Pandemic Learning

[Pandemic - XII]

The pandemic has moved most schooling online. To be fair, the movement predates COVID. We can work effectively from a distance, we can communicate while thousands of miles apart, and we can access virtually any information instantaneously from anywhere in the world.

The writing was on the wall: Why can’t we educate remotely?

Holding the title (or the reputation) as the most prestigious institution in the world requires you lead rather than follow, lest you appear to be slipping behind. That’s why Harvard was one of the first and most adamant universities to put classes online. And many of them free.

Then the pandemic hit, and no students went to class. Can you imagine paying $50k+/year and miss 100% of the classroom interaction, face-to-face teacher engagement, and campus experience?

I can.

Because one doesn’t go to Harvard for what they can get for $10K/year at a state school.

They attend for the certificate that says “Harvard" on it. And “Harvard” means something different to the gatekeepers of certain industries. It's a symbol of prestige. And if “Harvard” gets you through the gate, there are real-world, measurable payouts for that. It makes financial sense over time. (And some people find immense value in status and prestige.)

So, I checked in on a free Harvard course. And it was terrible.

I also checked in on a Third Grade math class at a local public school. And it was far better.

Then I checked in on a church Sunday School class taught by a volunteer from her living room. And it was the the best of the three!

School might be migrating online, which means certifications (and status) will also migrate. But the assumption that prestige, good teaching, and real learning go hand-in-hand is further proving untrue.

Free your learning from the clutches of status.
The best teachers might live next door. Find one.