The communication plan will first and foremost encompass the development of a class website. A website will make it easy for the instructor to effortlessly and in a very timely manner communicate with students. It will also be useful in disseminating useful information to students as well as getting to hear their concerns. In addition, external persons who may wish to get information about the class can simply do so by accessing the class website. The plan will also advocate for the use student websites which will be particularly important in facilitating the exchange of ideas between students as well as provide an organized forum for students to interact with the global community. In addition to class and student websites, the communication plan will also make provision for the use of email. To that extent, there will be a list of all the email addresses of the concerned stakeholders. Important notices to parents can be sent through email while in the school set up; students can use email to enhance their interaction with the instructor.
The communication plan would also encompass an emergency communication list. The list will contain the names and details of all students. In addition, it will also contain the details of the relevant service providers to contact in case of any emergency. The emergency communication list will also contain some brief instructions on what one can do in case of an emergency. Apart from the use of technology, principally through computers and the internet to enhance communication, the communication plan will also provide for the use of alternative forms of communication. This will include an emphasis on effective oral communication which will be aimed at ensuring that all concerned persons are able to communicate effectively and clearly. The communication plan will also provide for the effective use of mobile phones to enhance communication.
The communication plan will also focus on critical communication links. It would be foolhardy to have the best technology for communication yet the communication links are poor. This will be an area of special emphasis as it will be important to ensure that there are strong communication links between all the parties involved, right from the parents, students, the immediate community and the global community. Effective communication can only be attained when proper communication links have been put in place.
Use of VOIP will come in handy when students want to exchange ideas with members of the global community. While this can also be achieved through other forms such as email, the advantage of VOIP is that students will be able to get immediate feedback and have a much better real-time interaction.
The communication plan will also make provision for partnerships with others schools. This is principally aimed at enabling students to build networks as well as enhance their learning experience by enabling them to know what other students in other schools are doing. Tied to this, the plan will also advocate for e-pals where students will be encouraged to make use of the internet and have e-pals from others parts of the world with whom they can exchange ideas and share experiences. Internet safety and security will be a key cog in this plan. To ensure this is attained, the plan will seek to educate all its intended users on responsible and safe use of the internet. It will also contain some basic training on internet security encompassing the use of such tools as antivirus programs among others. Students will also be trained on such emerging issues as cyber bulling and how to deal with it. Lastly, the plan will provide for personnel who will be specifically charged with ensuring the safety of all the systems used in the communication plan.
References
Boin, A., & Hart, P. (2010). Organizing for Effective Emergency Management:Lesssons from Research. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 357-371.
Lin, C.-C., Ma, Z., & Li, R. C.-P. (2011). Re-examining the Critical Success Factors of e-learining from the EU Perspective. International Journal of Management in Education, 44-62.
Rouke, J. S. (2009). Effective Communication. London: Dorling Kindersley Limited.
