County Superintendent of SchoolsToday we were invited to present at a technology summit for educational leaders from the Maricopa County Educational Service Agency. Maricopa county superintendent of schools, Dr. Don Covey, hosted the event.Internet and Social Media FactsAccording to the PEW Research Center, 73% of teens use social media regularly compared to less then 30% of adults over the age of 30. And while 93% of teens use the Internet regularly, 46% of Latinos and 51% of African American students access the internet via mobile devices.What does this all mean? It means that students are more connected and mobile then ever before. And if we want to connect with students and remain relevant, we need to get connected too!5 Big Ideas in Social Media

1. Acceptable use policy - update your policy annually because social media and technology changes at such a rapid page.
2. Leverage student owned mobile technology - instead of banning phones and tablets, support students who bring these tools to school to complement your tech resources and make your resources go further.
3. Monitor your web presence and social media channels - these are the new digital front doors to your school. Just as you don't leave your physical doors open and unlocked 24/7, you need to know what is going in and out of your digital doors.
4. Embrace digital Professional Learning Communities (PLC) - encourage educators and staff to use social and professional networks to complement the professional development training you provide at school. Learning does not need to only occur face-to-face.
5. Be strategic and systemic if you want tech implementation to impact student achievement. Smart systems change not only requires political support, visibility, and funding, but also training, coaching and evaluation capacity if the change is going to be sustainable and scalable. Technology does not improve student learning, technology implementation does!

Koi Education is an expert in implementation fidelity and school-wide systems change. Contact us and ask how we can help your district get the most of our your technology implementation initiatives.