Image is everything?

Are most schools more focused on relaying basic
information than creating an effective digital image?

The idea of image when creating an online presence is one that I do not think schools seriously consider when developing websites. Most of the time schools are more focused on relaying information to parents and students. Perhaps that is why many school websites are not effectively managed. Unfortunately, many school websites simply upload PDF documents of information they traditionally sent home with students.

One of the problems with school websites, is the difficulty to ensure that all parents or students are visiting it to get information. Hence, many schools still send printed material home with students accompanied by talk mails informing the parents/guardians of the printed material. While, ideally, a school website would be the best place to direct parents/guardians, there is still a portion of people who seldom surf online or even use email or social media.

Another concern is whether school websites are already passé. Social media sites may be more effective in relaying some information to homes. I know in my province one district has decided to set up a district presence on Facebook, arguing that most parents check Facebook before they go to the school or district website for updates such as cancellations, events, etc. Yet, again, there are a number of avid Internet users (myself included) that do not use or have a very limited use of Facebook.

The article "Breakdown: Converged Media Workflow" explores some of the issues and concerns that arise when creating an online presence and image. While primarily an article on business and marketing strategies, the idea that departments must "work together on a more frequent basis" is required to create an effective online presence. Schools and districts need to work closer together to ensure everyone is on the same page and schools should have a team who regularly meet to discuss what needs changing and what needs adding to their online presence.

Furthermore, the article explores the mistake of forgetting to "analyze what people want to hear" when creating an online presence. What information do parents/guardians and students want to see on a school or district website and what social media presence is required? How can schools gather this information?

Creating an effective digital image and online presence requires schools to tap into just more than having a school website. Schools and districts need to go where parents and students are, and that means creating a presence on social media sites with links to the related websites.

Educators also have to consider their digital image. While finding ways to inform and connect with students and parents is important, there is a need to divide the personal from the professional. One article I read a few years ago suggested the easiest way to provide information to students through social media is to create a separate account that is for educational purposes. This certainly does not mean that educators do not have to be careful about what they post and discuss in their personal digital space, but it creates a distinction and makes it easier to manage.

Mobility is another concern when developing an online image

Another concern today is the mobile user. Parents and students alike are increasingly using more mobile technology. In "Accessibility Trumps Design," author Reuben Tozman observes that mobile versions of websites have to have "the content structured in a way that lets mobile technologies take advantage of certain pieces of content that regular browsers ignore." This concern illustrates another reason why schools should have a team that meets on a regular basis to address the changes to not only content, but also technology and how users will access the content.

Finally, I think Reuben Tozman's article "Feeding the Web and Instructional Design" should be mandatory reading for any team looking at designing or redesigning their digital image. Tozman approaches the web experience as a community with a "network of relationships." I think it also takes a network of relationships for a school and district to create an effective image online. Web development and creating an online presence should never be left to one or two people; ideally, it should be a team effort that is regularly discussed and analyzed with feedback and contributions from users who access the content.

Photos from morguefile.com

Web design, play time, and digital literacy

HTML code in a post for the school's online newspaper

As I surfed the information and tutorials on the Virtual Training Suite, I had to ask myself if the students I teach today would engage in this type of online tutorial design. I think they would, but they would certainly need some "offline" encouragement and direction. The tutorial I looked at provided concise information in easy to understand "chunks." It was designed in a simple easy to read manner with some graphics and the links were easy to find and the directions for navigation were clear. Essentially, this online tutorial avoids the design pitfalls discussed in the Top 10 Mistakes in Web Design site.

However, I think in some ways the online tutorial falls into an issue that was discussed in Evaluating Web-Based Instructional Design where "the content of instructional materials can be under-utilized by simply 'porting' the material from one medium to another without considering whether the medium requires a different design approach" (p.6).

While the tutorial I looked at was a good tutorial, I do not feel its effectiveness on the computer screen was much greater than if the information was presented in a textbook or as a handout. In order to engage students (at least most of the ones I have taught) an educator would have to combine the information with other classroom activities. Did the medium require a different design approach? Perhaps. But sometimes I think the presentation of information online is best supplemented with classroom activities and peer to peer interaction.

I think, for myself, one way that learning could be enhanced in my field is if educators had more "play time" with technology and applications. Additionally, if educators could have more time in professional development to discuss and share what has worked and has not worked when using technology in their classrooms.

Time and time again, I have been involved in professional development where educators are the passive observers as someone showcases a new software or technological device. Just recently, however, I attended a workshop, and the presenters spent half the time on presenting and instruction and the other half of the time the participants actually used the software. I found this format was much more helpful and more of this hands-on training is necessary. When educators do not fully understand the technology or are uncomfortable in applying it to the curriculum, then there is a great risk for the "porting" of materials from one medium to another as previously mentioned.

I also think that educators should be exposed more to programming. I know in my own career, I would like the opportunity to learn more about HTML code. My father was a programmer, and his understanding of how computers work (and should work) was always enlightening to me. Moreover, I listened to a repeat of an episode of CBC's Spark where author Douglas Rushkoff argues that young people should learn to code to understand the bias of digital technology. He states that "programming is the new literacy of the digital age." The question becomes whether "we direct technology, or do we let ourselves be directed by it and those who have mastered it?" If we accept that programming is a literacy, than educators have an obligation to become literate and to teach and encourage students to understand how it works and the implications that come with that knowledge.

Another cornerstone I think to digital literacy is understanding where technology has come from and where it is going. I really enjoyed John December's Internet Tools Summary because it was a peek into the Internet I used to know and also an exposure to all the current online technology that is available at our fingertips. Who knew ICQ has a mobile app?

The current students in the school system have grown up with the Internet and technology. It was never not there for them, and while the last twenty to thirty years of technological development may seem fresh to many of us, it is their history. For students to really come to an understanding of where technology can take them, I think it is important for them to become aware of where technology has come from. I also think it is a good refresher for those of us who lived during that development. The evolution of technology is, of course, still occurring and the more young people know of its origins and development, the better they can appreciate where we are today and where we will be tomorrow.