What do people say about your school?

Forrester Research CEO George Colony makes a case that businesses cannot ignore Web 2.0 in an editorial on News.com. Colony basically says that the days where businesses dictate the message they want people to hear about their company are over. Thanks to the Internet, the world has become more interactive through websites, blogging, wikis, podcasts, and other interactive tools. This old way of thinking can also apply to the way schools wish to give out information. Of course there are schools that do things like allowing parents to view grades online, have e-mail lists of teachers and administrators but is that enough? The main thing that struck me about the Colony's article is how companies and their CEO's are oblivious to what customers are really saying about products. Products such as Kryptonite Locks almost got destroyed because company executives failed to acknowledge what was written in blogs was true about their product being deficient.

Think schools are above all of this? Think again. Here are two websites whose purpose is to gather parent and student opinions about schools and teachers. Greatschools.net rates schools and also allows parents to rate schools. I looked at my schools review and it was not good. Another site, Ratemyteachers.com's purpose is for parents and students to rate and give opinions about teachers in their schools. I recently looked at both sites for my school and the reviews on Greatschools.net was not good and alot of teachers were reviewed on Ratemyteachers.com. I am sure not too many of these teachers know what is being said about them on the Internet.

Again, you may ask so what? Probably some disgruntled parent or student venting about not getting a grade they felt they deserved or some discipline matter so it shouldn't matter. Well remember, as these sites become more popular more people will be writing in them and worse, reading them. A bad review in one of these sites could mean the difference between getting a student who actually do well in your school and parents who could be an assest or having them go to another school. A local newspaper has a very active blog section. One of the topics that gets the most activity is schools. Also, people who are considering moving to the community will get on the blog and ask about the quality of the schools.

Do you know the answer?

Forrester Research CEO George Colony says today's boss can't afford to remain clueless about the burgeoning world of Web 2.0.

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Episode 11 of the Teacher Bytes Podcast is now available. Hear John Woodring report and comment on news and information of interest to teachers.


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Teens Prefer Social Networks Instead of E-Mail

I found this posting on Crunch Gear about an article by Stefanie Olsen of CNET about how teens prefer to communicate with each other by using social network sites such as MySpace and Facebook or text messaging instead of e-mail. In fact according to the teens interviewed for the article they claim that e-mailed is old-fashioned, out-of-date, so last whatever means of communicating with adults who don't get it.

These are not just any teens either. The panel discussion at Mashup 2007 was made up of teen entrepreneurs who are probably making more money than all of us put together. Most of the panelists said they only use e-mail to communicate with adults about business dealings which adults in the business world prefer. A few of the teens don't even use e-mail at all.

Interesting, social networks such as MySpace and Facebook are becoming the preferred method of communication. These sites and others like it have been used by kids for the last few years as a means of expressing themselves to friends and others. Apparently these sites that make many adults, especially educators, nervous have made a transition to cell phones.

Another method of communication teens use is text messaging on cell phones. Text messaging has been the way European and Asian kids communicate for years because of higher talk time costs. Text messaging is so widespread that Scottish schools allowed texting short hand to be used on year-end national exams. Now text messaging has made it to American kids as providers have lowered text messaging costs.

The interesting thing here is this could be a signal of a shift in the way people will communicate with each other in the business world in the coming future. Recent graduates entering the business world took their passion for instant messaging with them to work. What does this have to do with education? We should encourage young people to be responsible when using Internet communications by reminding them anything and I mean anything posted on the Internet can be found at some later date. The recent attempt of blackmailing Miss New Jersey should drive home this lessons since the "incriminating" photos where published somewhere on the Internet and found. Assignments using social networking methods also teach a more practical use of this communication and that you are watching.

Kids say e-mail is, like, soooo dead