Last week’s School CIO Summit began with a challenge. Cara Jones, founder of Storytellers for Good, prompted attendees, 50 or so school district executives from around the country, to play a game of telephone—share their own personal story in two short minutes, listen to each other’s story, then turn to repeat their partner’s story to a new partner. The exercise offered insight into the challenge of storytelling for schools and districts. First, what is your story? How do you turn your good work into a compelling narrative using a language anyone can understand? Often, we’re so caught up in our inside “education speak” that we don’t realize our audience can’t translate our messages—Ask most parents if they want to “disrupt” their child’s education, for example. Next, how do you tell your story? Video can be a powerful tool to do this, but only if the content is compelling (note: a series of talking heads is not compelling). We know students are using digital storytelling tools to create compelling content. What lessons can you take from their work to better tell your school’s story? – Christine Weiser, Executive Editor
