Compulsory schooling came into effect only when society needed a mass-produced workforce to create mass-produced products. The schooling system was built around this societal organization. Evidently, society changed but the school system did not. It became an institution (see on how institutions are created) as mentionned by Will that wanted to perpetuate itself through time more than solve a problem (just like any other institution).

Another good read on schooling in the US is . We must look at society in general in order to understand the school system.

While there are lots of truths in the discussions, a slight shift is necessary for a school to be a school. Maybe not seeing students and learning as problems would be a good start.

It’s like I used to work for this company that said they were a “business media and information provider.” But they were very limited in action, despite that very broad definition. Oddly, within the scope of that broad definition, it was hard to get an administrator or an executive to O.K. any innovation that was a change in how they had always done things. There was a great fear that disruption would lead to destruction.

People working within a solid framework will often worry that competition or asynchronous alignments will bring it crashing down like a house of cards. I think in these cases, they are overlooking great opportunities for growth.

Again, I see your point and I appreciate it.

How would we ease this anxiety?

I think I’d sum it up by that I think that schools generally fail to instill an “adaptive” mindset into children. Schools are way to predictable. It’s perfect if you can expect the kind of jobs available, and the work making part of these jobs to be equally predictable. Problem is that nowadays, through constant changes caused by things like outsourcing, new technologies (especially for communication/collaboration), automation, mechanization and changes in consumer preferences the nature of work changes faster than ever. Faster than any system can keep up. It’s hard enough for a person to keep up with the changes in their field themselves.

Adaptive mindset: “The ability to keep up with changes in environment relevant to one’s personal well-being and one’s value to society.” ? Something like that.

As Jay Rosen, quoted by will said: “Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution.” I personally do not think that the people making part of the institution (n case of the school system: teachers and such) do it out of selfishness. I think most of the time, they honestly can’t look beyond the way society has functioned for such a long time. Children preparing themselves for a top-grade career, without any formal education? “Impossible!” “Unthinkable!” Kids voluntary choosing to learn, if only through play? “No way!”

Now I’m not the kind of person who would propose doing away with schools altogether (at least not at this moment in time), but this kind of thinking, posing these kind of questions is IMO very important.

I feel that many students are not given that chance to understand the international scene and what their skillsbuilding means for their future work live and college experience.

school districts are an economic solution and the time for them has passed or is passing?

I have been thinking of this lately. I have been thinking if cloud computing and the organizational use of other types of tech devices can actually change the shape and size of school districts.

It feels to me that people’s anxieties about using technology is in part enhanced by realizing that tech can diminish and erode the huge blob of bureaucracy and budget waste that school districts have become.

Would love to have your thoughts, or reactions to that.

Creativity is not diminishing. The social conversation is expanding.

However, what might be happening is that certain segments of society are not engaging on the web or through social computing in a way that connects them with the rest of the culture. In that case, it may seem that cultural values are diminishing. It may seem. But let be be the finale of seem.

Further engagement with other communities would show you that the web is a rich and lively place of debate and cultural growth.

Or hospitals need us to realize we are sick, then schools need us to realize we are studpid.

Either way, a depressing way to start the day.