Don’ts vs Dos – Make Social Media / Learning Liberating, not Stifling

My wife is a natural mother.  I have to brag – she is good.  Really good.  And she helps me be a better father.  Too often I am saying to the kids, “Don’t do xxxx.  Stop doing XXXX.”  But she reminds me: “Tell the kids what they CAN do, not only what they shouldn’t do.”

This wise thought goes along with Social Media / Learning.  It is no longer a list of DON’Ts, but rather a list of DOs.  This is enabling, not stifling.  It helps us to open up and be transparent.  It is not controlling.  It lets us explore, learn and grow rather than force us into a directed path we would never choose.

So why, when we make rules for social media / learning, do we focus on the ‘Thou Shalt Not’s? Why are we still using RULES instead of Guidelines?  Will Richardson wrote a great post on what we ought to be saying.  A few of his suggestions.

“Do use our network to connect to other students and adults who share your passions with whom you can learn.”

“Do use our network to help your teachers find experts and other teachers from around the world.”

“Do use our network to publish your best work in text and multimedia for a global audience.”

When writing a document on guidelines, open up to the possibilities, not just to the limitations.  Even more important, when thinking about how to best use all this, use the same mind frame.

Tagged as: DO, DON'T