21st Century Learning #85: Will Schwalbe Co-author of SEND

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21st Century Learning #85Will Schwalbe
Will Schwalbe Co-author of SEND: Why People Email So Badly and How to Do It Better
November 20, 2008

This week Will Schwalbe co-author of the book SEND: Why People Email So Badly and How to Do It Better joined us to discuss Email. 
Have a great email story that you want to share with Will?  Go to http://thinkbeforeyousend.com/ and add it to their list.   Will also has a new venture called http://www.cookstr.com/: an amazing collection of recipes from great chefs and cookbook authors.

Upcoming interviews:  12/4 Curtis Johnson co-author of Disrupting Class, 12/11 Patrick Bassett, President National Assocation of Independent Schools (NAIS)

Click Here for the Chat Transcript


2008-11-20 14:18:09   arvind ->   is that Bill?
2008-11-20 14:18:16   wstites ->   Yes it is
2008-11-20 14:18:21   arvind ->   hey, how are you
2008-11-20 14:18:26   wstites ->   started following you on twitter
2008-11-20 14:18:35   arvind ->   we're just getting Will into the chatroom
2008-11-20 14:18:39   arvind ->   will get started in a few
2008-11-20 14:18:43   arvind ->   what's your Twitter?
2008-11-20 14:18:50   wstites ->   very good... working a lot with Ernest Koe and Steve Ritchie on things
2008-11-20 14:19:00   wstites ->   wstites
2008-11-20 14:19:04   arvind ->   awesome, just met Ernest on Twitter
2008-11-20 14:19:07   alex.ragone ->   Hey How are you?
2008-11-20 14:22:00   arvind ->   hey matt. about to get started
2008-11-20 14:22:08   matt montagne ->   coolio
2008-11-20 14:23:29   matt montagne ->   hey Will!
2008-11-20 14:23:34   matt montagne ->   wow, Timely topic!!!
2008-11-20 14:23:49   matt montagne ->   we r struggling with this internally big time!
2008-11-20 14:24:00   matt montagne ->   everyone complains about being slaves to email
2008-11-20 14:24:08   arvind ->   i hear that!
2008-11-20 14:24:08   matt montagne ->   but they keep emailing!!!
2008-11-20 14:24:16   alex.ragone ->   Hey Folks.
2008-11-20 14:24:18   arvind ->   email to resolve email, always helpful
2008-11-20 14:24:26   alex.ragone ->   Need best practices.
2008-11-20 14:24:34   matt montagne ->   email should only b used for factual, memo types of communication
2008-11-20 14:24:36   arvind ->   Will's not in the chatroom, but send questions to us, and we'll ask
2008-11-20 14:24:37   alex.ragone ->   Just had this conversation with our US Head.
2008-11-20 14:24:45   matt montagne ->   nothing emotinal at all!
2008-11-20 14:24:50   wstites ->   NPR had a good discussion on email and how to handle it a while ago
2008-11-20 14:24:52   alex.ragone ->   Rules and patterns.
2008-11-20 14:25:03   cyndidannerkuhn ->   hello from Manhattan Kansas
2008-11-20 14:25:11   matt montagne ->   email also needs to start looking more like faceobook and other SN, which are much more human forms of interaction
2008-11-20 14:25:12   alex.ragone ->   @wstites What's the url?
2008-11-20 14:25:35   wstites ->   heard it on the radio... never check for the url
2008-11-20 14:25:59   matt montagne ->   email is highly impersonal, unlike SNetworks
2008-11-20 14:26:04   alex.ragone ->   We'll have to find it.  I stream all my npr.
2008-11-20 14:26:27   cyndidannerkuhn ->   Is there a link to the edition you are talking about?
2008-11-20 14:26:42   arvind ->   first version: http://www.amazon.com/Send-Essential-Guide-Email-Office/dp/0307263649
2008-11-20 14:27:06   arvind ->   2nd edition: http://www.amazon.com/Send-People-Email-Better-Revised/dp/0307270602/ref...
2008-11-20 14:27:19   alex.ragone ->   How to keep email from taking over your life.
2008-11-20 14:27:51   alex.ragone ->   What are you recommendations?
2008-11-20 14:28:07   matt montagne ->   BINGO!
2008-11-20 14:28:10   alex.ragone ->   People who complain about email, send too many emails.
2008-11-20 14:28:16   matt montagne ->   right on Will!
2008-11-20 14:28:17   arvind ->   "no reply necessary"
2008-11-20 14:28:21   alex.ragone ->   Use no reply necessary.
2008-11-20 14:28:23   alex.ragone ->   Love that.
2008-11-20 14:28:23   wstites ->   Question I would have to deal student email for students in elementary grades as the kids don't have email and the privacy issuesaround it
2008-11-20 14:28:25   matt montagne ->   Great Idea...no reply necessary
2008-11-20 14:28:27   matt montagne ->   love it
2008-11-20 14:28:47   matt montagne ->   another thing that puts a bee in my bonnet are the never ending "thanks yous"
2008-11-20 14:29:00   alex.ragone ->   Was just thinking that, Matt.
2008-11-20 14:29:08   arvind ->   that's in their top 10 rules - no thank you's necessary!
2008-11-20 14:29:14   matt montagne ->   thank you alex!
2008-11-20 14:29:15   arvind ->   or at least no thank yous to the thank yous
2008-11-20 14:29:30   alex.ragone ->   :D
2008-11-20 14:29:39   wstites ->   We also have issue with faculyt using email as a bulletin board and sending to everyone.
