Jim McGee raises some interesting points about knowledge management that I think relate to schools very appropriately.
Craft workers exist to share the fruits of their creating. A true knowledge craft product embodies something of the soul and personality of its creator. You share it with others not so they can copy it but so that they can find inspiration in using it in their own craft. Weblogs hold so much promise in the organizational realm precisely because they amplify this connection between craft and creator. Your record is there to be seen and to be shared.
It’s an interesting line of thought, one that makes me see some very interesting potentials in schools. In the grand vision, the Web log becomes the school portfolio. It’s informative, and its main goal is to share knowledge about the school, but it’s also a collection of selected best practices of craft and thinking. It could be a place where teachers and community members and parents and others have a collective space to share and develop ideas. And in a community like ours in which most have access, the whole idea of using syndication to push content and in turn increase involvement just increases the possibilities.
The big question of course is whether or not schools really want community. Do we really want to share what we do inside the classroom with the outside world? Like our student writers, that’s a scary proposition. It’s potentially more hassle and means greater accountability. And more work. As always, a lot to think about.
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