Designed for digression.
It's hard not to give in to the temptation to read through the entirety of
that Edge discussion, sometimes scratching your head wondering why you hadn't
thought of a particular invention, sometimes simply enjoying the ideas. Roger
Schank, of Engines for Education
fame (which I'm happy, if also a bit surprised, is not only still around, but
continuing to develop), cast his vote
for the internet: Schools (which have not been able
to change) will completely transform themselves when better course can be built
on the internet than could possibly be delivered in a university. Of course, we
haven't seen that yet, but when the best physicists in the world combine to deliver
a learn by doing simulation that allows students to try things out and discuss
what they have done with every important (virtual) physicist who has something
to say about what they have done, the only thing universities will have to offer
will be football.
A couple of those who responded referred to Lynn
White and the story of the
impact of the stirrup on western civilization.
And one thing, of course,
led to another, and I found myself part surfing, part weaving, continually digressing
into one fascinating topic after another. Yes, the central topic of this column
was (and remains) an examination of Web 2.0 applications in education, but almost
as soon as I started writing, the associative nature of the web was inviting me
to digress. How could I refuse? My only excuse can perhaps be that rather than
Cathy's proverbial open box of chocolates (which
in the end only gets emptied), my digressions can somehow still construct a (somewhat)
coherent whole that helps us focus on how education and the web can stride together,
hand in hand.
Go to: A different before and since, or
Go to:
A magic strand?