This IS a thought provoking article. And here are some of my thoughts
inspired by it and Jay's response.
Jay, I will start from the end of your response where you say:
>But if monopolistic
>conditions end, then among the diversity of private (including scholarly)
>educational providers students may be able to find some genuine quality,
>and learn to recognize it.
You meant, I assume, "the monopolistic conditions" by the state. However,
privatization does not guarantee freeing up from the monopolistic
conditions. In fact, it is far more likely that the state monopoly will be
replaced by the private industry monopoly - several big corporations will
own everything and there will be no room for the diversity of free
educators and scholars, artists, writers etc... You also say:
>But if consortia of
>educators and scholars (and artists, writers, etc.) could compete
>effectively in the post-monopoly market ...
And that is exactly what is problematic. If they could compete in a market...
I imagine a situation similar to the world in which the majority of actors,
musicians and artists live today. The industry will create Stars, there
will be some incredibly successful star educators whose products will be
highly sought and marketable, and the rest will live (or die) totally
exploited, dependent on agents to market and sell them, not being sure they
will get a new contract, starting from the beginning with every new CD or
"web-site", dependent on "ratings" of the market...
And then imagine also the world of the students...
You write:
Finally, imagine the Microsoft Total Grade 6 Multimedia Curriculum. Imagine
>it based on Encarta and their existing CD-ROM products. Imagine it with
>video, animated simulations, links to the web and on-line communication,
>with chat groups, with global exchange, with 3-D bulletin boards and
>collaborative distance learning software ... or even imagine it as it would
>be if it were produced in the next three years realistically. And now ask
>how many classrooms and teachers in the US (and many other countries) do
>not provide anywhere near that GOOD a learning opportunity ... and which
>schools in which neighborhoods those are ... are who those students are ...
>and what realistic chance there is in 3-10 years of providing an equally
>rich educational opportunity under the present political-economic system?
All of these wonderful educational possibilities can only have an effect if
the students become members of educational communities (communities of
learners)... not buyers of the educational commodities. In fact they will
probably be intensively approached by the myriads of ads and skilled market
techniques of the private companies eager to sell their products. They will
be promised better life (in thousands of ways) only if they buy the newest
CD by Dr. X. Y. EASY, SWALLOWABLE, PREPACKAGED, and guaranteed to improve
your person and everything else short of giving you a job. The impoverished
center city public schools will be replaced by the impoverished public
edu-centers for quick ingestion of lower level skills. For not many will be
able to afford, private, highly personalized, small LIVE LEARNING centers
in which in addition to the wonderful technological innovations, REAL
teachers help students study with meaning and insight.
Who will need ENCARTA? Surely everyone, but who will actually use it?
Etc.
However, I agree with Jay, that Education will be radically transformed by
the new technologies and by the activities of the new industrial
Edu-peddlers.
I also think that a lot will depend on the faculty (and students,
sometimes). I admire what the faculty at York achieved and think that this
is the time to organize (using the same technology), take the matters into
one's own hands and not let the administration and corporations lead in
grabbing the monopoly. Internet and e-mail offer a great opportunity to the
educators to really organize and devise forms and standards of the future
educational relationships and offers.
If there is no resistance or simply no activity - the state monopoly on
education will be replaced by the monopoly of the private industry based on
profit. Comparison of education to the preindustrial society and the
technological revolution in education to the industrialization through
automatization is very good. However it is not sufficient. History teaches
us that the resistance through "breaking the looms" will not achieve
victory for the workers. However, better education for more people might be
achieved through making the "looms" work for the educators instead for
edu-corporations.
Therefore, Educators of the World, UNITE!
Wish you all Happy Holidays
Ana
________________________________________________________________________
Dr. Ana Marjanovic-Shane
151 W. Tulpehocken St. City of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA 19144 OMH/MR - Research & Information
(215) 843-2909 [voice] 1101 Market St. 7th Floor
(215) 843-2288 [fax] Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 685-4767 [v]
(215) 685-5581 [fax]
________________________________________________________________________
pshane who-is-at andromeda.rutgers.edu
anchi who-is-at geocities.com
http://www.geocities.com/~anchi/
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