The Cluetrain and Education
So what does this book have to do with education? I’m not quite ready to go there yet…let me work through what I got from it. I think it is telling businesses that the Internet is making consumers smarter. Actually it is saying that consumers are human and we are made stronger through our connection to other humans. No longer can we be like robots and ordered around by businesses. Businesses can’t decide what we need or what will make us feel better. The global human connection can help us know what we want and empower us.
The days of marketing surveys are over. When companies want to know what we as consumers want, like, or have an interest in, they can just look at our My Space or Facebook pages. Resumes will be just one piece of a job application. Companies can google you to find out about you. Students are out there on the web in their social networks. Networks that go beyond the boundaries of our school districts and even our borders. This virtual community fosters a level of communication unknown to students just a few years ago. I think this type of communication will provide students with new perspectives, cultural insight, and truly make it a small world after all.
