COMMUNICATION PLAN 1
Communication Plan
James Stosh
Liberty University
EDUC-638: Leadership in Educational Technology
Dr. Billie McConnell
April 14, 2024
COMMUNICATION PLAN 2
Communication Plan
Having transitioned from a career in the military to becoming the Senior Army JROTC
instructor at Theodore High School, I bring a unique perspective to education. This experience
has highlighted opportunities for enhancing student learning in engaging and effective ways. It is
imperative to establish a comprehensive communication plan to integrate educational podcasts
into our school's curriculum and public outreach efforts. Podcasts offer an innovative and
flexible technology that can greatly enrich our educational environment. A podcast is a type of
digital media that is made up of a series of audio, video, PDF, or ePub files that can be streamed
to a computer or mobile device online or subscribed to and downloaded through web syndication
(McGivern, 2023). This will provide our students and staff an additional tool for learning and
communication. This communication plan aims to define our intended recipients, form an
implementation team, and delineate a methodical approach for introducing podcasting at our
school. It will serve as a directing resource to support educators throughout the phases of podcast
integration.
Our implementation team is dedicated to researching and identifying the most economical
method for integrating podcasts, ensuring our students are well-prepared for a technology-driven
world. This project will serve various audiences, such as all our students in 9th through 12th
grades, family members and caregivers, and our school staff. Members from each group will
have a vital role in carrying out the plan and adopting effective podcasting strategies.
The objective of implementing podcasting at Theodore High School is to enrich student
education and progress. Podcasts provide adaptable teaching methods, encouraging engagement
and enhancing educational outcomes. Our immediate aim is to highlight the significance of
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podcasting to staff, students, and parents to secure their support. Ultimately, we aim to smoothly
integrate podcasting into our curriculum for sustainable educational benefits.
Clear and effective communication is essential to ensure a smooth transition and gain support
from everyone involved in this project. This comprehensive plan details the necessary steps and
strategies for introducing podcasting to our school, encouraging innovation, and improving
learning outcomes.
SMART Goals
Implementing SMART goals during the integration of podcasts in our school will ensure a
focused and organized approach to their implementation. This method allows us to set specific,
measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound objectives, facilitating successful adoption and
tracking of progress for the students, the teachers, and staff, as well as the family members and
caregivers. According to A.J. Janabergenova (2021), “Students 'goals should be made as clear
and understandable as possible. The more clearly the task is formulated, the more accurate the
results will be” (Vol 25, Iss. 4).
Students:
1. Specific: Maximize student engagement with educational content through podcasts.
2. Measurable: Achieve a 20% increase in student participation in podcast-related activities
within six months.
3. Achievable: Provide at least one podcast-related learning opportunity per month for all
student grades.
4. Relevant: Align podcast topics with curriculum objectives and student interests.
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5. Timebound: Launch a student-led podcast project by the end of the academic year.
Teachers and Staff:
1. Specific: Enhance professional development through podcast training sessions.
2. Measurable: Have 80% of teachers attend a podcasting workshop within three months.
3. Achievable: Implement podcasts as supplementary learning resources in at least 50% of
classrooms by the next school year.
4. Relevant: Equip teachers with podcasting skills that align with educational goals and
teaching methods.
5. Timebound: Develop a library of educational podcasts created by teachers within one
year.
Family Members and Caregivers:
1. Specific: Maximize parental involvement and awareness of school activities through
podcasts.
2. Measurable: Achieve a 30% increase in family engagement with school podcasts within
six months.
3. Achievable: Provide accessible information for families through monthly podcast
updates on school events and initiatives.
4. Relevant: Deliver content that is informative and supportive of families' educational
needs and interests.
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5. Timebound: Launch a parent-focused podcast series by the beginning of the next
academic year.
Key Points
Increase student engagement with relevant podcast learning opportunities and achieve a
measurable 20% increase in student participation within six months, ensuring consistent
monthly opportunities that align with curriculum objectives and student interests,
culminating in a student-led podcast project by the academic year's end to foster
ownership and involvement.
Enhance staff professional development with podcast training sessions, ensuring 80%
attendance within three months, integrating podcasts into at least 50% of classrooms by
the next school year to align with educational goals, and developing an educational
podcast library within one year to support curriculum delivery.
Increase parental involvement and awareness through engaging podcasts, aiming for a
measurable 30% increase in family engagement within six months by providing
accessible monthly updates tailored to meet families' educational needs and interests,
culminating in the launch of a parent-focused podcast series at the start of the next
academic year to enhance communication and involvement.
Timeline
This timeline aligns with the SMART goals, providing specific milestones and activities for
each identified party involved in the podcast implementation process throughout the academic
year. Adjustments and evaluations are built into the timeline to ensure progress toward achieving
the defined objectives.
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First Quarter:
Teachers and staff attend podcasting workshops to enhance professional development
(Goal 1).
