exceeded my expectations.  The New Milford community now has consistent access to school information.  Unlike traditional forms of communication such as snail mail and press releases, I can now provide updates in real time as they happen.  Since society as a whole is actively using social media in their homes and through their mobile devices, it only makes sense now to connect with my community through these means.  Not only have I reached stakeholders in New Milford, NJ, but also those that have a vested interest in education from all over the world. I know it has been effective and successful through the amount of followers, fans, and feedback that I have received from countless community members, students, staff, and educators.  One thing that I was never able to do before, that I can do now, is share examples of student work (i.e. art) and other accomplishments instantaneously such as videos and pictures.

Were/are your efforts supported at the district level?  Did you feel you were taking any risks by using social media tools to reach out to your stakeholders?  What did you do to minimize those risks?

My efforts have been enthusiastically supported and embraced at the District level.  Initially, I felt, and was reminded by many, that I needed to be careful about using social media in an educational setting.  What turned out to be a risk in the beginning has translated into a great reward.  To minimize risks, everything I share with social media is professional and related to either the field of education or my school.  A media waiver that includes all forms of social media is given to students at the beginning of the year to take home and have their parents sign.

What steps would you recommend a principal new to social media take in order to move forward responsibly and safely?  Should they dive right in?  Check with their supervisors?  Are there any obvious pitfalls to avoid?

The first step is to lurk and learn.  Watch what other principals are doing with social media to get a good idea of information and content being shared with stakeholders.  Begin to establish a vision and some goals as to what you want to accomplish using social media.   I do not suggest diving right in.  As you become more comfortable, begin to gradually share information relating to your school, students, staff, and the education profession.  As with any new endeavor communicate with the appropriate supervisors to elicit their support.  Finally, keep it professional.  Avoid sharing personal information.

Reflecting on the 140 Conference

On Wednesday April 21, I had the honor of speaking at the 140 Characters Conference in New York City with Steve Anderson, Tom Whitby, and Kyle Pace.  This conference looks at the effects of Twitter on a variety of topics.  The topic of our panel discussion was the effects of the real-time web on education with an emphasis on Twitter.  Each of us spoke with passion and conviction as the discussion addressed how each of us utilize Twitter/social media in our respective positions and the implications it has on catalyzing change. Our entire discussion can be viewed below:

All four of us would love to hear your thoughts on our panel discussion.  I also feel that it is prudent to share some advice of my own that I have formulated after actively learning about social media for the past year.  Administrators and teachers need to begin to embrace the effective use of social media for their own professional growth, to create authentic learning environments that engage students, and to utilize the expertise of professionals in a variety of content areas. The one thing that Twitter and social media have taught me is that people truly want to share their ideas, knowledge, and experiences for the collective good.  From an administrative perspective I can list a variety of reasons why all Principals and Superintendents should utilize social media:

1.    Change: We can no longer settle for learning environments that are stagnant, students are not challenged to be creative, critical thinkers, and free technology is blocked as a result of misinformation and/or philosophical differences.

2.    Innovation: This ties into the change process.  Can you be innovative without social media? Of course you can.  My point here is that tools such as Twitter can assist in the development of innovative ideas, programs, and learning activities that are meaningful.

3.    Branding: Clearly articulate what it means to be a student at your school, the type of education one is to receive, and share these success stories with as many stakeholders as possible.  There is no better way to do this than with the free tools that are available (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr).  Take it a step further and establish your brand as a professional educator by using LinkedIn or setting up your own website (click here to visit mine).  It’s my hope that the New Milford High School principal will always be sharing in Twitter and Facebook, building on the presence that I’m currently creating in both spaces.  However, I also want to create a professional presence for myself that I can take with me when I move into new roles.

4.    Professional Growth: Create your own unique Personal Learning Network (PLN) and be driven by intrinsic motivation to learn at your convenience. A great place to start is at The Educator's PLN.

5.    Public Relations: Since becoming active in the use Twitter to disseminate information to the NMHS community this past November, my school has been featured in over 14 news stories by CBS, 1010 WINS, The Global Post, and numerous local newspapers.  This exposure is directly correlated to my use of social media and networking tools.

6.   Opportunity: From local/national exposure to the acquisition of free technology and resources, social media/networking opens the door like never before.

Stop the excuses, take risks, and open your eyes and mind to limitless possibilities that are now before you.  We live in exciting times, don’t miss out on this opportunity to initiate change and evolve into an innovative leader. As Jeff Pulver, creator of the 140 Conference says, everyone has a voice and can make a difference in as little as 140 characters.