Category Archives: Reflection

Social is not social

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*When is Social not Social, when it is marketing. The buzz word of the last several years is Social, everyone wants to be social. But we need to think about the meaning of the word social and how it is used in the modern context compared to the more traditional meaning.

Social has been define traditionally as a gathering as a noun or relating to society. We may discuss socializing children or person to help them integrate with society better. When these statements are made do we mean that we want them to use Facebook or Twitter? No, we want them to have a deeper understanding of the nuances of human interaction and how to effectively participate in those interactions. This definition or idea is not how social is being used today.

We evoke the term social we are referring to social networking, which in many ways could be called “social marketing.” But as a society we fail to truly see this underlying doctrine and instead strive to make all parts of our like more “social.” Business attempt to do this by setting up Facebook pages and assigning someone to tweet for them. Education is frantically seeking was to make the learning process more social. In a society where we as a public have become so aware of marketing and even thick skinned do we fall for this notion that social networking is always a good thing… A must have to succeed?

Business have embraced social networking full force and rightfully so because it is marketing. Let me pick on Facebook. It is a a self proclaimed social network, but more accurately it could be defined as a marketing platform. By creating emotional ties and an emotional environment, we are primed for a marketing message. Brain and educational research has found when we are in a heightened emotional state we are more aware and more likely to remember. So throw in some gaming, family photos, and the political rant that your elitist uncle posted and I would venture to guess that we are quite often hitting that heightened emotional state which help all those ads sink in to our subconscious. But to make matter worse we contribute by posting “Likes” of all our favorite businesses to our friend and families as free and willing agent of a profit centric venture. We do not receive any compensation, except maybe sometime the promise of being a contest winner or a little something extra for our virtual farm. Businesses embrace this marketing platform for obvious reasons but why do people buy into it so readily without question.

Education is a different situation entirely. Educators have been seeking ways to make education more social because “that is where the students are.” This to me is a straw-man argument because educators have not sought to inject education into the social lives of students previously. Why now? Because it seems enticing, a way to get instant engagement and make learning a social thing. The issue here is that teachers need to work on pedagogy if they need more engagement to their lessons. And to make learning social may be a good goal, but let’s use the phrase collaborate instead. When students find ways to work together in a productive way for a purpose the are learning to collaborate and it will serve them well in the future. But for students to be social while they are trying to learn, that is a different mentality. Social implies a casual exchange where as collaboration implies a coordinated effort for a purpose.

I think we need to chose our words wisely and be aware of things for what they are not what they claim. There is nothing wrong with social networking as long as we are informed consumers.

The business of education

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Over the last few year the economy has struggled, which has caused us as a society to review our spending habits, especially when it comes to public dollars. Tax rolls have shrunk and some hard decisions need to be made. How to we balance government budgets? Tax increases or drastic budget cuts? As one of the biggest items on the governmental balance sheet, education is often a focus for serious financial reform.

Financial reform is driving a deep review of education beyond the dollars involved. Because the curriculum is so tied to the dollars, many are calling for a new leaner, streamline educational system that will cost less and perform better. With several years of standardized testing on the books now the “underperforming” schools are identifiable and action is required. School budgets have been cut incrementally for years and now greater cuts are being called for to mend our dollar deficiency. What is the solution? Run schools like a business! (this is also being pushed in government as well and it is wrong for the same reasons) School are not a business and using this mentality to drive change in education will harm not only our educational system but our society.

The core goal of a business is to make a profit… an economic engine, without this it is something else. While some businesses may start out with other motivations, it will have to make money to continue. So, business is driven by the dollar. When we think about education many would portray a mismanaged financial mess and that is likely the case in some instances, but not all. Applying business practices may seem the logical chose to correct the financial imbalance. But the reason many schools are struggling is because they are asked to do more with less, and not because they have squandered their “profits.” Where businesses strive to profit, schools are striving to strengthen our society by enriching our community through the enlightenment of our children.

Schools are not in the business of financial profit, they are the necessary function of our society. Without a strong educational system our nation fails to compete in the new global market. Our population is facing a global challenges, the US does not exist in a bubble we need to have a productive population. Schools can instill creativity, knowledge, and critical thinking skills into our students to create a productive population that can adapt to change. How to we completely measure these skills and at what point is there a profit. Schools should not have an open checkbook, but they should be financed in an appropriate manner that reduces barriers to the educational process. Most schools are in the “business” of educating but there are a some that strive for profit.

The for-profit schools like the University of Phoenix and some of the K-12 charter schools exist to make a profit. While they may tout “customer service” this is a conflict of interests between educating their customers and producing a profit for share holders. Who takes priority? It would seem the share holders are the priority with all the inquires in to the practices of the for-profit schools. Poor recruiting practices and employment outlook for expensive degrees are among the questionable aspects of these schools. This issues seem to be directly a result of running an educational institution like a business.

I could go on but keep in mind… business is business and not education, lets not confuse the two.

Life’s Lottery

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We sometimes find ourselves in a position of waiting for forces outside ourselves to open the door to opportunities that we have for which we have applied. These events can have life altering results as they play a major role into shaping our station, family, and happiness. These events can place us in a state of flux while awaiting resolution and this can, to say the least be stressful. This tension comes from the loss of control, from not being the master of the decisions that shape our lives. This does not mean that we have lost control but that we bear the burden of one of life’s major events on the verge of unfolding.

We can put many hopes and dreams into these changes that might happen. We think about the benefits of change and maybe even lament the loss of the status quo. The thought that life may be derailed into another direction can be as attractive as winning the lottery. When we purchase a lottery ticket and ponder the thought of winning, it not just the money that we covet. The freedom that can be attained when we are unburdened from life distractions and the new possibilities, that are now open for exploration, become very seductive.

But what if you have a lottery ticket with good odds but have know idea when the drawing will take place. In the beginning you are excited and enthusiastic but as time progress that enthusiasm can be met with doubt. The trick is to quarantine that doubt to the situation and not yourself. Doubting ones self in these times serves no positive role. Beyond the doubt is still remains hope for the most positive result but we need to remind ourselves that life is funny, as it never can live up to the utopia that we can conjure in our minds.

Either way we need to make the best of the results that life provides. As much as we can imagine the benefits of winning the lottery, I have heard many a story that it is not always a blessing. Many times the blessing is what we currently possess, regardless of any changes that might result from any major life event.

So, for now my situation dictates that I continue to wait for the drawing hoping for the best regardless of the result. Maybe it’s time to buy a real lottery ticket, I know when that drawing will happen.