Hi Jen,

David Warlick is famous for saying that we are essentially preparing kids for 'jobs that do not presently exist'". This comment is almost always misconstrued to mean that there are some mysterious jobs coming up on the market, the likes of which we can not comprehend - like managers of flying car dealerships or what-have-you. I think that the actual meaning of Warlick's statement lies in the "how" and "why" but not the "what". The types of jobs will likely stay the same. What we are seeing (even now), however, is a change in the way business is done in a modern and future job market. Online and virtual school environments create the perfect avenue for helping to prepare our students for a burgeoning and digital economy. Take, for example, the rapid capitalization of Eastern Asia and the profound effect that this has had on the open global market. I read an article recently that talked about the "disassembly line" in a global economy. The assembly line made famous by Henry Ford has since shattered and left remnants scattered from the coasts of China to the plains of western Africa. The disassembly line regards us all as specialists in the creation of one part of a product - relying on other specialists to create and assemble to other parts to make a wholly more effective and affordable product. This complex type of interaction requires a profound understanding of the role of the individual in the manufacturing process, the ability to collaborate across cultures, the linguistics to effectively communicate needs, expectations, costs and deadlines while also being aware of how the outside domestic processes effect the small piece of the user. We need to continue our call for collaboration in our classrooms (apologies for all alliteration), but we need to find ways to enable collaboration that are not temporally or geographically isolated. This is where online learning actually gains some ground. While I am a firm believer that the most effective online learning experiences will always occur synchronously with other learners / specialists / collaborators, learning to collaborate in a variable environment, one without walls and without time limits, is so crucial to success in a global economy and future job market. Effective dialog and interaction CAN occur asynchronously and in such a way as benefits productivity simply because the individual is cast in the role of "specialist based upon their "specialties".

I encourage teachers to create virtual spaces where students can collaborate outside of the course, easily access specialists (even in their own classes, grades, schools) and develop pieces of larger products that are well adapted to relevant outcomes from the project. Whether you do this through an LMS, an organized online virtual space (like Second Life - or the soon to be dead, Lively) or through cloud collaboration (Google Docs, etc) students benefit from learning how to practice manufacturing skills on a digital landscape. The theme of collaboration is the same - the setting is different...and we need to equip ourselves with the tools and means to simulate these environments for our kids. Education is more about empowerment now than it has been in the past 60 years or so.

As always, this is strictly my opinion. :-) I'm very interested to hear / see / read what you all end up coming up with.

Hi Jennifer,

With your interest in Ed technology I recommend you take a look at Wiziq's virtual classroom and authorstream's power point presentation platform. Both are web based and have a bunch of features with free basic service. I think both technologies will help you in your efforts to get your students ready for the 21st century.