Develop and distribute a survey to families to assess current engagement with school
activities (Goal 2 for Family Members and Caregivers).
Begin planning curriculum-aligned podcast topics for student engagement (Goal 4 for
Students).
Second Quarter:
Launch the student-led podcast project, incorporating student-generated content (Goal 5
for Students).
Evaluate family engagement with podcasts and adjust strategies to meet the 30% increase
target (Goal 2 for Family Members and Caregivers).
Implement podcasts as supplementary resources in 50% of classrooms (Goal 3 for
Teachers and Staff).
Third Quarter:
Continue student-led podcast project and monitor participation rates (Goal 2 for
Students).
Develop a library of educational podcasts created by teachers (Goal 5 for Teachers and
Staff).
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Launch a parent-focused podcast series to increase parental involvement (Goal 5 for
Family Members and Caregivers).
Fourth Quarter:
Evaluate the overall impact of podcasts on student engagement and learning outcomes
(Goal 1 for Students).
Conduct a final assessment of family engagement with podcasts and adjust strategies as
needed (Goal 2 for Family Members and Caregivers).
Reflect on the integration of podcasts into the curriculum and plan for continued
implementation in the following school year (Goal 3 for Teachers and Staff).
Expectations and Best Practices
Podcasts enable students to share their ideas with a global audience, fostering a sense of
ownership and pride that motivates them to produce high-quality work, including conducting
research and developing coherent communication skills valued in the workplace (Sprague &
Pixley, 2008). When implementing podcasts into our school, the expectation is to enhance
student engagement, promote innovative learning, and improve communication with everyone
involved. To achieve these goals, it's essential to follow the best practices. First, define clear
objectives for using podcasts, such as supplementing curriculum, promoting student creativity, or
enhancing communication with parents. Second, create podcasts with high-quality, informative,
and engaging content that aligns with educational objectives and student interests. Third,
establish a consistent schedule for releasing podcasts to maintain student interest and provide
predictable access to educational resources. Fourth, provide teachers with training and support in
podcast creation and integration into lesson plans to ensure effective implementation. Fifth,
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ensure podcasts are easily accessible to students, teachers, parents, and caregivers through school
platforms or widely used podcasting platforms. Sixth, gather feedback from stakeholders to
assess effectiveness and make improvements possibly through surveys. Survey research is cost-
effective, extensive, and flexible, allowing for accurate and reliable data collection through
various administration modes while encouraging candid responses due to respondent anonymity
(DeFranzo, 2023). Seventh, encourage collaboration between students, teachers, and everyone
else that is involved in creating our podcasts to foster a sense of ownership and community
engagement. Lastly, promote podcasts within the school and community to raise awareness and
encourage participation among students and families. By adhering to these best practices, we can
maximize the benefits of podcasts in education and create a positive and enriching learning
environment for our school community.
Measure Effectiveness
Measuring the effectiveness of podcasts in our school is essential to understand their impact
on student engagement, teacher development, and family involvement. By assessing
effectiveness, we can identify successful strategies and areas for improvement, enabling data-
driven decisions to optimize podcast use in education. This can be done by:
Conducting pre- and post-assessments to gauge student engagement levels before and
after implementing podcast learning opportunities.
Track the percentage increase in student participation over six months through attendance
records and survey data.
Monitor the integration of podcasts into classrooms by assessing the percentage of
classrooms using podcasts by the next school year.
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Evaluate family engagement through monthly surveys and participation metrics to assess
the impact of podcast updates and the parent-focused podcast series.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the implementation of podcasts at Theodore High School aims to enhance
student engagement, foster innovative learning, and improve communication with everyone
involved. To achieve these goals, it's essential to follow best practices, including defining clear
objectives for podcast use, creating high-quality and engaging content, establishing a consistent
release schedule, providing teacher training, ensuring accessibility, gathering feedback, fostering
collaboration, and promoting awareness within the school and community. By adhering to these
practices, we can maximize the benefits of podcasts in education and create a positive and
enriching learning environment for our entire school community.
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References
DeFranzo, S.S. E. (2023). 4 main benefits of Survey Research. SnapSurveys Blog.
https://www.snapsurveys.com/blog/4-main-benefits-survey-research/
Janabergenova, A. J. (2021). Setting Goals on Smart Techniques and Affecting Student Motivation.
Annals of the Romanian Society for Cell Biology, 25(4), 9333-9336.
https://go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-
journals/setting-goals-on-smart-techniques-affecting/docview/2598119484/se-2
McGivern, A. (2023). What is a podcast?: Definition and meaning of podcast. Podcast Hero-
High Converting Podcasts. https://podcasthero.com/what-is-a-podcast/
Sprague, D., & Pixley, C. (2008). Podcasts in Education: Let Their Voices Be Heard. Computers
in the Schools, 25(3–4), 226–234. https://doi.org/10.1080/07380560802368132
