Promoting school blogs to parents et al

[SteveHooker]

I supply school Weblogs. Based on Userland's Manila, heavily customised by myself.

 

I'd like any thoughts as to how I can make them better. Here are a few examples:

 

http://craigydon.educatr.com/

http://www.croft.walsall.sch.uk/

http://walsallwood.walsallschools.org/

http://www.salisbury.walsall.sch.uk/

http://www.kings-hill.walsall.sch.uk/

 

My object is not VLE, it's getting the school's local community engaged. Friday luchtime blog clubs and school news is getting kids posting and commenting evenings/weekends/holidays, but I want more parents.

 

Thoughts include:

'News letters home' based on the blog's posted news items, but with links (the post's metadata) below each news item. This replaces current photocopied newsletters, same format, but with that metadata.

Leaflets, or other coloured promotional handouts posted through neighbours' doors, and sent home.

Local newspaper/magazine PR items.

 

Other ideas include more local news (gossip :-)) and perhaps contentious political discussion.

 

How do you promote your school website to your parents? How do you get them to come and post, comment, discuss?

[webman]

Why do they all look the same? 8O

[beeswax]

http://www.educatr.com/

[SteveHooker]

To the schools they don't look the same. They're in the school colours, and with their own logo/badge. Some have their own art work or school in the background.

 

I use a Photoshop template to make the CSS templates which make the HTML templates. With Photoshop CS and Imageready it's a painless five minute process.

 

Obviously, with Photoshop I can do what I want. Just haven't had the inclination nor budget to design each site as a individual one-off design.

 

Beeswax is right http://blackwhitetwo.educatr.com/ is a different, plainer look, based on an idea that 'the kids' would use it as a base for a project to design their own look, which I would then 'knock up' into a finished professional design.

 

I offer to the schools the Photoshop template, in the hope that someone will want to customise their look themselves. Change the typeface, colours backgrounds, styles of buttons... To me it's really easy, to a teach, it's rocket science (thus far).

 

As Manila is a templated CMS, or themes, it's easy to add snow, or Summer, or Autumnal Photoshop effects, and switch for the season or holiday. I hope to build up more themes for each school then if they do look similar, at least some will look like they're celebrating St Davids Day or Eid.

http://www.walsallschools.org/create/themes

[SteveHooker]

I should disclose that my Photoshop design structure is based on http://www.iskcon.net.au/food/ and http://www.iskcon.net.au/ One of my clients.

 

Which was in turn based on an intranet for the Gov Office of the West Midlands, which I can't point to.

 

Getting a CSS to work across browsers is a PITA. I keep the structure, but make it look as different as possible within Photoshop and within budget. It's not a matter of being uncreative.

[webman]

The pages all look a bit cluttered in my opinion.

[SteveHooker]

Webman, you are right, they are packed with information. As they're blogs, the information continually changes. Most places can be reached directly from the front page.

 

May I say that your site looks plain and lightweight, lacks an interesting real voice, and that providing news in pdf form goes against accessibility requirements. Your most recent news letter, September 2005, makes your site look abandoned.

 

My opinion.

[webman]

I accept your opinion, Steve.. thanks for that. I feed off constructive criticism. The abandoned look it may have in your opinion is probably down to staff not forthcoming with information. If I don't have anything to update it with ...

 

The newsletter is in PDF format for a reason. I have an adequate news feature that slots into the pages, but since I don't get given any news to update it with, it would seem pointless showing it. We have a new newsletter, but guess what? No one's given it to me in digital format yet (yes, I have asked).

 

Plain and lightweight? As opposed to cluttered, heavy and over-crowded? I know which one I prefer.

[SteveHooker]

Cool, it's in the eye of the beholder :-)

 

Getting news off teachers is tricky. But, in my experience with a blog front end, the glory of having someone comment on a news posting brings excited shivers to teacher. This makes them feel important, and makes them want to post more. Blogging, as evidenced by the massive numbers (20-40 million now?) is addictive. I find it cathartic and better than shouting at the telly.

 

Have you thought about a blog? There's plenty of scripts and platforms to choose from.

 

I know that some schools are scared of real people telling real stories, some comments maybe negative, but as we live in a world where the http://www.cluetrain.com is a reality, I see all comments as welcome (though some would be deleted, obviously).

 

People of earth...

[webman]

Very tricky indeed, it took over a year to get the info from subject departments. A year. And if that's not lazy I don't know what is. As far as blogs go, I don't believe it's something they'd grasp fairly easy at our place, plus with teacher training restrictions it gets even more complicted. It's a good idea in theory, and probably works well in lots of schools.

[SteveHooker]

Teacher training restrictions? Could you elaborate? In my experience training to post a blog item is trivial. If they can send an email, they can post an item.

 

One of the sly sales tricks I use to to appeal to the narcissistic side. The desire for fame, all be it a small fish in a small pool, but most proud Heads should see the benefits, straight off. Though I've spoken to a few failing schools and they've got nowt to be proud of, so I'm told.

