REF: LMS - Where from and where to?

["Earl J. Moniz" <emoniz@CHRISTCOM.NET>]

Well, what an interesting question to pose. . .

Where From. . .
I retired from the military after 22 years of active duty in the Army ...
jumping out of airplanes, repelling out of helicopters, humping radios over
hill and dale (hill didn't mind much, but dale was so darn ticklish...),
swimming out of submarines, testing new equipment, redesigning old
equipment, teaching Koreans, Thais, Filipinos, and Marines (which isn't to
say they are not native Americans...although they do have a language all
their own...) and dusting a desk for my final year and a half..., so
naturally I would pick a second career in education...

I graduated in May 1994, found my first position that fall (6th graders)
... and subsequently began working on my library science degree in Jan 1995
... it didn't take me long to decide that the classroom was not my calling.
 I subsequently moved to a middle school after the district reorganized and
thought I found my calling in an 8th grade social studies position the
following fall - didn't work - I quit in February 1996!

So, as far as being worn out, I don't think so ... maybe popped (no, not
pooped) popped out or driven out might be a better description ... but
driven out to a better existence or higher plane ...

Where To...
I am heading to an Ed. D. in technology and distance learning...probably at
NOVA Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale...they provide instruction
over the web, monthly regional meetings with colleagues and classmates ...
and 8 days on the main campus every summer until completion (normally three
years)...  WHY?

I do believe the next step in evolution of the home schooling scheme of
things might be distance learning of sorts...  Studios might be set up to
which students sign up for classes - either full-time or for additional
tutoring...  Teachers go to the studios and present their classes to a
number of students (28-30) or so as if doing a conference call for a large
corporation ... overheads, still videos, drawings, and all notes can be
captured to the hard drive and then tidied up as class notes by the
students ... students may ask questions of the teacher through email (or
live during the class) and the questions are broadcast to all the other
students ... all over the Internet...

Why do I think this situation will arise...
With school violence the way it is, testing scores of major concern (and
very little concern for the student), the apparent lack of discipline or
control in many situations, and the advent of vouchers (this voucher factor
is the final one that will make it commercially appealing). . .all the
factors will be present to establish home school services over the
Internet.  We have all the factors necessary at the present time - online
real-time video conferencing, voice and graphics - the final factor will be
the vouchers ... that'll make this notion blossom, you just wait...  We
have distance learning available now ... just not into homes; what'll drive
it there? Voucher money!

Librarians should be the cutting edge of this jump to the Internet - most
will have a teaching degree of some sort - many will have Internet
expertise - and don't tell me they wouldn't love all the excitement and
satisfaction of the librarian job (teaching and guiding) without having to
reshelve a single book!  I'd love a job like that. . .  I'd love to own a
studio that catered to home school students...it would be sort of an
educational intranet ... much like the webrings which are becoming the rage
here lately...

Well, that's my input and my prediction ...

Where have we come from?  Everywhere!
Where are we heading?  Everywhere!

All I know is that we have been silent and submissive long enough...(as if
I have been doing this my whole life, eh?!) ... the era of the librarian is
just around the next corner, there's the signpost up ahead, welcome to the
twilight zone ... and depending on your perspective, *you* determine
whether it is the dawn of a new day or the last silent twinkling of an era
past!

Aloha...   Earl J.


Earl J. Moniz - School Librarian
Lillington Elementary - Lillington, NC
emoniz@christcom.net/emoniz@nccu.edu
"Just doing what I can from where I am with what I have..."
Republication/retransmission permission granted . . .
"I'm flattered that you value what I said here..."