Several years ago I happened upon a Kickstarter campaign for a company seeking support for what they called a “Brand Deck.” I supported the campaign, received my Brand Deck, and have used it several times – most recently with my team at the beginning of the year to help define our departmental identity and set goals.
A few months ago I came across another Kickstarter campaign for a company seeking support for their newest project, “What’s Worth Doing: Cards for Your Next Step.” It looked intriguing and sort of resonated with me, like the Brand Deck did, so I decided to pledge my support of the project and secure an advanced order.
My “What’s Worth Doing” cards came in last week and I was SO EXCITED to dive in. I took pictures as I opened the package and tried the sorting activity so I could share the experience, in some way, with you! They also have a nice video explanation on their Kickstarter page here. I think I could do this exercise a dozen times, and at different points in my life/career, and come up with new and different ideas to shake things up.
Many of us have had to pivot in these last few weeks to learn new ways to do our jobs, find creative solutions to problems, and innovate with others in a space we never dreamed we’d be in. I am excited to keep exploring how “What’s Worth Doing” might help me break out of my traditional boxes to find new and exciting ways to adapt to these changing, and challenging, times!
Over the last couple of weeks, several of my school PR friends have reached out to get more information or ask questions about the master’s degree I recently earned from Texas Tech University. In December, I earned a Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Innovation from TTU and I cannot say enough good things about this program. I would go back and do it again in a heartbeat and here are 5 reasons why:
Although the work was challenging, the workload was realistic for a working professional. I have a full-time school PR job and two boys under the age of 10 and managing it all was totally doable. Admittedly, there were some late nights and more than a few weekends, but that should be expected in any post-graduate program.
Each professor provided relevant and thoughtful content, timely feedback, and meaningful projects. I am MOST impressed with the faculty at TTU. They truly took the time to get to know me and I felt a connection with each one of them. There were several video chat opportunities that I took advantage of and I really think that contributed to my personalized learning experience.
Each discussion board was rich with diversity, as I was one of the only school PR pros in the cohort. In the beginning, I was intimidated that I did not have a communications background; however, I soon realized that we can learn A LOT from our industry friends, and vice versa! I loved digesting the varied approaches to communication situations that were presented.
Each course offered me new insight into how to approach strategic communications. Without a doubt, 100% of the content presented throughout this program could be applied to my work in school PR! One of these days I am going to post “42 lessons this 42 year old graduate student learned about communications and school PR” to share it all with you! 🙂
This is a fully online, non-thesis program. The TTU program is 100% online and does not require a thesis. Instead, you will complete an applied project, which is SO MUCH MORE fulfilling. I chose to do my project on brain science and bond election visuals. It was FASCINATING and incredibly applicable to my field.
If you have any other questions or would like to know more about my experience, please feel free to reach out. I am happy to share! I am also attaching my degree plan and the program handbook that might give you some more information about the content and pacing. As we say in Red Raider country, “Wreck ‘Em!”
On Friday, twenty years minus four days after graduating from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, I walked that stage again to earn a Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Innovation. It was a joyous night with my whole family in attendance and I am sure my parents are glad they didn’t foot the bill this time! A special thanks to my sister who helped with my school bond election research and to my husband for allowing me to cut into our family time (and funds!) to do this thing … again.
The Rambo Family, Texas Tech University, 1999
The most special family members in attendance were my children. They were really too young to understand the gravity of what I was doing when I earned my first master’s degree, but they were fully engaged in the process this time. They saw me work hard, they supported me when I had to do homework (sometimes bringing me drinks and snacks and hugs), and they were patient and understanding when I was largely unavailable during the evenings and on weekends. I walked the stage for them, so they could experience the celebration of completing a postgraduate degree and reaching a goal. I hope I get to see them do the same one day.
The Johnston Family, Texas Tech University, 2019
I cannot say enough good things about this program. Each course offered me new insight into how to approach strategic communications. Each discussion board was rich with diversity, as I was one of the only school PR pros in the cohort (we can learn A LOT from our industry friends, and vice versa!). Each professor provided relevant and thoughtful content, timely feedback, and meaningful projects. The work was challenging and sometimes frustrating, but oh so rewarding!
