I’ve joined LinkedIn and Facebook. I blog and Twitter. I’ve hosted Web chats, downloaded and posted video, and I’ve even fiddled a bit with wikis and podcasts. But I’m still wondering if all this has been an effective way to reach Ed Week and Digital Directions readers.
According to McKinsey & Co., many companies are wondering the same thing. In the February edition of the McKinsey Quarterly, the business journal of the global management-consulting company, there are some tips for making Web 2.0 work for you. The second generation of Web usage is all about communication and collaboration, as well as sharing information safely and effectively.
In “Six ways to make Web 2.0 work,” McKinsey’s experts make use of the company’s survey of 50 early adopters of such technology to highlight successful strategies and practices. You may be relieved to know that as many of the survey respondents are happy with their efforts at Web 2.0 applications as are dissatisfied. Many of them are like me, confused about the value of social networking and viral marketing, especially when results aren’t always recognizable. If I send out a tweet about this blog posting, will it get the traffic I want? If I update what I’m doing on my Facebook page, will I reach more of my target audience for Ed Week and DD content?
I would bet that most educators are equally perplexed about how to use the tools that have become an obsession with many of their students to improve learning and engagement with content. I know many teachers are using blogs and wikis to share ideas and collaborate with other teachers, and perhaps even to communicate with students.
Here’s a YouTube video with one educator’s take on all this:
While the McKinsey article is targeted mostly to corporate types, I wonder if these guidelines can apply to schools, administrators, and teachers as well. What do you think?
Of course you can continue the conversation on Twitter, @McKQuarterly.
