Does Your President Do Web 2.0?

Great blog post from Tim Holt, wondering if Obama's use of Web 2.0 will spur on education leaders - K-12 and college administrators - to begin using Web 2.0. I'm hopeful that a few will begin to and shame their colleagues into joining. I'm not as familiar with superintendents or principals, but I know college presidents are very competitive. I can just imagine a meeting - "I'm posting on my blog; oh you don't have a blog?" I got a great suggestion from a colleague at another school. She suggested that instead of the usual board/leadership retreat focused on strategic planning or some other typical board topic, have a 2-1/2 day retreat focused on Web 2.0. Your administrators (deans, VPs, etc) probably won't learn enough to jump onto YouTube or their own blog, but they'll have a greater understanding and appreciation of these technologies. So, hopefully, the next time a faculty member approaches their dean or VP with an innovative idea they'll get support and encouragement - maybe even a little publicity at the next cabinent or faculty meeting. You can also read an earlier post about Blogging Presidents.

Intended Con sequences

Will They jump on the TEchno wagon now?

Who wants to take a bet?

I bet you, that when Obama takes office in a few weeks, and starts using things like You Tube, or if his inner circle starts to really begin using technology to communicate with the world through web 2.0 that educational leaders all over the country will suddenly be using technology to communicate with the public. Are ya in?

Superintendent Jones will suddenly have a weekly podcast.

Principal Smith will suddenly take a keen interest in starting that blog.

Board member Doe will all of a sudden want the IT department to set her up with that new fangled webcam thing and start Skyping!

Suddenly, the techno-phobic will become tech-literate.

Praise the lord and pass the Macbook!

Place your bets.

I'm hoping he's right. I'd love to see my college president and other college presidents writing a blog or communicating via a weekly or monthly YouTube address. And I love this comment from David Robinson - emphasis is mine!

Don't hold your breath.
This is something like old dogs and new tricks.
My super, who came from the old school, thinks technology integration is turning on the lights each day in his office!

If he started blogging, it would be his secretary writing it for him, or having one of us do it for him.