In my preparation for this essay I’m finding that many of my
thoughts on digital leadership are starting to blur together, so if I repeat
myself, I apologize. The first piece that I really took away from this text was
the initial writings on generational differences. I specifically enjoyed the
comparison of thought processes and the best ways to connect with each
generation. Before reading this chapter I hadn’t thought about how inundated we
are with new stories every day, and when looking forward to leading schools,
our parents will expect to be updated not daily or weekly but hourly or even
less when events are unfolding. I also thought the idea of generations today
wanting choice in their educational options for not only themselves but their
kids was insightful. I was then left wondering how do we provide this aspect of
choice while still working within the confines of district, state, and federal
regulations?
In the Facebook 101 chapter I was really interested in the
logistical aspects of running a Facebook page for your school or group. As I’ve
talked about before, I intend to create an orchestra Facebook page and use it
to reach our students, parents, and community. I thought the insight of
creating a page as opposed to a group was helpful, it provided much more
privacy options along with better management options.
One of the major areas of concern in creating a Facebook
page for a school group is the damage that can be done from one comment or
post. I thought this book did a nice job of explaining different philosophies
of restriction on pages. I particularly liked the less restrictive approach,
that lets your members come to your defense when negative things are said.
Ultimately, I think a balance of a restrictive approach and a less restrictive
approach will need to be found.
In the chapter about Twitter, the piece I found most beneficial
was the section highlighting good tweets versus bad tweets. This reminded me of
the “hooks” I hear on the radio all the time that keep you listening through
the commercials. I have already started experimenting with different ways to
create “click-bait” with my posts. I’m sure as I continue to practice this, I
will find some strategies more effective than others but my guess would be that
a good blend is necessary.
Finally, I will be adjusting my utilization of blogs. Prior
to reading this book and taking this class, I had viewed blogs as a vessel for
people to rant about various topics. However, after reading this book and after
the work that we have done in class, I have found huge value in blogs’ ability
to share new ideas. I am truly dedicated to having a set time to search blogs
to stay current on what is happening in education. All in all I thought it was
a good book that provided some excellent strategies for utilizing social media
today.
Hans, good luck with your Facebook page. I think the most important thing to do, from my experience, is get your kids connected and get them in the habit of liking and or sharing your posts/updates- this helps prevent students and parents from missing posts. I also think that, providing you have their consent, that you put pictures of students at performances on the page- parents take pride in that, as do the students!
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