Week 5 - Full

Discussion

1. Communication Guide
   
   Review the required resources identified for this week on the use of communication and social media guides. Locate and read the posted communication and social media guidelines for your local school system (usually found on the district web site and may be called Internet Policies, or Acceptable Use Guides). Does your school system utilize social media such as supporting an official Facebook page, Twitter account, or an email/text messaging system?
   
   Write a short narrative on what you see as the most common uses of social media in your community and include the following:
   
   • What efforts do you see by area businesses and community groups to ‘brand’ themselves using social media?
   • Does this fit with Pew Research you did in Week One?
   • Do you feel that the development of a social media presence would help or hinder your initiative or efforts to strengthen and ‘brand’ programs in your community? Why?
     

   Develop a communication guide document that supports you and your community’s position on social media. Be sure to consider the recommendations for designing with flexibility. Also, be sure to support your guidelines with outside sources and include references written in APA format. Attach or link your document to your initial post.
     
   
   

Assignment

Power of One (Part III)

Create a two- to four-page paper (excluding the title and reference pages) that:

1. Provides a narrative examining how you will evaluate your initiative to include the following points:
   • Your initial assessment – Appraise the “State of Now.”
   • Illustrate indicators of success – Describe what are you hoping to achieve in measurable, data-driven outcomes.
   • Illustrate how you will evaluate and report your outcomes – Identify how you will celebrate your successes.
     
     
2. Specifies your plan for growing and sustaining your initiative.

Your paper must be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center, two- to four- pages in length, and cite at least three scholarly sources in addition to your textbook.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Required Resources

1. Read from your text, Assets in Action: A Handbook for Making Communities Better Places to Grow Up: 
   
   • Review Chapter 7 – Over the Long Haul: Sustaining Your Initiative
• Tip Sheet #14
• Tip Sheet #15
   
2. Berkas, T.H. & Hong, K.L. (2000). First steps in evaluation: Basic tools for asset-building initiatives. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/830272/FIRST_STEPS_IN_EVALUATION
   • This is an overview of established methods for program evaluation.
      
3. Ferriter, B. (2011). Communicating and connecting with social media. Retrieved from http://issuu.com/mm905/docs/ccwsm_look-inside/6
   • A teacher and strong advocate for the use of social media to promote his school, teachers, and students, discusses the current successful use of social media by community members and advocates for its use in education.
      
4. Ferriter, B. (2010). Social media in education resources posted. Retrieved from http://www.teachingquality.org/content/social-media-education-resources-posted
   • A professional author, speaker, and educator provides resources for using social media in education to support all stakeholders.
      
5. Ferriter, B., Sheninger, E., & Ramsden, J. (2010). Social media in schools. Retrieved from http://digitallyspeaking.pbworks.com/w/page/28489273/Social%20Media%20in%20Schools
   • This wiki includes a collection of resources for Social Media in Schools.
      
6. Grey, B. (2010). Plan to communicate. The Edge of Tomorrow. Retrieved from http://bengrey.com/blog/2010/12/plan-to-communicate/
• This blog discusses the District 123 Communications Plan and reflections.
   
7. Search Institute. (n.d.). What's working? Tools for evaluating your mentoring program. Retrieved from http://www.searchinstitutepress.org/free_downloads/Whats_Working_Eval_Toolkit.pdf
• This free download is an overview of established methods for program evaluation. Note: To obtain this free e-product, you will need to enter basic personal information in order to move forward with the download.
   
8. Sheringer, E. (2011). The questions I ask. A Principal’s Reflections. Retrieved from http://esheninger.blogspot.com/2011/11/questions-i-ask.html
• A principal, author, and strong advocate for the use of social media to promote his school, teachers, and students asks questions of those who may hesitate to embrace social media.