Open letter to Educators (from a drop out)

So, Danny boy here has a good message, overall. His beef is that the school he attended pressed facts, memorization of data, and, as he says, information is free, freely available. He says institutions of education need to "stoke creativity" and empower young people for change.

I could not agree with him more.

He complained that his college experience did not encourage interaction w/peers or instructor, that the text was okay but that more relevant (and accessible) content was online. He said learning management systems (aka Blackboard) are a step in the right direction, but so '90's!

I teach a skills-based curriculum and it's all about communication and engagement. My students all learn a little more about accessing information through digital tools. They tend to have a positive experience with me and peers, whether through the 'net or ground face to face engagement.

I agree that even Blackboard/ANGEL has room for improvement. We're now exploring video conferencing for next Fall. Even that is, perhaps, too little, too late.

Sometimes I think the whole higher education paradigm needs reinvented.