The ability to banter fact and opinion in a worldwide forum is one of the great privileges of living in the late 20th century. For school leaders engaged in shifting the course of education for the future, it's not just good fun, it's an important part of keeping tuned in to changing times. Post a message, and all other subscribers to a chosen listserv will be able to read it and react, just as you can read and reply to all of theirs.
Topics run the gamut of personal and professional interests.
Once you get online with a good listserv, its value becomes obvious. Take the case of an Alexandria, Va., school administrator who was urged by colleagues to enlist high school students in building computers for the district. On Ednet, participants have shared multimedia development tips, calls for papers and presentations, position announcements, their favorite web sites, sample policies on acceptable use of the Internet, and where to find the best bargains on software. EdTech's 3,500 subscribers have discussed practicalities such as the proper way to clean a mouse, how to use copyrighted music, and where to get a degree in educational technology, as well as how to define computer literacy and how to motivate hesitant teachers to use technology. Some are not forums at all, but one-way delivery of information to a list of subscribers.