Communication is the heart of education (Miller, 2015). An effective communication plan to the various stake holders is necessary in order for a school to succeed in implementing its programs. The school must take the initiative in reaching out to its stakeholders and communicate school-related updates and events for their involvement. It requires a school environment that welcomes its partners and encourages them to voice their concerns, questions, as well as to participate appropriately in decision-making (Rowicki, 2016).
Here is the communication plan for my school. We use various ways to communicate with stakeholders in order to cater all communication needs according to their preference. Create a Class Blog. Teachers are required to create class blogs in order to keep parents informed about what`s happening in the classroom while showcasing and scaffolding student work. The class blog has a comment section where parents can type comments or suggestions on the student`s learning. Follow the School Twitter posts. Many parents use Twitter daily and it’s becoming more common for teachers and schools to communicate in this way. As such, teachers, students, and parents are required to follow the school Twitter posts in order to be updated with school-related events and activities. Twitter can be an excellent way to post announcement and school events to the community. The school communications office will send weekly email newsletters to all stakeholders (students, parents, teachers). We decided to use email newsletters because it is an easy option for many parents who are used to using email regularly. Teachers are encouraged to communicate to parents in person. We want technology to enhance our communication with families, not replace all human contact. There is so much power in speaking to someone face-to-face compared to other ways of communicating to them online. References Miller, M.S. (2015). Bridging the Gap,Thrust for Educational Leadership, Vol. 28 No. 1. Rowicki, Mark A. (2016). Running Head: CommunicationSkills for Educational Administrators, EducationalManagement, Alabama.
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Today, I`ll be sharing to you about the seven essential skills that Eric Sheninger shared in his book titled: Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times published in 2014. Eric Sheninger shared the importance of the seven essential skills (commonly referred to as 21st century skills) that should be acquired by students while learning at school to prepare them for life.
According to Sheninger (2014), school leaders today must establish a vision and implement a strategic process that creates a teaching and learning culture that provides students with essential skills. This is supported by Whitehead (2013) that school leaders should help to define the future of schools by teaching the essential skills to students. Kelly (2009) explained that there is a fundamental disconnect between students and the schools they attend. If these essential skills are not properly addressed by the school, students may find it hard to be successful in their future careers in life. The Seven Essential Skills mentioned by Sheninger are the following: Creativity, Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Technology Proficiency, and Global Awareness. Creativity - is important as it inspires students to see who they are and what they can do, and to realize what they can accomplish. Each student is fearfully and wonderfully made by God (Psalm 139:14), so they should be allowed to express their creativity in their own unique way. Communication – is an essential skill for students to have Students must be able to communicate not just with text or speech, but in various multimedia formats. Collaboration – important for students are social by nature. Connection and collaboration with others are essential so teachers should direct and guide them through activities that fosters collaboration in the classroom. Critical thinking – is an essential skill for students for it gives them the ability to compare, contrast, evaluate, synthesize, and apply thing without instruction or supervision from a teacher. Problem solving – is the ability to solve complex problems in real time. As society advances, so will the complexity of its day to day problems and situations. Technological Proficiency – is also an important skill that students should possess. As computers and mobile devices become more important to the world, the world needs more people to understand those concepts. Global Awareness – is an important skill for students. Students should be taught to be respectful of other cultures and belief systems, both online and offline. God loves everyone, regardless of their culture, country, or background, so we should respect and be kind to everyone. For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, so that whoever (not just for a specific culture or country) believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16) References Kelly, F. S., McCain, T., & Jukes, I. (2009). Teaching the digital generation: No more cookie-cutter high schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Sheninger, E. (2014). Digital leadership: Changing paradigms for changing times. Thousand Oaks: Corwin. ISBN: 9781452276618. Whitehead, B., Jensen, D., & Boschee, F. (2013) Planning for technology: A guide for school administrators,Technology coordinators, and curriculum leaders. (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Corwin. ISBN: 9781452268262 |
AuthorAldwin Lauron is currently working as Technology Integration Specialist/Robotics Teacher at Wuhan Yangtze International School (WYIS) in Wuhan City, China. ArchivesCategories |