Sunday, November 16, 2008

A 21st Century system

Stephen Dill proposes a 21st Century system based on these objectives:
  1. Extend education throughout life. Make it a part of our daily lives and have it begin with birth and end soon after death.
  2. Take education out of centralized buildings (schools) and make it the responsibility of the family, community, nation, and the world.
  3. Leverage technology to enable everyone to have access to the same resources.

Scenario

Let’s look at this from the perspective of the individual and step it out to the world.

Individuals

  • Youth education is seen as a family function, augmented by a volunteer force of seniors, retirees, and experts available in the immediate and adjacent communities performing the roles of teacher, coach and mentor.
  • Youth education begins in the home using modules with lessons for parent, child and siblings.
  • Individual education is an individual’s obligation to society, advocated by federal law, supported by employers, communities and families.
  • Course topics cross all philosophies, languages, religions and beliefs for the old and the young they are teaching.
  • Team teaching is carried out in playgroups in neighborhoods in homes, community centers, parks and businesses. Groups of adults of all ages with similar interests meet in public and corporate settings as well as virtually within collaborative Web environments. Parents and children gather in homes and community centers, sharing interests and research and reporting progress among peers.
  • When the individual exhibits enough maturity, progress is self-determined, self-monitored and presented to the relevant communities for input and use by others.
  • Learning happens in life: in the workplace, the libraries, on the farms, in the factories of the immediate and adjacent neighborhoods.
  • Scheduling, networking and cross leveling of resources is supported online.
  • Education is not seen as a formal stage of life, instead a life-long habit of reading, reflecting, exchanging and growing.

US education system

  • Facilitates discussions about learning, living and life.
  • Teaches self esteem, self-confidence and the value of improving one’s self, community, nation, world and legacy.
  • Gradually returns school buildings to alternative uses.

US culture

  • Gradually encourages lifelong learning
  • Respect for generations, races and all differences is built into every person’s thinking as they learn to rely on more and more people in order to learn, to carry out their obligation.

World culture

  • Understanding and respect for nationalities, beliefs, generations, races and all differences is built into every person’s thinking as they learn to rely on more and more people in order to learn, to carry out their obligation.

4 comments:

Jim Ross said...

Dicto:

OUTSTANDING POST! And an accurate framing of our intention for this 21st Century Digital Learning Environments MMSTC "work in progress."

We beleive the impending (November 19, 2008)"Renewable Energy Institute" announcement and board resolution regarding the partnership between the Warren Consolidated Schools District, Board of Education and Southern Exposure Renewable Energy Company the support necessary to actualize this MMSTC Model initative.

Again, OUTSTANDING POST!

Best,

Jim

john said...

Thank you for contributing to the knowledge bank .....great post....

JimB said...

Again, great to see a post that is immersed in the conversation and subsequent practice of lifelong learning. Although I don't want to split symantical hairs here, but learning is not a job, it's an adventure. When it ceases to be something you have fun at and it becomes an obligation and or constrained is when the divergant thinker begins to shut down shop and agrees to follow the status quo. Creative license is the fuel to innovation. The change we need now is for the children to be asked the questions and for the adults to pay attention turning the education proposition on it's proverbial head.

JimB said...

Stephen is right. In many ways, as like it or not it is the responsibility of the informed learner to continue the process of learning from the world around them. Soaking up all they can,the distillation thought process of these understandings and obsevations are unique to the individual. Through this creative mentation each organic living being and especially the intentional human affects the world through the footprint they impose upon it.That is to say every person has a creative impact upon the world. Creativity being an energy form, encompasses every action from negative to positive. So the self directed learner can be creative in a constructive manner or creative in a destructive manner. There is no middle ground, for if you are not part of the active solution then you are part of the problem.It is the responsibilty of the communiy to allow the individual the freedom to grow in their self directed awareness. This is the true basis for a free society and the realization of these practices as a society. The apprehension of people globally has been that America affords this opportunity. This is one of the basic tenets for and the basis for it's perceived greatness. Therein lies the seeds for becoming the world leader we can be. By modeling the practice in providing personal room for growth within the context of a society that needs and appreciates that individual's input. Well that is a true recipe for greatness and success. The intent to do that in some fashion was conveyed on Nov. 19th at the Warren Consolidated School Board meeting.The realization of this challenge and opportunity will be guaged by the degree to which individuals are empowered to become involved in their learning...