Public Awareness of Technological Literacy ITEA 2005 Conference, Kansas City Shelli Meade William E. Dugger, Jr.

Technological Literacy Standards

AETL Standard P-5, Guideline C Guidelines for meeting Standard P-5 require that the teacher(s) responsible for the management of the technology program(s) consistently Market and promote the study of technology.

AETL Standard P-5, Guideline F Guidelines for meeting Standard P-5 require that administrators responsible for the management of the cross-curricular technology program consistently F. Market and promote the study of technology.

Public Awareness Recent Literature SuggestionsInvitation

“How to Promote a Technology Education Program” Author: Mike Fitzgerald “The most critical step in any formal marketing campaign will be to gain the favor and support of your administration and school board.” p. 19

USPs Establish Your Unique Selling Position, which should: Establish Your Unique Selling Position, which should: Address how your program is critically important for students. Address the needs of the community, academia, and/or the workforce. What can your program offer that students cannot get anywhere else?

Capture Repeat Customers To Capture Repeat Customers, you might: To Capture Repeat Customers, you might: Focus on the social, physical, emotional, and academic needs of the students. 80% of your business [enrollment in education] comes from existing customers [students] and 20% comes from new customers.

Public Relations and Promotions Within the School The ultimate goal of any PR activity is to win favor and goodwill. The path that a teacher must follow in promoting a program begins with local support. PR efforts should always appeal to the wants and needs of the students as well as the community.

Public Relations and Promotions Within the School Continued “The biggest mistake that a teacher can make is not seeking the support of the community, colleagues, administration, and students.” p. 21

Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations Beyond the School Newspapers, Newsletters, Magazines, Journals, Electronic Newsletters RadioTelevision Sales Promotions Internships with Local Business/Industry Collaborations with Alternative/Higher Education Institutions

Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations Beyond the School Cont’d Kinds of Media Releases News Releases Public Service Announcements Guest Editorial or Public Speeches Broadcast or Print Interviews Photos and Caption Promotions Special Event Promotions Bylined Articles Authorship in Professional Journals

Other Promotional Possibilities Contests Professional Involvement

“The challenge is to demonstrate to the public the unique opportunities your program provides for students.” p. 20

The Process of Promotion 1.Determine the amount of support available from administration and school board. 2.Establish a unique selling position (USP). 3.Get to know media outlets in the community. 4.Make contact with community stakeholders. 5.Investigate educational contests. 6.Join a professional organization and take a leadership position.

Summary: Fitzgerald ”The marketing of your program should always be based on the needs of students first.” p. 19 “Always start your public relations efforts small and always keep your PR efforts positive.” pp

Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind Authors: Al Ries & Jack Trout “Positioning is not what you do to a product... [it] is what you do to the mind of the prospect.” 2001, p. 2

Strategies: Positioning “The basic approach of positioning is... to manipulate what’s already... in the mind. To retie the connections that already exist.” p. 5

Positioning Technology?  Science  Mathematics  Language Arts  Social Studies  Vocational Education  Technology Education?

Positioning Technology?  National Science Education Standards  Benchmarks for Science Literacy  Principles and Standards for School Mathematics  Geography for Life  Standards for the English Language Arts  National Educational Technology Standards for Students  Standards for Technological Literacy?

Positioning Technology?  Standards for Technological Literacy  National Science Education Standards?  Benchmarks for Science Literacy?  Principles and Standards for School Mathematics?  Geography for Life?  Standards for the English Language Arts?  National Educational Technology Standards for Students?

Strategies: Positioning  Vision  Courage  Objectivity  Simplicity  Subtlety  Patience  Global Outlook  “They” Orientation

Strategies The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell “Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do.” p. 7 “The tipping point is the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point.” p. 12

Strategies: The Tipping Point Tipping Point That one dramatic moment in an epidemic when everything can change all at once. p. 9 “The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.” Back Cover

Strategies: The Tipping Point Principles of Epidemics Contagiousness Contagiousness Little Causes Can Have Big Effects Little Causes Can Have Big Effects Changes Happens Not Gradually, But in One Dramatic Moment Changes Happens Not Gradually, But in One Dramatic Moment

Strategies: The Tipping Point Three rules: 1. The Law of Few: Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen A handful of exceptional people can spread the word through social connections, energy, enthusiasm, and personality.

Strategies: The Tipping Point 2. The Stickiness Factor There are specific ways of making a contagious message memorable. 3. The Power of Context Human beings are a lot more sensitive to their environment than they may seem.

The Technology Tipping Point? Who are the connectors, mavens, and salesmen? What will stick? What subsets of the population will be motivated to induce change?

Strategies: PDK “The decisions that advocates seek to influence are those made by policy makers who control or influence education, whether they serve on the local school board or town council, in state or federal government, or in some other institution.” PDK Connection (48)(2), p. 3

Strategies: PDK Tips for written communication in advocacy:  Make your message relevant.  Stay on the topic.  Rely on logic, not volume.  Ask for a response. PDK Connection (48)(2), p. 3

Marketing Basics Who is the audience? What is the message?

Writing About Technology and Technological Literacy Identify audience. Identify message. Use “signposts,” or signals to the reader. Consider structure. Consider word choice. (Meade, 2004, p. 25)

Points to Remember as You Get the Message Out Present the message in the receiver’s self-interest. Be concise, to-the-point, and stimulating. Select spokespersons carefully. Repeat message several times in a variety of formats. (ITEA, 2005, p. 61)

Methods for Getting the Message Out Handouts Presentations at parent/teacher organization meetings ListservsWebsites Student organizations (e.g., TSA, JETS, etc.) Business support Positive newspaper articles Press releases Other media (e.g., television and radio) (ITEA, 2005, p. 61)

Elevator Talk: What do you do? I teach technology education in [middle] [high] school, which deals with the way humans innovate, change, or modify their natural environment.

Elevator Talk: Which conference are you attending? I’m here for the technology education conference. I’m a [state profession] at [state employer]. Have you heard about technological literacy?

Elevator Talk: What is technology? Technology is the innovation, change, or modification of the natural environment to satisfy perceived human needs and wants. In other words, technology is what happens anytime a human invents or innovates something. Think of the wheel, or the printing press, or the computer. But technology isn’t only things. It is important to remember that technology doesn’t happen without human inspiration and action. Think of how a transportation system works, for example.

Elevator Talk: What is technological literacy? A person who is technologically literate knows about technology from a broad perspective and is able to use, manage, evaluate, and understand a wide range of technologies.

Elevator Talk: So you educate students about computers? Technology is much more than computers. It also includes other information and communication systems as well as medicine, agriculture, energy and power, transportation, manufacturing, and construction.

Elevator Talk: Why does my child need to study technology? Because unless your child lives alone on a mountaintop, he or she will have to interact with a world that is becoming more technological. Not only do kids not learn basic technology at home anymore (righty tighty, lefty loosey), but technology is becoming more complicated – think of medicine, or genetically engineered foods.

Elevator Talk: What is technology education? It’s a school subject – the ONLY school subject – that teaches technological literacy. If students have technological literacy, they are equipped with basic knowledge, understanding, and abilities about technology that will help them deal with new technologies they encounter throughout their lives.

Elevator Talk: Why do ALL students need to study technology? Or Why should technology education be a core subject area? Our world is becoming so much more technological so quickly, we need to prepare students with basic knowledge about technology so they can cope with a future we can’t even imagine.

Current Activities Awareness Campaigns For Technology

Invitation Contribute to the ACT website: Practical Suggestions Success Stories Proven Strategies Technology Trivia and Games

Summary Questions & Answers