The New Basics: Education and the Future of Work in the Telematic Age

Rating:
Summary: A Bridge over the Digital Divide...
Review: David Thornburg... Ian Jukes and other Marshall McLuhan disciples of the Thornburg Center for Computer/Media structured Education in what's phrased the Telematic Age...continues to wage war against THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. This is the abyss separating computer illiterates and New Adepts who are comfortable with computers and understand what they're for(and not for). Buzz words abound in this newest statement from the premier prophet of VIRTUAL SCHOOL, "the school without walls" which employs computers to expand(transform)what he labels THE CAMPFIRE;THE WATERINGHOLE; and THE CAVE. "Campfire" is traditional aegis of the Knowledge Expert. The "Wateringhole" is where peers share and "intelligent" listeners hear. The CAVE is private place of genesis: where new ideas are conceptualized and epiphanies intially tested. None of these ideas are radically new (nor claimed as such). BUT: the electronic(cyberspace)approach to them is...and consequences are epoch framing.

The Computer is electronic Pandora's Box. Problems(and pseudo-problems)it creates(will create)are manifest...to those to whom it is "alien" entity. Thornburg hopefully proposes children be trained/educated to use computers (so that computers do NOT USE them)and become adept in THREE FOUNDATIONAL LEARNING SKILLS: finding information(this requires ability to contexualize mere "data"); determining relevance & asessing accuracy. The latter two judgement faculties cannot be memorized--either through "olden days" books or blind application of robotic protocols/algorithms--but they can be learned. And they have become essential to succeed(survive)in the Brave New World of New( "telematic")work...

Socrates'story of THE CAVE condemned masses of mankind to abject ignorance or bondage before shallow illusions. "EDUCATION" comes from Latin "ex...ducere": to lead-out of "ignorance"...into TRUTH. Dr.Thornburg may exaggerate in projecting an uneducable underclass(with disasterous socio-political, moral crises inevitably resulting). But he is urgently proposing well conceived programs in Computer Literacy(which must be preceded by radical intervention in traditional literacy: if you can't read a book, you'll never negotiate "spider" Webs). Two CAVES are posited: an old one of ignorance and a re-newed one of life long learning and opportunity. Each cave is on opposite side of The Digital Divide. David Thornburg's book is a narrow bridge explaining why this BRIDGE must be expanded and digitally crossed very, very soon.(4 and 1/2 stars)

Rating:
Summary: Right on!
Review: This book was exciting! I really resonated with everything the author had to say. He's right on in explaining the flaws in our schools, and some ways to overcome them. A must read for every teacher, administrator and parent!