Recently, this post was shared with me on Twitter:
It’s a very good look at the need to communicate and respond in many ways to all the stakeholders in the school community.
I would add another item to the list: Blogging
Why should education administrators blog? For the same reasons we want teachers and students to blog.
#1: Make Learning Visible
Through blogging, educational administrators at all levels make their thinking visible to their team. Learning is shared and open. Conversations about learning become widely shared and asynchronous. Anyone can join in. Learning is enhanced for everyone who participates. Introverts who may feel uncomfortable having a conversation with an educational leader face to face, can carefully consider their comments and share them in a way that makes them comfortable.
#2: Encourage Others to Make Learning Visible
When administrators share their learning, they model the practice of making thinking visible, encouraging all members of the school community to do the same. They show that risk-taking is valued, that failing is a catalyst for learning, and that learning is important for everyone in the school environment.
#3: Share the Learning
How often do we hear that Principals are out of the building too often, and that Supervisory Officers are never in the school? Blogging allows administrators to share their learning with others. It is a built-in accountability that their time away is well spent and that the learning can be used to build capacity in the entire system. What personal professional learning are you currently engaged in? What books are you reading? Share your learning with your school community and your PLN. Model personal professional growth while encouraging your staff to do the same.
#4. Organize Your Thinking
A teacher who recently started blogging was preparing for a position of added responsibility this year, and she remarked at how easy it was to organize her thinking. It was already organized on her blog! Education Administrators who are called on to make presentations have easy access to the material they may need as they have already presented their thinking and learning in their blog.
#5. Connect With Other School Leaders
By following the blogs of school leaders around the world, you can engage in conversations and learn from their learning. Be a part of the Professional Learning Network that believes in sharing, in challenging thinking, and in making thinking visible to all.
