mind in the making: using social media to promote the work of learning communities

Using Social Media to Promote the Work of Learning Communities

February 21, 2012

Parenting in the Digital Age

Image credit wilhelmja

Addicted to Our Technology

Image credit nafbm.org, shindz, basictheory, mikiusa, william c hutton jr

From Dr. Spock…

Image credit sean dreilinger

…to the Digital Commons

•We’ve changed how we communicate with one another: whether we’re communicating with educators, families, or the general public

•Digital tools have made possible to reach more people, more quickly, and more often

•Learn anywhere, anytime, any way

Social Media Trends in Early Childhood

Education

Mind in the Making Minnesota

MITM Minnesota Project Goals

•To create a learning community of 100 people.

•To engage parents, professionals and child care providers in greater Minnesota to learn/discuss strategies and activities they can do to promote the seven essential life skills.

•To build long-term dialogue and relationships between participants that will occur in a virtual community.

MITM Minnesota Challenges

•Getting participants to engage in online dialogue, sharing ideas, and posting comments.

•Effectively communicating a 0-8 year old focus for the seven essential life skills.

MITM Minnesota Lessons Learned

• Online provides an increasingly valuable tool for reaching individuals in greater Minnesota where barriers are present that prohibit participation in traditional parenting classes.

• Individuals appreciate the convenience of online delivery and the 24/7 access to recorded webinars.

• A number of individuals do not want to join or post on Facebook.

Opal School

•Private pre-school & public charter school in Portland, OR

•Discuss MITM at monthly parent group meetings

•Blog serves as place for online discussion

•Password-protected to help parents feel more comfortable

•Privacy is a primary concern

Opal School

•Use email and signs at school to advertise monthly meetings

•Include YouTube or MITM quote

•Concerns:

•Lack of commenting on blog

•Want to learn what other LC’s are doing, but wary of replicating

Opal School

We view parent engagement as a

continuum, starting with picking up a flyer, then attending a meeting in

person. The blog is the deepest level of engagement.

-- Susan Harris MacKayDirector of Education and the Center for Children’s Learning

Opal School

www.opalschoolblog.typepad.com

Username: opalschoolPassword: children

The Challenges

•List servs can be unpredictable and can flood inboxes with messages that might not be of interest

•Websites like IDEA, and DemocraticEducation.com are great for pushing messages out to people, but not for conversations

The Challenges

•Webinars have proven popular, but don’t keep communication flowing both ways. We need to foster engagement and dialogue.

•On Facebook how do you keep the personal connection and ensure privacy?

National Parenting Education Network

Babycenter.com: Mom asks, “I’m afraid I can’t face the pain of

labor.”

Postpartum Progress

Progressive Exchange List Serv

Recent Postings

Email Archive Search Functionality

The Six Characteristics of

Effective Online CommunitiesA clean, well-lighted place

Rules of Play

An element of self-selection

Offline connectivity

Intentionality

Community Management

Characteristics of Professional Learning

Communities• Bring new players together.• Seek to reach the most “in need”

among us.• Focus on learning from and with each

other and share a belief that there is expertise among us all.

• Focus on active learning that is experiential and engages participants in self-reflection and self-discovery.

• Use new media to connect in creative ways.

Characteristics of Professional Learning

Communities• Actively create new curricula based on sound principles of child and adult learning and development.

• Focus on assessment, but tie assessment to child development.

• Reframe teaching as teaching AND learning together.

• Connect policy to practice.• “Play it forward.”

Where do we go from here?Where do we go from here?Where do we go from here?Where do we go from here?

Marijata C. Daniel-Echols, Ph.D.Senior DirectorEducation, Families, and Communities Families and Work Institutemdaniel-echols@familiesandwork.org

www.mindinthemaking.org www.familiesandwork.org

267 Fifth AvenueNew York, New York 10016212.465.2044 212.465.8637 Fax