Roger Wilcox, Pam Moran, and other school administrators on YouTube

Roger Wilcox, principal of West Cedar Elementary School in Waverly, Iowa, has a burgeoning YouTube channel that he’s using to communicate with his local community:

Here are three superintendents – Pam Moran, Phyllis Harrington, and Marcus Newsome – who also are using YouTube to get their messages out:

This stuff is easy

Given how easy it is these days to post online video (think YouTube QuickCapture and a webcam, Flip cameras, etc.), I’m baffled that more administrators aren’t taking advantage of the opportunity to speak directly to their communities on a regular basis. Forget newsletters, e-mail listservs, or blogging; just turn on the video camera and start talking!

There are numerous benefits to being in regular communication with internal and external stakeholders. The use of online video to connect, explain, build goodwill, create enthusiasm, be transparent, share student work, highlight teacher excellence, tell a story, etc. is a powerful but untapped possibility for most school leaders. Videos don’t have to be polished or professional. Simple, honest, direct communication usually is more meaningful, anyway.

Dive in! 

School leaders, take the plunge: Turn on the webcam or Flip camera and start talking from the heart. You won’t regret it.

[P.S. Teachers can do this too. Dump that paper classroom newsletter. Instead, start a weekly broadcast to your families!]

Update: Dave Meister is off to a good start with this!

Comments

[Annlduffy]

1.

My fifth-grader's teacher does a daily webcast of his newsletter - along with a quick summary of assignments in the text. No printed newsletter at all. Recently, he started having the students do the daily webcam updates. Love it!

[Lyn H.]

2.

My monthly newsletter from the principal's office is set to be published in a few days. I think I will definitely give this a try in the coming months! Since I work in a district with a number of families who do not have internet access, I will still need to provide the paper copy, but I will include the link to my video in the newsletter in case they have the opportunity to be online at a local library or relative's house. Thanks for the links to the example vids.

[mark mrichardson]

3.

Gulp.....we'd have to open up YouTube or one of the other video sharing sites then. ;)

[ACCA Provider]

4.

I'm an online ACCA student. And I'd like to share some of my own experience. Each week my regular studies are completed by online video lectures made by my tutors. I personally think that such way to provide students with necessary info is very helpful for both parties.

We are living in the age of unprecedented possibilities, so why not use them for sake of education?

[Pam Moran]

5.

Reliance upon communication via mainstream media fades daily in my world. Our community- parents, students, staff, and others- expects direct, real-time, and customized information options via social networking sites such as twitter,facebook,wikis and blogs as well as listservs,multi-modal parent communication systems,voicemail and up to date webpage news info. Educational leaders, including superintendents, provide models for being open to learning- including how to use tech as a communication toolkit that accelerates information sharing with community members.