I must admit, I am a big ol’ NERD and I love to learn. There was a time when I thought I’d pursue a doctorate and the hooding of the doctoral graduates Friday night made my heart pitter-patter; however, I solemnly swear I will not go back to school ever again. 🙂 My next goal is to earn my APR. Until then, I am excited to be continuing my work TTU professor of public relations Dr. Paul Bolls. Dr. Bolls taught the first course I took for this program, Neuromarketing for Professionals, and was also my final project advisor. He completely hooked me with his course on neuromarketing and brain science and then coached me through an exciting content analysis of school bond election materials. Dr. Bolls directs Media Mind Insights, an academic Neuromarketing research group at TTU, and we feel like there is more work to be done in the area of brain science and school bond elections.
Dr. Bolls and Me
If you’re considering a graduate program in communications, I HIGHLY recommend the online master’s program in strategic communication & innovation from Texas Tech University. I did a lot of research when I was thinking about earning a degree in communications and the coursework for this program was just fascinating. I can tell you with absolute certainty that I got my money’s worth! Feel free to reach out if you want additional thoughts or have questions. Happy to share!
Wishing you all a safe, restful and UNEVENTFUL school PR holiday season! Wreck ‘em!
Late last year I learned of the concept of a social media “student takeover” and immediately wanted to try it with Brenham ISD! I passed the idea by my BHS student communications intern who was all in to give it a go. We decided to use Instagram Stories, an area I was not fully utilizing, in hopes of branching out and growing our Instagram following. I shared a Google Doc with my intern and we planned some ideas for posts throughout the day. He did a WONDERFUL job and I loved showcasing a student voice on our Instagram channel to add a new flavor to our posts!
Entering into the new school year, I was eager to jump in and try another student takeover. A local welding contest presented a perfect opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at our students at work. I reached out to our FFA president to see if she’d like to give a sneak peek of our CTE students at the competition and she was excited to participate. This time I used some specific guidelines to help guide the posts throughout the day and it was a HUGE success!
A week later, I contacted our district’s head athletic trainer to see if she had a student athletic trainer that might be interested in participating in a student takeover day. I was thrilled when the offer was accepted and we were able to highlight the work of our SATs from the sidelines of a Friday night game. One of my favorite parts of that takeover was a time-lapse of a pre-game taping session with our student-athletes. It was so unique and an idea I never would have thought of!
If you’re considering a student takeover, I SAY JUST DO IT! It has been such a rewarding experience for me and for our students. It’s also a great opportunity to give historically underrepresented student groups a voice, or showcase learning that goes on outside of the regular school day!
Here are a few tips to help ensure a successful student takeover:
CHOOSE WISELY! With this wonderful opportunity comes great responsibility for your students. Do your homework and choose students who will represent your brand well and who understand the power of their posts.
Set clear expectations. Check out the Brenham ISD Guidelines for Instagram Stories Student Takeover for ideas. Don’t make your students guess what it is you want from them.
Let your students post in their own voice. As school PR pros, we do a great job of posting information that adults are interested in. Let your students add their own unique flavor to engage your younger student audience!
Use all the bells and whistles. Encourage your students to use all of the Instagram Stories features like Boomerang, Superzoom, gifs, stickers, etc. Even if you’re not comfortable with those features, your students likely are!
As Elsa says, LET IT GOOOO! You’ll enjoy your student takeover more if you let go of technical expectations and hopes for perfection. It’s ok if you notice a slight error (or a less formal tone) in a student post!
I am a nerd. I love to learn and I love to go to school. I have a Master of Education in Instructional Leadership from Sam Houston State University and I just started my last semester to complete a Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Innovation from Texas Tech University. My husband {lovingly} calls me a nerd and I wear that label proudly (although I have promised him that I will NOT get another degree!).
I also love books. I love to read and make connections between what the authors are proposing and how I live my life or do my job. Being relatively new to school PR, I challenged myself 14 months ago to earn this degree to become a better, more informed resource for my district. The books below are all of the texts I have read as part of the TTU MCOM master’s program. Some made me scratch my head and others made my head spin, but they all challenged my way of thinking about school PR.
What are your favorite communications and public relations books?
Also, be sure to check out my new favorite podcast, School PR Happy Hour! Big high five to my school PR pals Justin Dearing and Erin McCann for this new project, and thank you for letting me be a part of it!
School PR 365 