This might foul up the works a tad, as I’m an integrator and I’m also a multipurpose iconoclast. So I hope at times it might be hard to tell which devil I was advocating for. Or whose calf is getting gored and served up cajun style BBQ.
Actually, I’m prejudiced towards the devil we don’t know as opposed to the devil we do. I prefer the former to the latter. Bring on the change, and then let’s do the party cleanup later. And I’m also willing to just route around devils altogether. Can’t we just be joyful adventurers on the path, working according to our best lights, and singing a happy song, while the devils do whatever they do off in their very own Mordor? We get what we create in our minds, so why even think about creatures with pointy tales, and nasty habits? Isn’t the best way to deal with trolls, just to ignore them, don’t give it energy? Yeah, I thought so! (adamant debating points here).
There’s fear and loathing nonetheless in the present situation of educational institutions, because a gigantic tidal wave is on the move, coming right towards them (us?). No one knows what the landscape will look like after it arrives. And if it is ever “going away” once it gets here.
Ya ever notice that so many of those ancient cities were just built over again, probably with some new bells and whistles, but using the bricks and stones and rocks that had been there before in a previous architectural manifestation. Things fell apart, or were taken apart, but often, there was a desire to rebuild something there again. So they did.
Or occasionally everyone went away, and never came back, and the place was just ruins for ever after.
I think that’s the heart of the matter when it comes to the changes OTL will bring to educational institutions, or that educational institutions will bring to OTL. As far as goals, I think there’s a general agreement on avoiding the “ruins for ever after scenario”. We all have at least some part of our attention focused on who’s gaining, and we’re all wondering if we can, as a country, run any faster and stay ahead.
But it’s how we get there, and what we are willing to change to get there, what we are willing to accept that’s different… that will decide if we get there or not. I’m going out on a limb here and suggest it’s going to require/inspire a lot of change from all parties including perhaps an awareness that the distinctions between the parties are less important than the similarities.
I think we all will begin to see institutions in new ways, and the relationship and participation of individuals both within and ACROSS the boundaries will change dramatically. It’s that kind of changing awareness of interests and self identification with larger entities that brings upon unexpected sudden swings in how power is exercised, by who, and for what goals.
In other words, bureaucracies are, as we know from eastern europe and elsewhere, paper tigers. They can look invincible one moment, but as soon as those who allege fidelity to them see themselves as part of something entirely different, the power goes away overnight. People decided it was just so much more cool to be citizens with certain inalienable rights. And even the leaders of the old power structures could kind of see their point, they lost heart in supporting totalitarianism. It just was collectively not cool any more, and people as a group, identified themselves as part of something else. So the old thing went away in the night. Yeah, I thought so! (more adamant debating here). Okay, if there’s another outside power hanging around, they can delay the process for a number of years, but eventually…
In this case, educational bureaucracies have enormous gate keeping functions. They accredit, or don’t accredit large numbers of those entering our work forces. A college degree is generally thought to be an indicator of future success in a career. Although this gate keeping function is known to have some gaps where the undocumented sneak through and find success somehow… nonetheless the general model of educational institutions turning out value added product for the economy is widely accepted. The huge sums of money devoted to the educational machine in it’s official manifestations speaks to the acceptance of the gate-keeping role they maintain for themselves.
But here’s a question. What if there was a competing or parallel way that people could be qualified, or accredited to be ready to join the workforce? What if it was turning out demonstrably better “product”? Wouldn’t it gradually erode the predominance of the old model, especially if people really really didn’t like the old model? Wouldn’t some of the leaders and some of the rank and file of the old model decide to switch sides.
What would happen then? Would some of the gatekeeping function inevitably move away from their control to a new less defined world of accreditation? Perhaps a new model of simply demonstrating competence on the job? Would the gate keeping function cease forever more to be under the ownership of the status quo educational institutions who would then wither because of lack of resources? Will new institutions develop using the same bricks and stones (teachers?), in the same place, and with a new bureaucracy that will control OLLC and OTL? Probably something like that, but maybe a lot more centered in the private sector.
Or will the status quo institutions somehow co-opt the new OTL, and crush opposition, and keep the whole pie to themselves?
Powers that be, will try to hold on tight. But if I read the economy correctly, that just ain’t going to work, because either we produce knowledge workers that succeed, or we don’t, and if we don’t, there WILL be change no matter who tries to resist.
I talked a bit about this in the previous blog below; it’s actually a continuation of this post, or this is a continuation of that post. Anyway, it’s the same thing with a different emphasis.
