Not saying it's "impossible," but...

"A lot of the discussion about online classes takes the view that education is a package of facts," said John Curtis, director of research and public policy at the American Association of University Professors in Washington.  "Education is a process of interaction, of thinking through concepts, debating ideas and having others react to your thoughts."

See: Perry's call for $10,000 bachelor degrees stumps educators

The above is the last line of the article commenting on Governor Rick Perry's State of the State (Texas, if you didn't know) speech, and his challenge for public university education to cost only $10,000 for four years, inclusive of textbooks, merit raises for distinguished faculty, teaching assistant and research assistant salaries, equipment costs for labs and (I assume), room and board.

I recall that we humans became educated once we settled into gated cities and invented the printing press: cities protected us from wild animals, marauding thieves and nation-state armies; printing allowed us a means to disseminate information to a large range of people. The religious monastic orders provided a blueprint for what we now call universities.

I thought to do an Internet search on "the evolution of education," and this link from the National Science Foundation came up titled the same (nice!).  It starts with that oft-quoted 1957 "you-know-the-name-of-that-satellite" moment!

What seems to be consistent is our inconsistency in funding public education: 1) because it is a part of "the government," depending on your philosophy can be good or bad, 2) no clear vision of what we want to accomplish with education, i.e. the end result:

- Then: win the space race and secure America from the technology of launching tactical nuclear missiles.

- Now: win the global competition in education and technology to safeguard jobs from being outsourced.

John Curtis says education is a process of interaction, and the Kagan Structures course I learned at Manor High School this Saturday seems to agree with that.  I learned as a high school physics/math teacher along with ESL, Resource and Social Studies teachers from our math coach (who taught a very good class I might add, ☺).  So was the facilitator Thursday on Classroom Management.  One of the things I immediately changed was gathering the strength to meet my students at the door: it made a noticeable difference. ☺

The only means $10,000 per year could be met is through online interactive media, which are good but with caveats.

I've used a number of online manipulatives like the University of Colorado's online simulations as well as Physics Classroom, but in physical science as well as in math: you have to DO something with something - build a circuit (electricity/electronics), break a board (Newton's 3 Laws of Motion), blocks for factoring, etc.  That is what engrains the concept to the point of mastery.

Also, online eliminates the professor-student, teacher-student, master-disciple relationship.  It is a relationship that a computer screen cannot give.  Surprising as a blogger I would say this, but I want to use technology as a tool; not become servant to it.

Depending on your high school, structure and demographic you have between 50 - 90 minutes to grab the attention of young persons so tied to technology via I-phones, MMO (i.e., massively multi player online - often in the millions) gaming, 24/7 access to the Internet and a plethora of cable channels they cannot possibly watch in one lifetime.  Your work is cut out for you to teach Algebra II, Newtonian Physics or Ohm's Law!

A large part of Kagan is the oft-stated cliche "thinking outside of the box," hence the puzzle I included at the beginning of this posting.

Out-of-the-box thinking follows:

1. I would not outlaw cell phones in public schools: students would be required to sign a sheet giving their names and cell phone numbers (with parent's numbers & permission as well).  The teacher would then TEXT their homework assignments to both student and parents using an email-to-text-message application, so there is a record of the assignment being sent.
2. Also send assignments to their Facebook and Myspace pages from a department page for that purpose only (same instructions as number 1); zeros if said pages are deleted: my cyber dog at my homework?
3. I would eliminate textbooks reducing annual storage costs: I-pads and Kindles issued at the beginning of each school year would have downloaded PDF textbooks that could be researched (with the text HW assignments from the teacher to parents-students).

I have a student who said she would positively HATE it if we did this...

Heh, heh, heh!!!!!!!!!!!

(Manical laugh; evil hand-wringing)

Resistance is futile...you WILL be educated.