Communication: Parents and Employees
of the 21st CenturyTami Strege & Craig Mussi
June 21, 2011
Forms of Communication What are the forms of communication?
How do you prefer your communication?
How do you communicate with others?
Different Generations Veterans/Seniors: Pre-1945 Baby Boomers: 1946-1964 Generation X: 1965-1982 Generation Y (Millennials): 1983-2001 Generation Z (Internet): 2002-Present
Seniors/Veterans: Pre-1945 Prefer direct communication & believe what they see. Users of traditional media including
Newspapers Radio Television
Some are suspicious of technology. Communication style with seniors must be clear and
straight-forward.
Baby Boomers: 1946-1964 Open-minded and rebellious in their teens and
twenties, many boomers are now rather conservative. Boomers appreciate direct mail over email. Voice mail preferred to text messaging Many have embraced the internet and mobile phones. Still use land lines. Print is usually required to reinforce communication. Some boomers have not kept up with technology
updates.
Generation X: 1965-1982 Well-educated and qualified, skeptical of authority
and have a focus on outcomes and skills. Good researchers, using the internet extensively Enjoy interactive communication. High use of search engines Television watchers for information Most challenging to reach – “information overload”
Generation Y (Millennials): 1983-2001 Generally optimistic, highly social and rather moralistic Overly ambitious and impatient - “special & sometimes
selfish” Use of multiple media outlets including
Email Cellphones – no land line iPods Internet sources for information (websites) Facebook and other social networking
Speed of communication – texting and tweeting Multi-tasking comes naturally
Generation Z: 2002-Present Impact of media and technology changing
exponentially Using multiple media sources Less print used
How Do We Communicate in Education? What forms of communication are used? Do we communicate differently with parents
than with staff and students? What are the best forms of communication to
reach our constituents?
Best Forms of Communication - Parents Websites Blogs Facebook and social networking Electronic and print newsletters and articles Text messaging for immediate information Emails Phone messaging – cell phones
Parent Interaction with the School Website hits at my school – over 1,000/day Less than 20% prefer mail copy of report cards About 25% receive a hard copy of newsletter Over 90% of parents list an email address More parents have one phone contact number Email contact more frequent than phone calls
Depends on timeliness of need
School Communication Robo-caller Newsletters Emails Post cards Phone calls Website updates periodically Online access to student records
Best Forms of Communication - Employees Emails – information or instructions IM Video conferencing Office phone call – requires interaction Cell phone call – requires interaction Text messaging – interaction not as in-depth Meetings – training and/or discussion
Best Forms of Communication - Students Websites Blogs IM Pod-casting Text/Tweet Email – send attachments
Relationships A connectedness between teachers, students,
administrators, and parents which leads to a substantial personal investment in learning
Questions
Tami Strege, Curriculum CoordinatorGlendale Union High School [email protected]
Craig Mussi, PrincipalMoon Valley High [email protected]