What does the St Louis landmark The Jewel Box have in common with good communication?

How many ways of communication are readily available today?  What lessons can we learn from glass houses?

In St Louis, our Jewel Box is just a vehicle or environment for growing things, year 'round.  Like a communication tool is only as good as the effort we make to achieve successful communication.  Is our message shared and received, or just shared?  Things won't grow in there without care.  Nothing is automatic!



At school we are easing into additional technological communication.  Not to mandate but lead, model and practice, we began twitter accounts for everyone that wanted last year.  Some were willing.  Some were reluctant.  Others were adamantly opposed.  Regardless, we have found success, learned things and were able to apply some things to our classrooms, schools and districts.

This year, we are again progressing forward.  Winfield Intermediate School and Winfield Middle School are building and publishing facebook sites to better inform our constituents. We are willing to join their preferred mode of communication to try and connect with even more of them.  The facebook page will probably not be the sole provider of school related news but just another way to reach out.

Also new this year is the application called Remind101.  From their website, a teacher establishes an account base of parents and students in their classes and can blast a text msg to the entire group.  Sort of like a one way message.  It works because teachers establish a bulletin board type account.  They get a special phone number and access code.  Then the teacher supplies the access code and phone number to the parents.  The parents text the special code to the given phone number and its done.  From then on, the teacher sends out a message to the entire class group, just like sending a text to a friend. 

Twitter is still active. Our hash tag #onthemap has become # pieceofthepuzzle.  We tried to assemble a puzzle that was missing a piece.  Frustration and blame were the immediate outcomes.  We considered our struggling students may share those feelings when they are asked to accomplish a task, even e when they are lacking a component necessary for success.  Our positions as caring adults often give rise for us to be a piece in their puzzle.

 

Traditional methods are of course still available.  Email, phone and written correspondence along with old fashion face to face still provide accurate and effective methods of communication.  School is a place where we all work towards common goals, using various methods of communication.  What works for some, may not work for others.  Hence, variety is required.  In all this variety, nothing assures us the message will be sent, received and interpreted correctly. Just like in the Jewel Box, nothing guarantees the plants will grow.  Care and attention is necessary for successful communication and successful growth!

What does all this communication look like?

Blog, www.mrmccrackensblog.blogspot.com

Facebook, www.facebook.com search for the Winfield Middle School facebook site 

Remind101, www.remind101.com

Phone, 636/668-8001

Email, tommccracken@winfield.k12.mo.us

Web page, www.winfield.k12.mo.us

Press release, send to http://www.lincolncountyjournal.com/

Twitter, @McCracken63

School Reach calling service

Parent Portal for Grade Access, https://sdm.sisk12.com/WL/

www.youtube.com
Animoto Links http://animoto.com/
What is your preferred mode?

Communication about change from the middle school:

How many forms of communication about change are necessary to connect with constituents?

 This teacher has communicated in so many ways, there is no excuse not to know!

 

What is the best way to communicate?

Connecting, building bridges of influence, helping others grow regardless their position and enjoying progress are a few of the marks of master teachers.  Is this rare or is this the norm.  At Winfield Middle School, there are many solid educators striving to influence the future, one life at a time, all through exemplar communication. 
 

No longer.

To improve our communication from our teachers we are piloting a program called remind101. www.remind101.com  This allows staff to send a text message to every parent signed up.  Homework reminders, test dates and class announcements would be the primary purpose.  So when you want to know what happened, look at your text messages!

Parents, connect via Remind101:

text @mrmccracke to 573/629-1051

Social Media:  Twitter: @mccracken63
We are also using twitter for PD, personal and professional development and connecting with other professionals, as well as letting parents and followers know about teams, schedules, play by plays and even scores. Like us on Facebook for other timely information about what is happening here.

Subscribe to this blog:

This weekly blog www.mrmccrackensblog.blogspot.com shares the Principal's perspective of a variety of leadership topics, from teaching, serving, building champions to Green Eggs and Ham, all surrounding education.  There are over 75 posts devote to the advancement and development of our educational growth.

A daily email from our Office
Everyday, our students hear announcements but seldom do they make it all the way home.  A duplicate written version is published every day and sent out via a group email. Feel free to call or email to sign up to receive these timely posts.

Traditional modes:
Of course the cell phone, text messages and email as well as personal visits and letter writing are also allowed and even encouraged.  Gone are the days when we could say, "I never knew." or "Nobody told me."  If the desire to know is there, the mode is there. 

What is your favorite form of communication?

 

Tom McCracken

Winfield Middle School Principal

From #onthemap to #pieceofthepuzzle