A Change Is Going to Come

     Remember when cell phones were the size of TV remote controls? What about when VCRs, computers and microwave ovens were the size of small children?  Even better, remember when there was no email or the world wide web? But are there some things like institutions and traditions that just need to remain the same even when technology improves the tradition to make it more relevant, efficient and effective? 

     I say "a change has got to come." Brick and mortar public secondary school education is no exception; it's an established system that by many accounts is no longer relevant or necessary.  I am by no means suggesting that we don't need public education or brick and mortar elementary and intermediate education; what I am suggesting is that we don't have to spend millions and millions of dollars year after year on something that may be theoretically irrelevant or necessary.  Brick and mortar schools represent old notions of education and how people learn; they are not the sole sources of education nor are they the causes of learning.  There, learners are grouped together by age and forced to focus on a teacher giving a lecture.  Creativity is often killed and there is little authentic or experiential learning within the hour or so alloted for a class.  The world does not exist beyond the four walls of the classroom and believe it or not, some teachers are afraid of technology. Then of course, there are the poorer districts and schools that can't even afford true technology as a supplement to the classroom.

     I am an advocate of open source schools and non traditional learning.  Learning can take place anytime and anywhere and Open Source High Schools seem to be a completely viable option.  Opponents of Open Source High Schools often cite socialization as a primary reason of opposition.  Well, to them I say socialization is frequently a euphemism for disruptive classroom behavior. In an Open Source High School I can visualize every student receiving a global education in a collaborative work space that allows for creativity, peer socialization and frequent individual feedback and attention.

    I would be remiss if I did not make this discussion relevant to urban education.  Would behavioral alternative schools disappear and black boys no longer be devalued and ignored in Open Source High Schools?  Could the various learning styles and cultural identities of more students be accomodated in Open Source High Schools?  Would urban students find education more relevant and interesting?  To all of these my answer is, probably yes.

Are We There Yet?

     Could you live without your computer and access to the internet?  I am positive I could not.  Computers and the internet contribute substantially to the quality of life we enjoy in the U.S; the ability to bank online, send messages around the world in seconds, access library books everywhere, perform research, get driving directions and get news instantly are just a few of the common tasks we undertake everyday on our computers and the internet.  How many people do you know personally without at least one home computer?  None, right?

     Unfortunately, we are not there yet.  "There" is the time and place where every household in the U.S. has a computer and access to the internet.  If every home had a computer, learning really could be a "lifelong"  family affair; children could teach parents and parents could be more involved with their children's education.  Parents and students would have ongoing access to the academic support online from educators everywhere.  Teachers could communicate with parents who are unable to make conferences for whatever reason.  Distance education would be available to parents who can't do traditional programs because of work and family commitments.  Disabilities could be easily accomodated.  People would have the ability to see beyond their present circumstances and geography because the whole world would be at their fingertips.

    Urban areas tend to have higher incidences of unemployment, school failure rates and drop out rates.  Is there a correlation between computer literacy, access and these social issues?  A causal connection between the two may be tenuous at best; but,undoubtedly, greater access to computers and computer literacy education would mitigate some of the effects and improve failure and drop out rates.