Technology Is Not Always Best!

I fear my age is showing when I talk negatively about the use of technology for CTSOs, but here it goes, friends. There is a tremendous body of research about how this generation is losing soft skills, including the ability to appropriately socialize with their peers and in the workplace, as a result of an over-reliance on technology. I see it every day in school—kids who would rather put their heads into their phones than chat with the kid sitting next to them. My favorite is when kids are texting each other, even though they are both RIGHT THERE and could have the conversation aloud. 

So, I do offer a caution when using technology in your CTSOs. It is important—not just for competition but for real life—that students interact with each other at every opportunity, so we try to strike a balance during our meetings of tech and live interactions. Let’s talk about how to effectively use—but not reliance on—technology in CTSOs.

Meet Them At Their Level

We can’t just eschew technology when we are working with today’s youth. It is their preferred medium for communication and relationship-building. The fact that we don’t agree with that philosophically does not make it untrue. That is why I encourage the use of technology, but keep an eye out for the overuse of technology. Our most important goal is to prepare students for the future—and their professional future absolutely includes technology. What they don’t understand is you can’t get to that future without some of the soft skills that technology is stealing from them.

The best time of the school day for us to work on those soft skills is actually during our after school meetings! This is yet another reason clubs and activities should be an integral part of every students’ high school experience. We want them to come to our meetings for their own benefit.

Our goal is to make our meetings so interesting and engaging that we can use technology for CTSOs to our ADVANTAGE, but not LOSE each student’s attention to their device.

Organization Is Key

We’ve talked many times about the importance of being organized to run an efficient and successful organization in school. It is exactly like lesson planning (but don’t tell the kids that!), in that a strong, well-designed lesson will hold the kids’ attention all period and you will minimize behaviors that stem from boredom or inattention. That is why my leadership team meets a week before every meeting to go over the entire plan for that day. They have an outline for each meeting, and then they build out the activities and discussions so they are interactive and inclusive.

One of the things we have our team do during meetings also helps minimize kids being on their phones inappropriately. We station an officer in each part of the room. Their job is to facilitate the activities, and keep the kids in their section of the room engaged. Literally, just by having an officer near the students, the kids are much less likely to start playing on their phones, and they stay more engaged in the meeting itself. 

Building A Brand

That is the best example I have of the proper use of technology in a CTSO. We branded ourselves as a professional business organization in a way that is enticing to students. As the advisor, I’m not particularly interested in the “Question of the Day” or the pictures from lunch, but students enjoy that type of interactivity, and it helps build our membership and engagement. 

A big part of our organization is our brand. We have worked very hard to build a reputation for hard work and hard fun at every meeting. We support our brand online, by having a variety of platforms that we keep current and post messages on a regular basis. By keeping our brand in the minds of our members, it gives them a “safe space” to scroll during our meetings. They can use the phone to interact with other people in the meeting, to participate in activities and events going on live in front of them, and they use it as a private, and very safe, social network. 

Things To Digitize

Technology is absolutely wonderful to help keep your CTSO organized. We have digitized many aspects of the group, which has been extremely helpful—particularly for students who can’t attend meetings due to work or other commitments. Obviously, we digitize the sign in for each meeting, to keep track of who is participating. But going further, we use technology to inform our members about everything from community service activities, to signing up for their roommates at the state conference. To support our overarching goal that our members be active in multiple clubs, we even post things other groups, or Student Council, is doing on campus, so they can become involved. 

We have seen how much going digital has done to increase our audience and our membership numbers, so we continue to expand what we post for our group. When you reach the point that members are looking to your websites and platforms for information outside of your CTSO, you know you have become an important source of information on your campus. 

Things NOT To Digitize

We have found digitization crucial for members who can’t always attend meetings, but we also recognize that technology needs to be limited.

We:

• Use very, very little technology for CTSOs and the meetings
• Use our face-to-face time to improve soft skills
• Go back to basics – literally learning how to introduce oneself, for example

In person allows us to work on eye contact, body language, and how to speak in a professional manner to others. All of our activities in meetings are technology-free on purpose. We play games and try to get all members active and moving during our meetings, because they have just spent the entire day sitting at desks using computers! This is the time to break that mold, and just let them be kids. 

Who’s Doing What?

Creating and maintaining your brand on technology is a big, unending job.

You need a person whose sole position is to maintain and update your technology platforms. We have an amazing Vice President of Media this year, and she is already doing a fantastic job keeping our organization up to date and informed about activities, meetings and events. Some years this position is not as well-represented, and it really shows.

My key point: Someone needs to be in charge.

She can delegate different people to do different things on our platforms, but you need a Captain on that ship—someone who is reliable and extremely comfortable with technology. 

Continuity Is Key

Some years, I have to watch our brand and platforms like a hawk, to make sure things are being posted and updated regularly, and that nothing inappropriate gets through the filters. That is my job as the Adviser. This goes back to your legacy, and the continuity of your organization. Your Social Media person should be trained by the previous Vice President whenever possible, so things move seamlessly from one year to the next. 

Using technology in your organization is not a choice—it is an absolute necessity so you can maintain the engagement you are striving for. Recruiting a Vice President is an important step, but never minimize your position in maintaining your brand. Be sure that there is adequate oversight in your presence online, so that all students feel welcome.

So go ahead…post that slightly embarrassing picture of you from the National Conference last summer…the kids will absolutely love it!

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR

Wow, thank you for reading about technology for CTSOs!

Hey, since you’re here! You may as well check out reflecting to move forward, here, and the many lessons from the 4th of July, here! Check out our other topics here! Either way, I appreciate you!

Please leave a COMMENT about any tips you may have!! Or comment what your favorite lesson of mine was! How’s your student organization operating? What are your freshman orientation tips?

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