Comments on: Frank Feather on today’s education systems

By: Jeff Brown

Jeff Brown — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:55:41 +0000

Yes, socialization is critical but not just for leisure. There are many types of learners and social is one. Some can only learn via social settings. And there are those who are best at learning visually, tactically, etc. Also what must be taken into consideration that content or knowledge is only the tip of the ice burg. Student centered teaching is critical, discovering who the child / student is: talents, abilities, weaknesses, shortcomings, gifts, desires, etc. No amount of talent, ability, gifts, knowledge, skill, or know how can make up for character deficiency. Sounds good in theory, but in practicality my schools will show not speak success.

By: Anne Collier

Anne Collier — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 16:11:05 +0000

Frank Feather sounds a lot like Ken Robinson on factory-model schools. Interesting he’s advising the Chinese government. I imagine China will have even more difficulty than us moving away from that model toward a more organic one involving “individual e-learning” and social media, since its government seems to like to block/censor blogs. The last time we were in China we couldn’t share our family travel blog with some wonderful kiwi educators we met in Xi-an (on vacation from teaching in Beijing) because neither they nor we were able to access it. I would be fascinating to talk with Feather!

By: srdill

srdill — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 11:58:24 +0000

Tony offers some interesting thoughts on the lifelong, decentralized education system of the future:

By 2020 the best mentors will be the tradable in demand commodity. Physical institutions will exist as a space for F2F activities when needed, only for a few morning hours, once per week or certainly in far more flexible time chunks than now. Other learning hours will be virtual, online, building social cohesion or recreation. Learning will be an open all hours 24/7 choice to suit consumers, not deliverers.

And I appreciate his assessment of how we will all access the resources we need to learn and support the learning of others:

Quality content will be ubiquitious, consumers can choose from a plethora of contracted learning mentors, whose intellectual property will have been openly judged with the best sticking in rating lists and searches. Educational reputations will be based on sharing not ownership.

Tony also sees a similar view of the ultimate result when a culture is always learning, interacting in ever-widening circles to find expertise and answers:

Providing a sense of community and belonging, leaving a legacy and connectivism will be vital human requirements brought to this new learning …

Thanks for the link, Tony. Glad you found us! Spread the word that we need to take a census soon to gain a better measure of the ‘how soon, how well and who will?’ Who else sees this as the most important issue facing mankind?

Stephen

By: Tony Searl

Tony Searl — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 07:32:43 +0000

I found this very topical.

My tentative tea leaf post http://tsearl.edublogs.org/one-view-2020/
raised some of these points without me knowing of others work in these areas, very similiar views.

I guess its just a matter of ‘how soon, how well and who will?’ Thanks for posting.