hacking education

Honestly, I am not sure what Harvard may think. If Harvard actually checks into my blog, I would consider that a pro. It goes to show that an online portfolio or profile holds some weight in their decision, which I think more and more is the way of the future in college admissions.

At the same time, Harvard may not like me sharing my essays publicly. It may prove to be a mistake that could cost me handsomely.

But that fear—the fear of making a mistake online—is one of the biggest hurdles between where education stands today and the heights to which it could rise with our current technology.

The Harvard Business Review just posted a piece on exactly that—the fear of making mistakes online. From the article:

Unless you're prepared to risk the occasional mistake, however, you'll never do anything interesting enough to earn real attention or foster real conversation. Even more crucially, you'll never develop the social media fluency that comes from making, and then learning from, your own mistakes.

I couldn’t agree more. Both my wife and I have some pretty decent horror stories about keeping an active social media presence online with our multiple blogs and twitter accounts. And yet, both my wife and I have since made it through the social media learning curve and enjoy the benefits of vibrant online networks. 

You have to go out on a limb when it comes to engaging online. You have to put some skin on the line.  

I am interested in feedback on my ideas; I desire collaboration around my ideas; I want access to a network of people interested in education reform. For those reasons, I am willing to risk sharing my ideas with people who may or may not agree. Because I believe in the power of social media as a means of real education and collaboration I am even willing to risk making a mistake in the eyes of Harvard HGSE.