Listen Up: Social Media Makes It Easy

Listen Up: Social Media Makes It Easy - "Community conversations are being held on the Web with or without school leaders’ knowledge. Listening is nothing less than a survival skill for school leaders in an information society where knowledge and opinions are tested in cyberspace. In the wild west of the Web, talking is easy, public, and sometimes NOT DONE WITH AN INSIDE VOICE. Let’s be honest, our mothers were right: we were given two ears and only one mouth for a reason. We could all learn more by listening, really listening. But pressure on modern school leaders leaves them reluctant to add listening to an expanding pile of responsibilities. In many communities, listening to our stakeholders has never been easier. Social media channels (blogs, listservs, message boards) broadcast real community conversations in real time. They provide a valuable asset to a leader trying to understand what a community values, where the gaps in parents’ knowledge of school affairs lie, and how both critics and supporters talk when the filters are off."