Potential Policy Changes for Part C
Social media can be used to help individuals and organizations to affect change, to influence policies and to stay informed.
Social media can be used to help individuals and organizations to affect change, to influence policies and to stay informed.
Staying Informed
It is important to be aware of current policies. Many federal and state programs maintain websites. These websites can keep you informed about the current policies and proposed policy changes. For instance, the US Department of Education hosts a website about Part C of IDEA. The US Department of Education also funds technical assistance centers that share information, like NECTAC. It is a good idea to subscribe to email lists run by your state programs. The New York State Department of Health has a subscriber list, some localities, like the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, has an RSS feed. You can also create your own google alert to let you know when something new is added to the internet.
It is important to be aware of current policies. Many federal and state programs maintain websites. These websites can keep you informed about the current policies and proposed policy changes. For instance, the US Department of Education hosts a website about Part C of IDEA. The US Department of Education also funds technical assistance centers that share information, like NECTAC. It is a good idea to subscribe to email lists run by your state programs. The New York State Department of Health has a subscriber list, some localities, like the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, has an RSS feed. You can also create your own google alert to let you know when something new is added to the internet.
Keeping Families and Friends Informed
Now that you are informed, you can keep professionals in the field and the families you serve informed. You can use facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, a blog and/or your website, to keep your colleagues and the families you serve informed. I will talk more about how to use specific social media platforms in other posts.
Now that you are informed, you can keep professionals in the field and the families you serve informed. You can use facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, a blog and/or your website, to keep your colleagues and the families you serve informed. I will talk more about how to use specific social media platforms in other posts.
Sharing Information About Potential Impacts
It is not enough to know what is happening, you must also share what you think about it. You can write a quick sentence or two, a paragraph or a few paragraphs. You can include links to other sites to so that your readers can find more information. However, what your visitors will want to know is what you think about the potential impacts. Remember that authenticity is important. You build trust with authenticity. Are your posts simply to promote yourself? Or are they to inform and engage your audience?
It is not enough to know what is happening, you must also share what you think about it. You can write a quick sentence or two, a paragraph or a few paragraphs. You can include links to other sites to so that your readers can find more information. However, what your visitors will want to know is what you think about the potential impacts. Remember that authenticity is important. You build trust with authenticity. Are your posts simply to promote yourself? Or are they to inform and engage your audience?
Getting People to Take Action
Informing may only be the first step in a campaign of advocacy. You can use social media to organize and mobilize the field to impact potential policy changes. It may be necessary to identify a specific action. For example, you may want to encourage people to attend a hearing, or watch a webcast of a public meeting or write to policymakers.
Now its Your Turn
What social media do you use to engage and inform? What methods do you use? What have you found successful? Where have you hit snags?
Informing may only be the first step in a campaign of advocacy. You can use social media to organize and mobilize the field to impact potential policy changes. It may be necessary to identify a specific action. For example, you may want to encourage people to attend a hearing, or watch a webcast of a public meeting or write to policymakers.
Now its Your Turn
What social media do you use to engage and inform? What methods do you use? What have you found successful? Where have you hit snags?
I have used Yahoogroups to keep people informed, but I find that it is hard to get people to sign up or stay engaged with the list. What suggestions do you have?
ReplyDeleteI think there is still a place for Yahoogroups. However, I have also seen as groups have migrated to Ning!, LinkedIn and Facebook. Each have their place and it is a matter of testing them out and deciding where you want to devote your time.
ReplyDelete