 

I feel for you webman, a year to wrest content out of the stones! Ouch!

[webman]

If they can send an email, they can post an item.

 

There would be our first problem

 

As far as training goes, I don't fully understand the issues as I Am Not A Teacher. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong... Something to do with Teacher unions, and that they are allowed so many training days/hours a year and any other times it must be paid for. I don't know.. something like that. But I remember the last time we wanted to show them something (of great benefit to them) we had to make it voluntary. Guess how many people turned up? Two.

[beeswax]

Very tricky indeed, it took over a year to get the info from subject departments. A year. And if that's not lazy I don't know what is.

 

I had 3 faculties reply within the first week (the English Dept. wants to change the way the site looks as well...) I'm still waiting for the rest 3 weeks later. When I spoke to a deputy head way back in November about when it would be ready and he suggested easter...The site's ready to go, but it would just be a collection of blank pages apart from headers and footers.

[SteveHooker]

I did say IF they could send an email :-( It isn't funny. From there to VLE? Phoot!

 

Again I feel for you—two people turning up. Pearls to swine.

[SteveHooker]

Beeswax... I guess then I've been lucky. All the schools I've created sites for have had a prospectus or old website from which I've converted to editable webpages. Once these are up, and editable, the Head or someone sees it and edits it to bring it up to date.

 

These pages then grow dusty as they're dull. Uniforms, rules, classes, staff lists, times, etc. these types pages that don't draw the crowds.

 

It's the pictorial blog postings that get co-workers, kids, parents ooohing and ahhing. And they're the easiest and most forthcoming of content pages.

[russdev]

that is why best way to do it as training session on a teacher day then they have to turn up

 

russ

[SteveHooker]

Anyway....

 

Back to my original question. How do you promote your school's site? Do you at all, or is it a case of, 'if we build it, they will come?'

 

If they do come, do they stay? Do they come back? What's there to draw the crowds, to get repeat visits, to engage? Have you feedback loops, surveys, newsletters?

[TechMonkey]

We have it mentioned in most newsletters and termly letters home. Also we set up a computer terminal at most parent events with the website up and running, often with a person to talk to them about it or show them anything.

That is about as active as we get though. We do not check logs or analysis it to much. We accept feedback from parents if they send it in, or from students if they talk to us about it. The biggest problem is it needs a massive overhaul so we know there are many failings just can't fix them at the moment. Also it isn't on a dynamic host (ASP, PHP, JSP or even CGI) so can't do anything really clever. This is what we are aiming to fix and then we will develop it from there.

On the other hand, it does the job we want it to, have been commended by some parents and staff at how easy it is to use so we aren't too much in a rush to scrap it.

[SteveHooker]

Parent events! Damn, that's so obvious, and powerful! Nice one TechMonkey!

 

I can see it now... "And here's a page that your daughter wrote, and her illustration. Of course, you can log in and post comments on this. I'm sure she'd really appreciate that."

[TechMonkey]

We don't have a terminal per member of staff on Parents Evening. Mainly when we have a spring fair organised by the Parents group we have a terminal up, or prospective parents evening, parent/governor meetings etc etc. Also means we can promote the schoolcomms, which is the email/text message system we have adopted to get away from paper letters.

[SteveHooker]

Do you mean http://www.schoolcomms.com/ ? Looks good value.

 

How is adoption of this with parents? Are you getting their mobile numbers, or are they holding back?

[beeswax]

I was about to post this 10 mins ago until we lost internet connection....but that's another story

 

there's a little bit of "you build it..."

as far as I'm concerned I'm not looking for awards. I design a school website to be practical, easily navigable, ok, it helps if it looks good. the intended audience is, staff, pupils, parents and prospective parents. there are 2 main maethods of getting the attention of parents, letters home (which, hopefully, ther website will mostly do away with) and notices in the local paper in the schools' diary section, or, if they haven't filled all their space, an article in the paper. I've always found that if you can provide 90% of the story then a journalist will run with it. but that's only my view.

can anybody else help?

[TechMonkey]

Yep thats the one. Not sure of uptake as we made sure we only had to technically maintain it, not run it. I don't think we have used the mobile services much yet, if at all. The schools we talked to that had trialled it really had got into using teh SMS though and had started using it in ways the suprised the provider even. The bonus is that we don't have to chase around after parents to keep up to date, they do it all. This is the first year we have run it so we are hoping more uptake as we go on. But is a smart piece of kit.

[dhassen]

sorry to join in the argument.... but the bishop barringtoin school site looks quality.. steve... im not sure if yours look brilliant or hideous..... im teetering towards the latter im afraid... and the pages are cluttered... what can you do tho eh!

[dhassen]

i did my usual trick of not reading the entire thingy and realising that the argument ended ages ago... DOH! lol