Becoming “Digital First”

It’s not just for newspapers

I honestly can’t remember how long ago it was — a month, a year, who knows — but I was reading an article about the changing landscape of the newspaper industry and I suddenly realized that I could have substituted “schools” for every instance of “newspapers” and the article would have been just as valid.

Since then, pieces at a time, I have been building on the idea that schools and newspapers alike can discover a new sense of purpose and greater success through technological innovation. This past week I took a big step toward turning this idea into something real; I stepped foot in a newsroom and saw exactly how they turned their operation completely on its head with a “digital first” philosophy — and walked away better off.

The people that I met at the York Daily Record/Sunday News were all highly supportive of efforts to infuse technology into school operations. I was able to sit in on two different meetings to see how various departments were collaborative instead of competitive. I was able to see how “digital first” didn’t necessarily mean getting rid of print entirely, it just meant that the print edition was one of many platforms that the company uses to communicate with readers.

Communication was also improved between newsrooms around the country as they worked together to find new ways to reach out and connect people to important information. In short, they focused all of their efforts on their “three Cs”: curation, creation and community engagement. All of this required a tremendous cultural shift that took many years, but the results were astounding.

I learned some important lessons as I watched all of this — lessons that I believe can be applied in schools that want to be pioneers in the digital era.

First and foremost, implementing the “digital first” philosophy at a school doesn’t mean getting rid of the traditional classroom. Not at all. It does, however, entail a cultural shift toward openness and a willingness to experiment. The traditional classroom model should be one of many platforms that schools use to educate children. Schools should find electronic tools — communication tools, collaboration tools, sharing tools — and use them to make classrooms more engaging while building additional platforms that will support the learning needs of all students. That means that some students might get a purely classroom-based education. Some students will succeed in an online learning environment. Others will use a hybrid model.

Journalism classes could be an excellent starting point for schools that want to adopt “digital first” practices. During my time at YDR I learned that there is a growing disconnect between what journalism students are being taught and what is actually happening in newsrooms. Students who only learn the print side of news are struggling to find jobs. Successful and realistic journalism classes should allow students to utilize tools like Twitter, Facebook, Geofeedia, Pinterest, WordPress and Google Docs to mimic modern newsrooms. These students will leave that class prepared not only for a job in the new media, but for responsible life in an interconnected world.

From an administrative standpoint, “digital first” offers an opportunity to open lines of communication. With careful planning to avoid unintended consequences, schools can use tools like Twitter and Facebook to broadcast information to their stakeholders. Technology can also create connections between schools so that they can share information and best practices that could lead to greater efficiency and savings. Openness and transparency can be fostered as schools use technology to broadcast meetings, blog about daily happenings, and publish information for the public record.

The Daily Record has found immense success and new focus on their mission with the “digital first” model, and it seems evident to me that schools could do the same. The other day I was asked what a school should do to remain successful in these difficult times — the answer could very well lie within how quickly and how smartly they become “digital first.”

As was the case at YDR, schools need to be aware that the change won’t happen overnight. As pioneers these schools must be careful as they tread uncharted educational waters. Clear policies and frameworks for use will take time to develop so that students, teachers, parents and staff know how to use technology safely and responsibly. But given time and support from their communities, our schools can enter a new and exciting era of learning that offers students and parents greater choices and opens the door for greater partnership and collaboration between institutions and their communities.