Tom Clark's MOOC module was interesting to me because I found myself thinking about how educators throughout history have made use of any tools and technology available in order to reach students. I found myself analyzing each era thinking about the inventions of the time, the political climate, and the economic needs of the country at each particular year.
I have often remarked I feel technology should have standards and a set curriculum just as math and reading. In today's job market, one may be able to get along without knowing how to solve algebraic equations, but it is difficult to find a job in which some sort of computer skill is not necessary. This is why, I feel, online learning is just another step in the history of education.
Clark describes how distance education first began as students received lessons by mail. This type of distance learning has declined in the last few decades as advances in technology have made it obsolete. As communication has evolved throughout history educational desires have followed. Lessons have been delivered via radio, film, television, satellite, and now computers. Distance learning has also, presently, began filtering down from career and college courses to curriculum designed for learners of all ages.
Looking over this evolution, I cannot help but find myself thinking about what new inventions lie just on the horizon. How will future educators communicate lessons to their students? As much as the technology has changed, the drive to teach and learn has remained the same.
Clark, T. (2012). History of K-12 Online Learning. Retrieved from http://virtualschoolmooc.wikispaces.com/history
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