The
Communications
Triangle
Staff / Parents / Students

June Dodge
Communications Chair:
San Diego Computer-Using Educators
High Tech High Parent Association
junedodge@cox.net

Notes from SDCUE Tech Fair 2005 Presentation

Overview

A set of tools that can be used to enhance communications to and from staff, parents, and students.

Different ways to do email blasts, online calendars, and webpages.

Communication

Information needs to be made available in different and multiple formats.

One to One (email)
One to Many (email blasts, website)
Many to One (online forms, surveys)

Not All Technical

Positive Home School Communications
http://www.educationoasis.com/resources/Articles/home-school_comm.htm

Kathleen L. Bulloch, M.A.
CCC Speech/Language Pathologist
"Communication is the foundation for all other parent involvement activities. Yet, most parents typically hear from the school only when their child is in trouble. Positive examples of efforts to improve communication are listed below:"

Personal Contact
Telephone
Written
Other

Keep the everyday emails:

Concise
Accurate
Appropriate

Non-example Email

Format

Keep it simple
Be conservative
Don’t depend on formatting to convey the information - because the people on the receiving end may not see the display you set up.

Appearance 1

Appearance 2

Email Distribution A

Set up a email list for sending emails to groups of people.

Avoid CCing a large group of people.

Reply All

Complaints out in open

Unexpected uses of the list

BCC will hide the address

Might be discarded as SPAM.

Distribution Tools 1

Set up a Group using your email program

Entourage Group Email Directions
http://www.uwec.edu/help/Entourage/CONT-groups.htm

Outlook Group Email Directions
http://www.slipstick.com/contacts/dl.htm

Thunderbird Group Email Directions
http://support.math.arizona.edu/email/aliases/thunderbird.php

Although easy to do, takes time to maintain. The list is on your system so others can not use. Okay for smaller lists.

Distribution Tools 2

Mail Merge using WORD

http://www.mistupid.com/technical/mailmerge/

Easy to do once you get the hang of it. Using the same procedure used to print address labels, catalogs, or custom letters.

The emails are saved in a spreadsheet or database.

Still requires time to maintain the list.

Distribution Tool 3

Control panel within a website.

If you purchase webspace, they will often include a built-in system you can use to create a mail distribution list.

Need to maintain.

Sometimes only includes the emails of people so can’t match to a name.

http://64.106.135.190/admin (need access)

Control Panel 1

Control Panel 2

Control Panel 3

Distribution Tool 4

Use a program made to send emails.

Email Merge - Program that makes it easy to set up and save lists - can use File Make Pro to maintain. (Mac only)

http://www.sigsoftware.com/emailmerge/

Merging possible in the Subject line too - can keep database in another program.

Distribution Tool 5

Use an actual email list program

Mailman - requires installation. Has many features, requires time to learn/train.

Populate at beginning of term
Opt-out
Self-manage
Open Subscription
Customize Messages and Screens

http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/index.html

http://lists.hightechhigh.org:8000/mailman/listinfo

Distribution B

Set up a schedule for sending emails.
Be consistent with formatting.
Don’t send too often, but send out often enough so the information is fresh.

It's a fine line.

Body of the Message 1

Use text!

Format that seems to work:

List contents, then show detail
List new and undated, then list in chronological order
Provide emails of contact people
Provide links to website announcements

Email Blast

Subject: HTM Email Blast Sent to Parents 10/15/05

From your HTM Parent Association:

1. Headline

2. Headline - see below.

3. Announcement

4. Announcement - see below

---- Details -

Bottom: For more information, please contact: HTM Parent Association Communication

http://tinyurl.com/8jh6v and http://tinyurl.com/8m8fs for more examples.

Body of the Message 2

Attachments

Do not depend on an attachment to disburse your information.
Some people have email set to not receive attachments.
Keep the messages below 300k. People do not like waiting for messages.
There is no one program that everyone has. There will always be someone who can not open WORD, Excel, JPG, or even PDF files.

Body of the Message 3

Do not only depend on sending a link to an updated website.

Some people will be at work and will not be able to click to see information on the web.
Websites go down, might be unavailable when some one clicks to see the information.

Body of the Message 3b

Links, written in URL format, will become live in an email.

At some point links get too long and people are not able to click on them.

It helps to format your message so the URL is on it’s own line and give directions for what it is.

Please click below and visit our website for more information!
http://www.sdcue.org

Just changing the color and style formats will not make something a link.

If you have to use fancy formatting - do it right! (It takes time and patience!)

http://www.alistapart.com/articles/cssemail/

Most people who’ve attempted to recreate a sophisticated design in HTML email have run into a wall when using CSS, either in the form of inexplicable mangling by email clients or a pronouncement by an email administrator stating that CSS is “against the rules.” If you’re not content to roll over and use font tags in your HTML emails, read on...

Body of the Message 3c

If you have a long or unattractive URL consider using

http://tinyurl.com

This is a free service that “changes long URLs to a short ones that will not break in email postings and never expires.”

http://tinyurl.com/a7zjr

(original was 69 characters, revised is 24 characters)

http://www.educationoasis.com/resources/Articles/home-school_comm.htm

Body of the Message 4

If you do use HTML or graphics program, be sure to have alternative versions - put note at the top of the email.

