Five Stones and Social Media in Your School

As Principals, we are often forced into no-win situations, against all odds, backs against the wall … or are we?  

Lately, technology has brought new expectations to our already full plates.  When I first entered educational administration (15 years ago), the line between the school’s responsibility and the family’s was clearly drawn at the bus stop.  Today, we are asked to reach further into our students’ lives through social media.  Our “watch” now includes the 24/7 never-ending realm of Facebook and Twitter.  It is impossible to ask school officials to deal with our kids’ digital worlds … or is it?

Malcom Gladwell’s new book David and Goliath shares complex and surprising ways in which the small beat the odds and defeat the large.  We all know the story.  Young David (later to be King of Israel), with a sling and five stones, accepts and defeats the challenge of the 6-foot-9 Philistine warrior in the Valley of Elah.  He beat the odds … or did he?  Gladwell will argue the odds were in David’s favor.  A “slinger” has a huge advantage in hand-to-hand combat, and Goliath was the actual underdog.  He was slow, clunky with armor and needed his opponent within an arm’s reach to win.  David, on the other hand, never had to get within 40 feet of Goliath for victory.  

David saw the fight differently than everyone else.  Size didn’t matter.  Some 21st-century educators see interacting with their students online differently as well.  Most see Facebook as Goliath and too enormous to monitor.  How could we ask a principal to watch all of his/her student’s Twitter accounts and enforce school policy.  Obviously we can’t, but there are some Davids out there looking at social media differently.  

These educational Davids are embracing social media and seeing results. By getting on Twitter, they are killing two birds with one stone (yes, pun intended).  Many schools have thriving Facebook pages with thousands of followers.  Not only is information shared instantly with their communities but also a culture of common ground is created.  Students at school districts like this understand that adults (educators and community members alike) will see what they post and react to it.  Teachers tweet out assignments.  Families sit down to classroom Facebook pages to review the day’s activities.  Young people email their counselors for schedule advice.  Students text school hotlines alerting officials of a crisis.  Our kids obviously think more before they “click” in this kind of environment when they know adults are fully engaged in it.

As our schools become more digital, our districts and legislators are slowly reacting.  A federal framework based on COPPA and CIPA is in place.  Most districts have created walls attempting to  block certain access.  Most would agree this has to be done but is very ineffective.  Students quickly find ways around these barriers (even between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.).  We have taught them to be creative … right?  By only blocking access, these districts are creating an online free-for-all with very little adult presence. If young people don’t think anyone is watching, what do you think they will do?

Will school officials ever cut the head off social media as David did to Goliath? … Probably not.  Maybe, just maybe, victory looks different in this battle.  Consider a school district where we embrace virtual citizenship and adults teach young people the implications of their digital footprints as the WIN.  Social media is here to stay, and engaging adults and young people together in it may be your “five stones.”  Watch out Goliath.