Jeff Jarvis referred to the concept of coal mines in his book What would Google Do? The basic idea surrounded today's mass media and it's struggle to maintain the stranglehold on the current business model. From YouTube to Netflix, there are constant disruptors to this model. He suggests that media must evolve. The powers that be must release some of their control. I believe that education will be soon to follow.
We currently exist in a world where choice is increasing exponentially. Public, private, parochial, charter, and online schools are heavily available to students and families. Information, which was once the Golden Fleece of success, has decreased in value due to the growth of the internet. Information is readily available to people from all walks of life. From How-To's to salary schedules, the internet has continually added transparency to a once opaque world. It is the responsibility of schools to look at these options, and produce something that is relevant to all stakeholders.
Public schools today must examine these options and recreate themselves for the 21st century. We must subdue our fear of losing control and refocus on our main goal of educating students. As our society continues to "cut the fat", schools have no choice but to follow. We must first examine ourselves to see where our purpose lies. Don't get me wrong; there have been attempts at evolution in schools. Flex credit is an example of this. Flex credit is intended to give students the option to somewhat create their own curriculum for a credit. This is a small start. For the most part in what I've seen schools have feared flex credit situations and have for the most part steered away from them. We must be careful how far we steer because the reality is that the road is not nearly as wide as it seems.
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