Something like:

Having trouble viewing the Insider or clicking through on the links?
View an online version of this email in your web browser at:
http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/
Having trouble receiving the Insider?
Try adding us <insider@sierraclub.org> to your Address Book.

Graphics 1

Graphics 2

Graphics 3

Graphics 4

Identify Yourself

Let people know who is sending the email and why. (at top)
Name/Email/Website (at bottom)
Subject Line of Email - Consistent name

Bounced Messages 1

Messages that do not get delivered.

Might be a vacation message
Might have temporarily exceeded their storage quota
Might be a typo - easy to correct.

Junedodge.cox.net (missing @)

Junedodge@yahoo.net (.com)

Do not automatically delete from your list.

Bounced Messages 2

Set up an alternative system for how to contact people with no email.

Provide printed versions at front desk
Post on physical bulletin board
Print and deliver to individual students
Hand out at parking lot
Phone calls
Provide information for how to get and use email
Website

Virtual Conference

Special Email List - set up

Invite “Speaker”

Send out announcements

Include link to subscribe to list

Intro the presenter

Provide homework

Include groundrules

Virtual Conference 2

During the Event - ongoing

Moderate the group

Please email your questions and comments to our Guest, and he will do his best to respond to everyone.

Virtual Conference 3

Intro Guest

Have Guest make opening remarks

Selectively show questions

Guest writes answers - include original

Selectively show responses from others

Remind people moderated and off topic will not be displayed

Last Call for Questions - End time and day

Post transcripts on website

Close list down or keep open and use for something else

Email Summary

Words
Formatting
ID
Maintain email list
Develop alternative distribution
Use the best tool available for the situation
TEST how your message appears before sending to everyone!

Website

Another way to distribute information

When first getting started keep it simple

Use online forms to make it easy to display

Use templates to ensure consistent look

Website 2

Domain name - $35 for 2 years

Virtual Server - $6 a month

Control Panel

Email Lists

Email Addresses

PHP

Etc.

SDCUE and ParentPage use http://www.zebrahost.net/

Website 3

Websites take time/training/software/patience

Many decisions!

Start small - grow with need - but keep it fresh! And accurate.

Go for simple smaller look so people can see on small screens and with dial up.

“I try to design so the website can be seen on my telephone” June Dodge

Calendar 1

Easiest Start

Web based free no installation

http://www.localendar.com/public/sdcue

Info at: http://www.localendar.com/elsie

See ads only on the administrative side.

Idea: Use Sundays for weekly announcements

Calendar 2

Web based Calendar

http://www.calendric.com/sdcue/index.html - free version has ads - only $12/yr

Info at: http://www.monopro.com/

Calendar 3

Installation required but no fee

http://www.planscalendar.com/

Can set up many calendars each with different login with one installation. Can set it up so any combination of calendars can be seen at the same time.

Weakness - list format and viewing in Internet Explorer.

Medium difficulty to customize.

I think this is the one with most potential for my multiple school situation.

Calendar 4

Installation required - no fee

http://parentpage.org/calendar/index.php

Info: http://www.mindpit.com/soft/

Customizable:

http://viking.ljhs.sandi.net/calendar/

Only one login - can set up additional fields (if you have patience)

Medium/Hard to customize - med/easy to install and get started.

Calendar 5

Web based - can easily put on your website.

http://www.rsscalendar.com/

Two formats - list and grid. Can control what people see.

Be sure to keep the password information, for this company, they do not seem to send out again!

Calendar 6

Installation Required

Powered Calendar v2

http://www.cfm-powered.com/pcal.cfm

Example: http://lacanadaflintridge.com/

$65

Allows different access to editing calendars to be displayed in same or different screen different views day, week, month, year, list.

Lots of potential!

Website Template

TeacherWeb.com

Testing Account code FF242SDCUE

(expires 12/15/05)

http://TeacherWeb.com

Click on "Teachers-Create Your Web".

Enter State - put account code - EMAIL JUNE for the CODE - in Step 3 of web creation process. (Right before password is selected.)

$25 a year - very complete - very flexible - easy to use.

Website Template 2

CampusGrid

http://www.campusgrid.com/examples.php#Organizations

Example:http://cupertino.ca.campusgrid.net/home

Info: http://www.campusgrid.com/home.php

“as low as $299 year”

Website Template 3

Word Based by Date - Blog

Webpage in Chronological Order

http://www.blogger.com/home

Extremely easy to start using. Entries are displayed so the newest is at the top.

Contributions/Info 1

Online Application: Use to collect data or to send emails. Use to send emails to groups of people. Won’t send duplicates out. Free for lists with fewer than 100 recipients or fee per month/year. Can purchase on monthly basis so only have when you use it.

http://www.surveymonkey.com

Contributions/Info 2

Online Wizard: to create web forms. Results are sent in an email.

http://sdcue.org/feedback/feedbackform.php

http://parentpage.org/2005/2hthfeedback/feedbackform.php

Source: http://www.thesitewizard.com/

Need to be a little familiar with concepts to go beyond the three fields.

Contributions/Ideas 3

Make it Easy for Record What is Done -and to Collaborate

Wiki - Always editable webpages
http://www.wikispaces.com/

Basecamp - Project Management
http://www.basecamphq.com/

Both of these are free to set up.