Dissemination and Access
No, we're not going to be talking about the "artificial" man!
"Dissemination" has to do with getting something out, or distributing something. In this case, we're concerned with dissemination of information. It's of interest, because information provides the basis for discussion.
A school district, for instance, should be interested in disseminating information about its accomplishments, its vision, and its needs. It does so because it is supposed to support local aspirations and local values, as well as communicating its own hopes and dreams and thereby earn the support of the community. By communicating with the public, common ground is sought through discussion and compromise.
Here are the ways that a typical school district, in the pre-Internet era, disseminated information: through school newsletters and letters going home with the students,public hearings, press releases (sometimes reprinted in local newspapers), mailings of various kinds, and newspaper articles.
Most of these ways of communicating had a relatively high cost, in terms of numbers of people reached relative to the effort expended. It was truly difficult, at times, to "get the word out." In the past, when it was necessary for a school district to mail out information, there could be a significant expense involved, depending on the mailing list. A principal could spend an hour or more getting a press release ready, only to find the papers had no interest in the event or the story. Nevertheless, all of these means of communication were used and continue to be used, as well they should be.
Twenty years ago, a friend of mine -- he'd just upgraded to an IBM AT (20 MB hard disk!) -- was enamored of the possible democratizing effects of distributed computing, signaled by the rise of the personal computer(PC). I was a bit more skeptical -- and I still am -- but clearly he was right in his vision for some of the PC's potential to be realized in greater access to information.
In fact, to a certain extent, the PC and the Internet have given the ordinary citizen capabilities that have never before existed.
Would that our school system would "get with it!" After all, with the Internet, the cost of dissemination of information is almost zero. There's no reason why documents relating to the public's business should not be freely available. To disseminate information is now much easier. The old limits of effort and expense have been removed. Dissemination of information relating to the public's business should be a natural activity in the institutions of a democratic society.
Minutes and agendas of Board meetings, of Board committee meetings, and of any and every ad-hoc and impromptu group should be made available, as well as supporting documents of all sorts. Memory is cheap, and the documents -- of all sorts -- are already in electronic form.
What's the obstacle to disseminating SAD 46's information more freely? Could it be that the school district doesn't realize the potential of the Internet? Other districts seem to be starting to change. SAD 48 now has a blog. Milo (SAD 41) makes their school calendar freely available. The Leonard Middle School in Old Town puts up their daily announcements.
What's the problem with SAD 46?
"Dissemination" has to do with getting something out, or distributing something. In this case, we're concerned with dissemination of information. It's of interest, because information provides the basis for discussion.
A school district, for instance, should be interested in disseminating information about its accomplishments, its vision, and its needs. It does so because it is supposed to support local aspirations and local values, as well as communicating its own hopes and dreams and thereby earn the support of the community. By communicating with the public, common ground is sought through discussion and compromise.
Here are the ways that a typical school district, in the pre-Internet era, disseminated information: through school newsletters and letters going home with the students,public hearings, press releases (sometimes reprinted in local newspapers), mailings of various kinds, and newspaper articles.
Most of these ways of communicating had a relatively high cost, in terms of numbers of people reached relative to the effort expended. It was truly difficult, at times, to "get the word out." In the past, when it was necessary for a school district to mail out information, there could be a significant expense involved, depending on the mailing list. A principal could spend an hour or more getting a press release ready, only to find the papers had no interest in the event or the story. Nevertheless, all of these means of communication were used and continue to be used, as well they should be.
Twenty years ago, a friend of mine -- he'd just upgraded to an IBM AT (20 MB hard disk!) -- was enamored of the possible democratizing effects of distributed computing, signaled by the rise of the personal computer(PC). I was a bit more skeptical -- and I still am -- but clearly he was right in his vision for some of the PC's potential to be realized in greater access to information.
In fact, to a certain extent, the PC and the Internet have given the ordinary citizen capabilities that have never before existed.
Would that our school system would "get with it!" After all, with the Internet, the cost of dissemination of information is almost zero. There's no reason why documents relating to the public's business should not be freely available. To disseminate information is now much easier. The old limits of effort and expense have been removed. Dissemination of information relating to the public's business should be a natural activity in the institutions of a democratic society.
Minutes and agendas of Board meetings, of Board committee meetings, and of any and every ad-hoc and impromptu group should be made available, as well as supporting documents of all sorts. Memory is cheap, and the documents -- of all sorts -- are already in electronic form.
What's the obstacle to disseminating SAD 46's information more freely? Could it be that the school district doesn't realize the potential of the Internet? Other districts seem to be starting to change. SAD 48 now has a blog. Milo (SAD 41) makes their school calendar freely available. The Leonard Middle School in Old Town puts up their daily announcements.
What's the problem with SAD 46?
posted by PP | 9/12/2006 05:38:00 AM
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