Quickthink

A short while ago Khan Academy seemed like a wild idea. So did Stanford’s experiment to open up a few lectures to anyone on the planet. That was a while ago. We have already moved beyond that.

What has moved us? Think about it this way. Why do we need to go to a classroom in the first place? We tend to think of classrooms as if they were like gas stations for the mind, where we can “fill’er up”. But you can only get gas at the gas station. Do we only get learning in a classroom?

Of course not. We learn with each moment of consciousness. We can’t help it. Time is the ultimate learning platform. The only problem is that we don’t use time that way unless we are forced to do so. So we go to classrooms to “fill’er up”.

Can we learn to use time better? Of course we can. But that means re-valuing what we say versus what we do. Instead of trying to “be” someone (and confirm that we exist by doing lots of stuff), we need to try to express something larger than we are in a given moment. Re-value expression over sensation. According to Simon Schama, this is what Van Gogh did and how he created modern art.

So if I am right, digital classroom platforms are old hat. Not bad, but not  really what we need. We need platforms that enable us to use the learning materials we have in front of us in real time. To express ourselves more creatively as we go forward in life. My prediction — we will soon start seeing new blogging platforms designed to squeeze better thinking out of us. Hello, Sybtle is already here.

FOLLOW -  BTW, I watched Simon Schama’s episodes on Rembrandt and Van Gogh last night. The Rembrandt episode is a well told cautionary tale and well worth the time. The Van Gogh episode blew me away.