There are lots of people focused on the presidential election and defeating Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. We will survive Trump and Clinton, but what will we do afterward? What will we do when manufacturing jobs never return, which is the unspoken reality? What do we do when the economic bleeding continues and more jobs are lost as computers begin to talk in real human voices and take over service jobs in the insurance and financial sectors? How do we cope with less people working and less income being shared? When will we realize that the whole college experience doesn't require bricks and mortar and many thousands of dollars every year to support that infrastructure? Why do we allow local and state governments to invest billions in economic development plans and marketing that don't recognize the new realities of markets, jobs and workforce challenges? These are all serious questions that honestly, we should be discussing during this election cycle, but we can't because the media is forced or perhaps chooses to cover goofs, blunders and lies. We also don't because we choose not to face many of these realities. We want to believe in the past and past successes.
The economy really is one of the most critical issues facing all of us. It is also the issue that has a large portion of the electorate angry and feeling taken advantage of and left out. Its really the majority of the anger we see at rallies and events. But who's dealing with it? It's hardly discussed or if it is, the hopes of past economies are brandished. We really need smart conversations about new economies, globalization, education, job preparation and shifting roles and new vocations. I don't see it happening soon enough. Most elected officials still believe in the past. Many educators still belief in traditional models of learning and teaching. But some day fairly soon, the reality is likely to hit us in the back of the head. Hopefully it won't be too late for the change that will be necessary.
Thanks for the post, Jim. Commenting on the higher ed aspect (naturally!). Your point is correct, but learners (regardless of age) and institutions are --generally speaking-- ill-prepared for supporting widespread online learning. Until such time that those who offer MOOCs and other exploratory learning experiences figure it all out, brick and mortar institutions will remain relevant.
ReplyDeleteYour main thesis is right on. These times are a-changin and we need to be having those conversations.