Community Engagement and Key Work

Key Work--Collaboration and Community Engagement

View more presentations or Upload your own.

Mass Personalization

Lately, I have been asking school board members why kindergarteners and high school seniors need to attend school for the same number of days and minutes?  Further pushing the concept of mass personalization, why must the public education system be the only place you can get credit for learning?  This KnowledgeWorks blog posting challenges the notion of place-based education.

Today, many school boards are under pressure about budgets and are often chided to make better use of their financial resources.  How might mass personalization help with the budget crunch?

So, what is TED?

From time-to-time I mention TED Talks and suggest that school boards schedule a work session to view a talk and then discuss how the ideas in the talk are impacting public education.

People then ask, what is a "TED Talk?" Here a link that explains: How TED Connects the Idea-Hungry Elite.

I know that after I watch a TED Talk, I feel jazzed about things that are happening in the world, and usually want to share with everyone I know.

Good stuff!

The Conversation Prism

The Conversation Prism by Brian Solis and Jesse Thomas

At the WASB Presidents/Leadership Conference a few weeks ago, a board member commented that she didn't get social media. I explained that all it is really is a simple way to connect with other people using some kind of technology. It provides a way for us to transcend time and space. It opens up the way people can communicate with each other.

It is not a passing fad. It is not something for the young people (although many times they seem to get it faster). For folks who are intimidated by social media, I like to point out that the telephone is a social media tool. You talk with someone who is not in the proximity of your voice. Today, there are many more options.

Today's social media reside on the internet and a physical tool like a computer or smart phone connects you to these media. AND, you are not limited to audio expression. You can post pictures and documents. Videos. Music. Furthermore, you do not have to be "on the phone" at the same time. You post content that others can access when it is convenient for them.

Many of these tools can help you plan and execute community engagement events in your district.

For now, I will let you be with the prism. I will talk about it more in the weeks ahead.

I would like to end by thanking my friend, Brad Saron, superintendent from the Cashton, Wisconsin school district for alerting me to the prism.