2008-11-20 14:29:43   matt montagne ->   guy I share office with is LOL
2008-11-20 14:30:47   cyndidannerkuhn ->   and the complaining about spam email,
2008-11-20 14:30:48   matt montagne ->   worksites should have social networks for the non-factual types of communications...
2008-11-20 14:31:11   cyndidannerkuhn ->   but getting faculty to use social networks is a huge task
2008-11-20 14:31:12   matt montagne ->   again, SNets are simply more civilized/human spaces
2008-11-20 14:31:26   matt montagne ->   Cyndi...because they are addicted to email!!!
2008-11-20 14:31:40   cyndidannerkuhn ->   yup, you are absolutley right!
2008-11-20 14:31:50   matt montagne ->   email is a barrier to furthering the use of more powerful communication platforms in our classrooms
2008-11-20 14:32:03   cyndidannerkuhn ->   and look how long it took us to get them addicted!
2008-11-20 14:32:12   matt montagne ->   I know Cyndi!
2008-11-20 14:33:20   matt montagne ->   rats...lost stream
2008-11-20 14:33:29   alex.ragone ->   Is that our fault?
2008-11-20 14:33:49   matt montagne ->   matt montagne
2008-11-20 14:33:53   matt montagne ->   my prob
2008-11-20 14:33:58   matt montagne ->   sorry bout that
2008-11-20 14:34:12   alex.ragone ->   Just started the ETT Stream.
2008-11-20 14:34:54   matt montagne ->   truedat...email is much more efficient than the old memos in the mailbox days
2008-11-20 14:35:04   cyndidannerkuhn ->   wow the chat window is being hatful, can't scroll back to link to book, could you post again?
2008-11-20 14:35:12   arvind ->   http://www.amazon.com/Send-People-Email-Better-Revised/dp/0307270602/ref...
2008-11-20 14:35:19   ds ->   email is for old people :)
2008-11-20 14:36:07   arvind ->   lol
2008-11-20 14:36:21   arvind ->   any questions for will? examples from your school that are a challenge?
2008-11-20 14:36:43   wstites ->   problems  - using email a bulletin board
2008-11-20 14:37:07   arvind ->   bill, like "car for sale" emails?
2008-11-20 14:37:18   wstites ->   yeah... need a babysitter
2008-11-20 14:37:41   arvind ->   i get a lot of, "tiffany lost her bracelet, if you see it, give it to her"
2008-11-20 14:37:56   wstites ->   drive people nuts hear... we set up a site for postings like that
2008-11-20 14:38:01   wstites ->   but no one uses it
2008-11-20 14:38:04   wstites ->   email is to easy
2008-11-20 14:38:20   arvind ->   does it have to be an administrative decision? and not a tech one?
2008-11-20 14:38:47   wstites ->   it is in our AUP and and admin decision which people disregard
2008-11-20 14:39:21   wstites ->   personnel manual
2008-11-20 14:39:32   arvind ->   wow!
2008-11-20 14:39:48   arvind ->   no enforcement shows people that the rules don't matter, huh? that's a tough one
2008-11-20 14:40:00   alex.ragone ->   Accountability is key.
2008-11-20 14:40:08   ds ->   an opportunity to talk about "voice" and levels of formality from IM to essay and between
2008-11-20 14:40:41   matt montagne ->   Phone calls trump email with touchy parent communications...
2008-11-20 14:40:41   ds ->   and one's public/private identity in online environs
2008-11-20 14:40:56   matt montagne ->   I never send stuff that could come back to haunt me via email...
2008-11-20 14:41:11   matt montagne ->   But, email is GREAT for practical jokes!
2008-11-20 14:41:17   arvind ->   we have a rule, our head of school always says it: email is for the exchange of information, not the resolution of conflict
2008-11-20 14:41:48   wstites ->   tone is always an issue in email, IM, etc... which is always tough
2008-11-20 14:42:13   arvind ->   if parent emails about grade problems, the reply email is: Dear Parent, thanks for the email. Where and when can I call you to set up an appointment for us to meet?
2008-11-20 14:42:35   matt montagne ->   I'm with you on that one big time...that is a great parent reply
2008-11-20 14:43:16   matt montagne ->   Great point Will!
2008-11-20 14:43:31   matt montagne ->   9th-10th email or when it gets emotional...
2008-11-20 14:43:47   ds ->   "back away from the keyboard"
2008-11-20 14:44:43   ds ->   love the crossword rule
2008-11-20 14:45:17   arvind ->   http://thinkbeforeyousend.com
2008-11-20 14:45:30   ds ->   @Will are you on Twitter?
2008-11-20 14:45:36   arvind ->   Will's new project: http://www.cookstr.com
2008-11-20 14:45:59   arvind ->   http://twitter.com/willschw
2008-11-20 14:46:03   ds ->   ty
2008-11-20 14:46:45   ds ->   great show all, glad to make it out live for 1st time in forever!
2008-11-20 14:46:57   wstites ->   twitter site doesn't exist
2008-11-20 14:47:05   arvind ->   glad you could all be here!
2008-11-20 14:47:15   wstites ->   thanks so much
2008-11-20 14:47:28   arvind ->   Sorry, Will's Twitter is: http://twitter.com/willsch
2008-11-20 14:48:24   matt montagne ->   great talk everyone
2008-11-20 14:49:43   arvind ->   thanks for being here, folks!
2008-11-20 14:49:58   arvind ->   see you on Monday if you can make it for the convo about Disrupting Class (the book)