Are students different because they have access to technology – researchers don’t know because there is no demographic data. Pew and a few others do – but Market Researchers have it all. (like the Google Book). Online learning is leveling the playing field. China is moving forward very quickly – trying for 1%, that means 100 million students with WiMax. The flat world is here and it means that things are going to change as the world is no longer based in the North Atlantic countries. Mexico is entirely digital and India is going the same way with science and math. Mexico is trying to get a laptop to every teacher to change the way their students get their curriculum. Forcing kids to turn off their multiple sources of information causes kids to turn off – why should they trust a single source? They look to the world and see that it’s multiply connected. Their classroom only singly connected. It’s not a jump to see why kids don’t care. The system is trapped thoroughly trapped in the 19 (maybe 18) 50s. A laptop, over 4 years will cost just over $1/day. But the issue here is that after 2 years, a $1000 laptop is getting pretty close to it’s last legs, but even at $2/day and a $2000 machine (it seems to be my experience that you “rent” technology (a favorite saying of a colleague) for about $500 a year for laptops and $250 for desktops. This is dropping all the time, but that is the rate at the end of 2006).
There was a schism about the effectiveness of eLearning, but there have been more than enough studies that show things are equal if not better – but eLearning for some reason always needs to improve scores and teaching – why?? If we are not doing harm, but are able to provide a more flexible and infinitely richer experience for students – why not? American studies have shown that eLearning trained kids are generally doing better on AP and other standardized exams. It seems the greater barriers are bureaucratic rather than technical. Teachers need training, yes, to teach well online, but the hoops that students need to jump to learn online can be more significant (especially it seems in the States).
Overall the keynote wasn’t bad – but gave no answers, lots of points to work on though. Especially in the US.
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