Another idea for fixing school, written on 2000-7-19*.
Thousands of people, swarming this way and that, moving hither and thither. As a group of people, they become something more -- a mass -- but they retain their individuality. Each one is unique. Each one a person, with thoughts, interests, ideas and emotions. I click on any one and I can see deeper. I see what interests them, what excites them, what occupies them, what makes them them.
I see their weblog. A place where they can express their thoughts and emotions and collect information on their interests. For each person there's a weblog. A collection of facts and information on not only them but what they love. And for each topic there are people, people who are involved with it, people who it excites.
For that is what is truly behind any subject -- people. When we get in touch with people who are excited about something, it in turn excites us. And so, to truly learn about something, we must find someone who can teach us. Yes, a teacher. Not the teachers of today, who musn't teach but merely guide us. They must help us find our way among the swarm -- the masses of people and information that engulfs us.
We must have specialized teachers, teachers who are enthralled with their subject, people we can ask questions to and hold discussions with. People whose knowledge we can plumb the depths of, absorbing information like a sponge.
And thus, we learn. We are guided to the food, but are not fed. We soak up the knowledge, but are not soaked. Teachers become guides, textbooks become teachers. We do not learn from the dead, stale textbooks of yore, but instead from living breathing websites. Websites created by people, filled with their passion and emotion. People who teach us and become the real teachers. And our current teachers become guides, to lead us to the source and then step away and let us enjoy it for ourselves.
For that, we thank them.
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