tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6326053344094419375.post1357810703436300641..comments2024-03-18T23:51:24.440-04:00Comments on The Electric Educator: The Future of Education: a futurist's perspectiveJohn R. Sowashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00830158152077843312noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6326053344094419375.post-58904851401968096732012-06-23T09:59:53.883-04:002012-06-23T09:59:53.883-04:00Enjoyed your blog. Clearly education like all othe...Enjoyed your blog. Clearly education like all other industries - will change. The political agenda will keep schools going for a long time but systems and innovation will eventually bring school enrolments to a point of change. <br /><br />Whilst the "educational factors" mandate these changes; our social constructs aren't quite ready. Universities will take the first hit and validity of certification and assessment will become a primary concern.<br /><br />Secondary Schools will see some drift to home schooling but with western workforces taking parents out of the home, the function of schooling will still be a core business in my opinion. <br /><br />I think we will see the emergence of smaller sized community schools or "networked schools" which share resourcing and staff - initally of specialised staff. I viewed the following video today also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04AhBnLk1-s&feature=youtube_gdata_player<br /><br />Paul Whitehead<br />www.theteacherlounge.wordpress.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6326053344094419375.post-19667514238251465122009-02-08T14:36:00.000-05:002009-02-08T14:36:00.000-05:00Have you looked at WiZiQ?They offer a cool set of ...Have you looked at <A HREF="http://www.wiziq.com/" REL="nofollow">WiZiQ</A>?<BR/><BR/>They offer a cool set of tools for doing a synchronous online class. It will also record, allowing you to be asynchronous as well.<BR/><BR/>They also try to hook up teachers with students.<BR/><BR/>I've been looking at some of the virtual free classrooms because they provide a set of unified tools for a Wiimote Whiteboard as well.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08605575656767405786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6326053344094419375.post-81802278911884813222009-02-05T21:37:00.000-05:002009-02-05T21:37:00.000-05:00One of the things that I've been doing is a lo...One of the things that I've been doing is a lot of reading about the whole k-12 virtual school movement. I also submitted a proposal to my school to teach their first on-line course. This summer I plan on developing an on-line course that I will be marketing to home schoolers. <BR/><BR/>Other than that, I just try to to keep up with developing technologies. Podcasting (video), bloging, and discussion boards are going to be be key components of the virtual school.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your comments and readership Steve & Joel!John R. Sowashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00830158152077843312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6326053344094419375.post-3021855172145937832009-02-02T22:17:00.000-05:002009-02-02T22:17:00.000-05:00Steve, I agree that this virtual-school vision doe...Steve, I agree that this virtual-school vision does carry with it a "Wild West" vibe. There are organizations standardizing the approach. K-12, Inc. is running virtual schools in several states.<BR/><BR/>John, what are you doing specifically to position yourself? As teacher in a typically monolithic public school, I'm wondering what I can do to develop my skills to become a learning specialist when the virtual-school model invades the mainstream.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6326053344094419375.post-23331007028845385322009-02-01T09:34:00.000-05:002009-02-01T09:34:00.000-05:00One of the major problems I have with these sorts ...One of the major problems I have with these sorts of discussions of the future of education is that they never account for the need to certify an education.<BR/><BR/>If I'm an employer I can look at an existing educational program and have some confidence that I know what went into it and what might result from it. Even if my confidence is unfounded I have some handles to grab hold of. Now, an individual with an online portfolio listing all of their coursework from desperate corners of the internet and examples of work also give me handles, but when I have 500 applicants to screen and only enough time to spend a few minutes on each one... I'm likely to to focus on those with degrees from places I know.<BR/><BR/>I wish it wasn't so. Personally, I know I can (and do) learn more on my own and the material I'm learning is more relevant. But the truth remains. Someone with Dr. in front of their name will be held up as more of an authority than me even if I know more.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08605575656767405786noreply@blogger.com