10/27/2013 � Sarah Holland – 2 PACs, DPAC, geek � What do we communicate, and what do we want people to do as a result? � How can we communicate? What tools can we use? � How can we keep this sustainable? � Different schools will use different tools – enrolment of 20 students very different from Sarah Holland Prince George District Parent Advisory Council 1,278 October 19, 2013 � How can we communicate both OUT and IN? � How do we make this as simple as possible for our volunteers? � How do we make it as reasonably priced as possible? � How can we make sure communications is a priority? � How do we keep from excluding people? � How can we get someone else to do it when we move on? Twitter and Facebook and group meetings and newsletters are � How much of this is going to be controlled by the school all TOOLS. Tools matter, because tools impact the way you or school district? interact. You don’t need to use every tool, but every tool you use you must use well. – Seth Godin, courtesy of Chris Kennedy 1
10/27/2013 � Some people � Info – minutes, reports, agendas � Actions required – volunteers, wanted, will always events, meeting attendance complain, no � To feel informed about what is going on matter what � Answering questions � Accept this and � So parents know how to get more move on information if they have questions – means and people � Face to Face – this is the most effective method, and � Face to face most time consuming � Meetings � “Hi, I’m ____, can you ...” � Signage & posters � Meetings � “If they really wanted to know...” � Phone calls and trees � Don’t mistake parents who don’t come for parents who � Newsletters – paper, email aren’t interested � Parents who go to meetings are the strange ones � Websites � Signage and Posters � Social media – facebook, twitter, etc � Useful, but limited – especially when bussing � Phone Calls and Trees � Works better in smaller schools 2
10/27/2013 � Most traditional method of communications � Pay attention to design! � Pros � Consistency � Expected � Use a grid, template, don’t distract from message � Some people need paper � Conservation (Clutter-busting) � Cons � Adding fonts and clip art does not make a � Teacher time newsletter more interesting � Bottom of backpack � Readability is important � Siblings � Environmentally un-friendly � Contrast � Talk to school – publish in conjunction? � Type contrast, white space, sizes ����������������������� ����������� � In order to communicate, we need to: ������������������������������������������ � Get a reader’s attention and interest ������� � Be easy to read ������������������������������ � Content comes third ��������������������������������������������������������������������� � You are competing with a lot of other material ������� �!"��#��$%&�!�'! for parent time and interest ��������� � Why handicap yourself? ��������������� � There is a lot of research in this area – try ������������������ googling for Typography, Readability, Legibility 3
10/27/2013 � Big question - where to get emails, how to maintain, confidentiality, transition year to year � Different methods � Email program or merge � Email list manager � School secretary � Privacy concerns – CC often used instead of a � Mail Chimp – great service merge or BCC � Free up to 2,000 users and 12,000 � should everyone be able to see everyone’s email emails/month address? � Allows users to administer themselves (add, � Life too short for me to maintain email lists remove, change) � People need to be able to add or remove � Reports on who opens, how often opened, themselves from list without taking up my time etc. � Are people actually reading the emails? � Do we send a copy of the paper newsletter as � Set up design for email newsletter a PDF, or something in the email? 4
10/27/2013 � Pros � Easier to maintain and publish � Environmentally friendly � Anyone can access � The new expected � Cons � Not all parents have internet access As of October 2012 � Some are on dialup - slow � Need some tech ability to setup and maintain � SD57 school websites horrible 5
10/27/2013 � Is an abandoned web site worse than no web site? December 11, 2012 � What’s your commitment level? last update, as of � How do we make this as simple as possible for October 2013 our volunteers? � How can we get someone else to do it when we move on? � Might there be problems with continuity? � Can more than one person update the website? • Heatherparkpac.info Domain Domain • Address, or URL • $9.99 /year through name name GoDaddy.com • Points to… • Points to… • DreamHost.com, paid web • Which computer host Web Host Web Host files are stored on • Currently $8.95/month • Displayed by… • Displayed by… • How you control • WordPress blogging Platform Platform what appears on platform the website • Free platform 6
10/27/2013 • Free or paid? Domain � Low tech / low cost • Paid can point � Don’t have domain name name wherever you want � Use blogger.com or wordpress.com � Bit more cost • Free or paid? � Get your own domain name Web Host • Power and � Point it at the blogger or wordpress.com site � Higher tech / higher cost configuration � Own domain name • HTML website � Web host Platform • Blogger, WordPress � Which platform – depends on your technical people � Don’t forget to get rid of the job at some point • Others… garibaldipac.blogspot.ca 7
10/27/2013 � Old method - bookmark websites in your � Set up one RSS to email campaign on browser, manually return to them on a regular MailChimp basis to see what had been added � Automatically emails RSS updates once a day � Gets complicated, miss information, keep seeing same info or week at a specific time � New Method – RSS - “Real Simple Syndication” � Volunteer only needs to do one thing – post � Have website let you know everytime it updates to website � Use RSS reader or use RSS update service � But – one big problem with using RSS � Anyone know what it is? 8
10/27/2013 � MailChimp gives ability to see if emails are being opened � Google Analytics gives ability to see how website is being used � Free service � Set up one time 9
10/27/2013 � Pros: � Lots of parents use Facebook daily � Communicating with parents where they already are is a great way to keep them updated about news, events and meetings � Cons: � Confidentiality issues � Moderation important � School site or PAC site? � Some parents don’t use Facebook – information would need to be provided elsewhere � Recommendation: Use this tool as supplemental communication for your school and parent-group. Sample Facebook Page Some PACs do � Basically, it is Pinning your Interests. a good job of � The idea is you create boards and you "pin" this – takes pictures to them. moderation � How many people here use it? 10
10/27/2013 � Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables users to send and read "tweets", which are text messages limited to 140 characters � How many people here use it? 11
10/27/2013 Twitter Also good for breaking news � Visit - jointheassoc � Face to face iation.com � Suggestion box � Online surveys � Going to meetings � Post comments on website or Facebook � Emails � Phone calls � ThoughtStream � Allow for anonymous? 12
10/27/2013 � Different methods work for different people � As a volunteer, 3 major goals: � Hit them with as many messages as possible; � Reduce my time spent hopefully a few will stick � There is a difference between communicating � Communicate with the maximum and CYA-ing effectiveness � Technical issues: � Google is your friend � Eventually get someone else to do it � PTOToday.com � Some geeky time spent setting up pays � Can you get a geek parent to help with setup and maintenance? off � Ask for help 13
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