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  • From: "Austin, Roger D." <rda AT rti.org>
  • To: 'InterNetWorkers' <internetworkers AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Another Bill Gates escapade
  • Date: Fri, 10 May 2002 13:14:59 -0400


The printing press was a powerful distance learning app, but it wasn't used
in a vacuum. The people in "the sticks" had to learn how to read before it
was useful. Literacy was not universal, and still isn't in a lot of places
around the world. I grew up in the '50s and '60s with people in western NC
who couldn't read. Give them a book and they could use it to prop up the
bedstead. One serious need is to get a basic reading and writing capability
for those left behind. I don't know if having high-end video classes on
advanced subjects is as important as decent basic education at this moment.

If technology can be used to help people in isolated areas become more
educated, I'm all for trying; however, nothing so far comes close to having
excellent local (and motivated) classroom teachers. Teaching could be viewed
a lot like a craft/art occupation that takes some hands-on time. I'm
hesitant to say that distance learning will help a lot of people and it
might suck out money that should be used to lure more and better teachers
into the classroom.

<rant>
One issue is that the legislature hijacks things like this as a silver
bullet for "cutting costs". They could implement a distance learning scheme
to save money, but not fund it enough to allow it to work. We could lose
funding for live teachers and have a virtual system that fails.
I'm not sure that people really want to spend that much on education even
though it is always talked about as the most important thing we fund. I
think they are concerned about their own children, but not very concerned
with the system of education. All I hear is that the system is messed up and
teachers don't make enough, but I believe the public views this as more
money for mediocre teachers in a crummy system. Everyone thinks taxes should
go down and government workers are slackers.
My sister is pulling out my two nieces from the Wake County public schools
this year (well one will be in a magnet school.) Both are bright students
who have been in public schools for a number of years. Both are bored stiff
due to the mixing of students with less interest and capability. Wake County
schools loses since they were deliberately pairing them up with
disadvantaged students so they can help them. It kills the motivation and
promotes cynicism in the kids.
The system deliberately holds back more advanced students so the mediocre
and unmotivated students can grow. When I was in grade school, the system
had accelerated classes which had the brightest students. This allowed them
to grow at a faster rate than the main group. It may sound elitist, but I
can't see how this is bad for civilization. It was similar to the idea of
the NCSMS in Durham.
</rant>

The devil is always in the details. Roger (in RTP)

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Edward Wesolowski [mailto:ids AT idisplay.com]
> Sent: Friday, May 10, 2002 12:03 PM
> To: InterNetWorkers
> Subject: [internetworkers] Re: Another Bill Gates escapade

> > the printing press was the first powerful distance learning app.
> I hadn't thought of it like that, but your right!
> ...powerful may even be understating it !-)
> Ed W




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