Education Rebel @ Work

I’ve been very open that as a recruitment consultant, I find as many people on Facebook as LinkedIn and sometimes more because Facebook is definitely more about networks. 

Key advice from the infographic-

Update your network on your job search via Status Updates. When your Facebook friend is out drinking and someone at the table mentions she is stressed because she can’t find anyone good for a new position, you’ll be in your friend’s subconscience, ultimately leading to a connection when everyone is sober.

Don’t assume an employer won’t see your profile. I know of a jobseeker who had a locked-down profile… but one of his Facebook friends showed a recent interviewer something controversial he had posted on the platform anyway. He was summarily rejected.  

The advice in Target Practice is the piece you should heed the most. 

Great road map for anyone who wants to make a change in how they’re perceived in the professional world. 

I think Twitter gets the shaft on this infographic, no? It’s by far my favorite social network. I’m trying to get into Google+, but it’s just community overload. There is truth to you can only know so many people. Sigh. 

“My response is generally that our online behavior is generally an extension of our in life behavior and that social media doesn’t change that, rather it offers new ways to connect.”

The Innovative Educator

From Gawker: Evidence that Humans Are Sickeningly Addicted to the Internet

“Here’s a collage of the depressing quotes from 1,000 students around the world who were asked to quit the internet and all media for a day as part of a University of Maryland study. They became depressed, they became anguished — and they became disgusted with their own dependency.”

Totally. Get. This. While I appreciate the “freedom” the internet has afforded to me in launching and managing my business, I often feel like a prisoner because of the pressure to be always connected to the cloud.

#EDU140 Rocked

This week, I had the great opportunity to participate in the #EDU140 conference at the 92nd Street Y. I think that Jeff Pulver who conceived the whole #140 idea is an absolute genius. Here are three lessons I learned.

1. Twitter is a great in-person connector. I’ve experienced this before, but I love using Twitter at a conference to meet like-minded people. Not only did I make some good new friends and connections, but I hung out with two people I’d met in the first half of the year at other conferences and strengthened those relationships. Take that if you’e one of those people who complain that social media takes away from in-person connections. 

2. There REALLY is an education movement that could give a sh*t about unions, politics, and governance. If you just read the big education blogs, you would think that the only people who matter are Joel Klein (the reformers), Diane Ravitch (the progressives) and Matt Damon (at least last week). None of these people nor the ideologies they fight about were part of the dialogue at all at #140EDU and it was refreshing. This was just about people who want to change perspectives and outcomes for kids whether they are teachers, principals, or consultants. Sam Chaltain has called it the “third tribe” in education. It’s one thing to read about it and a different to see it in action. I love being part of this tribe more and more. 

3. A great conference bridges ideas and solutions. I loved how the presentations went between big ideas (what the hell are we teaching our kids?) and pragmatic solutions (what are 3 ways we can use Twitter to improve student safety?). It keeps the brain flowing and thinking long after the conference ends. 

I do have some suggestions for next year… all around presentation selection and not because I submitted a request and was not selected (full disclosure).

- One, I think we need a diverse set of school examples. There were multiple presentations that featured staff, students and parents from one of the co-founder’s schools. We have 1600 schools in NYC alone that could be tapped into for next year. Let’s get lots of perspectives now that this is an established event. 

-Second, flashy presentations without substance should be avoided. The UnCollege presentation at the end of Tuesday was a hot mess. All it did is convince me that the guy who was telling people not to go to college actually NEEDED to go to college to learn how to understand, organize and communicate data cohesively. The higher ed bubble is a serious issue and to not treat it so is a disservice to the movement to change it. 

But really… bravo, #140EDU. Hope I get to participate next year!

“1.The “Calling You Out” Troll. Too much self-promotion on Twitter can be a bad thing. While some people are very successful at packing their stream with self-involved chatter, it takes a classy and fine balance to get the self-promotion right. Let’s face it, while Twitter is a great communications channel, it’s also a great tool to self-promote, which allows others to learn more about you and what you’re all about. The problem is that The Calling You Out Troll won’t let even the hint of a self-promotional tweet float by without making a snide remark.”

These people drive me bonkers on Twitter, especially when some of them make their money doing nothing but telling people what NOT to do. How is that valuable?

I’m from a small New England town where it was beat into that if you have nothing nice to say, you don’t (unless provoked). How do people find time to care about what strangers do?