Isaac Asimov on Education and Learning

I am finding more and more informal mentors in my professional growth and learning. There are people that have done things and learned things and have great ideas around me all of the time. When I ask them questions and look to them for guidance they become and informal mentor to me. I draw on their experience and knowledge to help guide my own ideas and practice.

There are a few people in EPSB that I consider my informal mentors. I have encountered them in various Ed. Tech. training sessions and particularly at the Goolge Apps. info and sharing seminars. One of my informal mentors, Rick Stiles-Oldring, recently pointed me to a video interview of Isaac Asimov that is truly astounding.

Rick blogs at Heeding Thamus and he can be counted on to provide challenging, insightful and occasionally annoying ideas, both on his blog and in person. The reason I say annoying is because some of his ed. tech. ideas end up challenging my core assumptions about technology and learning. When a "core" assumption is challenged it means I have to re-examine and also alter most of my thinking. I have always assumed that a schools network infrastructure should stay platform neutral, any system can be supported. That is until Rick comes along with an idea that has been nagging at me for a week now. Isn't there value in platform equity? Shouldn't schools provide, especially considering the rapid decline in cost, the same platform for each student? Don't schools already have the resources to provide every student with a cheap and identical network tool? Like say a tablet or a chrome book?

I have spent the last two years thinking that the future of ed. tech. in the classroom was to increase student owned devices, now I am not so sure... thanks Rick!

This was supposed to be a post about Asimov. Watch the video below:
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Key Ideas

1. Lifelong learning is not just for the young - especially with the internet and open access to learning. Free education at Stanford!!
2. Everyone can become creative - we were able to teach reading and writing to all youth, why not creative thinking?
3. The teacher can be eliminated. Everyone now has their own personal teacher (source of knowledge and information) at their fingertips.
4. Interactions with other students and teachers is still needed. School has a role to play, but not the same one as before. What is that role?
5. If you follow your own bent, and aren't told what to learn then learning will increase. This one is key!!! Let students find their own interests and follow it for real learning, and find your own. Be the sole dictator of what you learn, and allow your students to be the dictators of what they learn.

Thanks for sharing this video Rick.