[Editor’s Note: This article was first published on the TCEA TechNotes blog.]
“Toot your own horn,” my dad often advised me. “The squeaky gate gets the oil.” The advice to self-aggrandize often went against my shy nature. As a school or district leader, don’t let your shyness stop you from sharing successful stories, especially those that include the use of academic technology. In this blog entry, we’ll explore five ways you can promote and share successful edtech success.
Related: 8 easy ways to improve your public relations efforts
#1 – Create posters and infographics
Make an infographic that captures ways students are creating and sharing works. You can make impactful infographics using PosterMyWall, a free infographic maker. Or take advantage of some of these free infographics.
“Digital stories are multimedia movies that combine photographs, video, animation, sound, music, text, and often a narrative voice. Digital stories may be used as an expressive medium within the classroom to integrate subject matter with extant knowledge and skills from across the ” (Source).
Here’s one idea on capturing and sharing digital stories from people who were there. The poster is adapted from this source.
You can print these infographics or posters on walls, in teachers’ lounges. Don’t be afraid to brighten a restroom stall with a three-step tutorial on an ed tech topic of choice.
#2 – Connect the physical space to the virtual
Libraries represent literacy. What space in your school does the same for edtech-powered learning? This might be an office or space educators can get quick help on creating with technology. It may be a place they read technology-related websites and/or view short video tutorials. Yes, they could find this anywhere, but physical space sends a message. The message? Learning edtech has a tangible impact. Combine a physical space with online professional learning. Advertise upcoming PD in Your Pajamas, as Sharyland (TX) Independent School District (ISD)’s Alfonso Mendoza, Jr. (@SharylandEdTech) has done.
You can use tools like Certify’em or Autocrat to create digital certificates for both face to face and virtual professional learning opportunities, including self-paced ones.
You can set up an old fridge box or large appliance box as a video station. This could be a green screen room or a place where teachers and students use video apps. They can conduct interviews about technology innovation lessons. Have them reflect on a successful project they have participated in. Then share those video creations via social media.
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