Hi Everyone…I feel as though I have sequestered myself the past few months but now I understand why. I have been re-thinking my approach to AI and decided to take the opportunity to redirect my thoughts to a broader vision of what AI may mean in the future.
After the unimaginable event that took place on Wednesday, February 14, 2018, I asked myself what we could have done to avert the senseless murders at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. I understand everyone has an approach or policy that may have stopped this and other school shootings of our young, future citizen leaders. Better education, more gun control, addressing the mental health issues…I could go on and on. But what seems lacking in the rhetoric is what is the root cause. I offer to you that it is not as simple as looking into one reason but looking at it from an interdisciplinary perspective. With that in mind, I offer the following possibility and an interdisciplinary solution.
We, as adults, are looking at the problem through a lens developed through a Piscean age filter of centralization and institutions. If we hope to have any effect on changing the conditions that foster depression, boredom, peer pressure and a lack of focused direction, I submit that we must change our lenses and start developing a new and improved lens developed through an Aquarian age filter of decentralization and technology. This approach may lead us to a possible cause for the unthinkable deaths of young students today…applying 20th century education known as Knowledge based Common Core applied through centralized institutions.
In a system where education know longer uses rote memorization but embraces experiential learning through hands on choice, a new feeling of potential for the individual student develops.
There are many educators in the field today that have been promoting such approaches to learning. Some of whom are readily discussed in conversation, Montessori, Finland Education and even South Korea who has taken the number one educational system away from Finland who now ranks 5th! Still, 5th seems very good considering the US is ranked 14th! http://www.master-and-more.eu/en/news-detail/news/top-40-education-systems-in-the-world/
And yet, another ranking indicator suggests Finland remains in 1st place, S Korea has moved to 3rd and the US has dropped to 20th! Of course, these indicators state that “The poll’s purpose is to gather information on how countries are preparing their youths for the 21st century global knowledge base economy.” https://worldtop20.org/2017-world-best-education-systems-1st-quarter-report
With the economy in mind, even Ron Paul wrote a book titled “The School Revolution-A New Answer for One Broken Education System” ISBN 978-1-4555-7717-0 (2013). In addition to his book, the “Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity” website describes Mr. Paul’s purpose is to educate on Liberty/Freedom, so students will understand the difference between liberty and bondage. A worthy battle but one that would need to change the political climate to achieve his goals.
Poverty and violence is a constant educational battle fought by educators in large cities. Rafe Esquith, a teacher in Los Angeles, wrote the book “Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire-The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56” ISBN 978-0-670-03815-2 (2007) to show how considering the students first, the immigrants or children of immigrants, who live in poverty and speak little English, is one step closer to educating student who might not have the opportunity to succeed.
There are many more examples of well-intentioned educators and politicians working on lessons, plans, curriculums, courses, policies and procedures. The internet is rife with them. But most have not address the true nature of education in the 21st century. The meeting of AI and Education and the future of world economies. A truly Aquarian Interdisciplinary perspective.
There are many 21st century thinkers who are espousing their views on this integration of disciplines. From Ray Kurzweil, futurist and Google Director of Engineering, author of “The Singularity Is Near” (EPub ISBN 978-0-7156-4015-0 (2005)) and Singularity University https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTPDdukRUzw, to Gerald Celente, trends expert and visionary, author of “Trends 2000” (ISBN 978-0-446-55950-8 (1997))and founder of The Trends Institute https://trendsresearch.com/stories/5-interactive-u-the-india-model,5522?. To round out our 21st century thinkers, I add John Hogue, considered a rogue Scholar and known world-wide as an authority on Nostradamus and other prophetic traditions as well as the author of “Ten Predications for 2018 (Kindle eBook (2018) (The Ninth Prophecy: Artificial Intelligence is Humanities Greatest Challenge), each see a natural evolvement that appears to escape our current policy makers and shakers.
While searching and researching for ideas for educating in the 21st century, one philosophy for educators stood out to me and that was TED and TEDx. Their idea of educating children and college students blended the idea of AI and Education in an interdisciplinary way. The TED and TEDx philosophy and mission states “The TED philosophy, according to Lara Stein, the Founder and Director of TEDx, consists of one sentence, “it’s about simplified, authentic storytelling.” Which seems to fit well with its mission of, “ideas worth spreading”. Combine both with a remarkable TEDx organizer and speaker and you get the 18-minute presentation equivalent of a Hollywood blockbuster.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/markfidelman/2012/06/19/heres-why-ted-and-tedx-are-so-incredibly-appealing-infographic/#22b37f2d3b0e .
Two speakers I found to demonstrate the problem in educating students today, both at the K-12 level and as they move into college are Scott Bolland and Bernhard Schindholzer. Scott explains educating student K-12 through the lens of a neuroscientist in his video Neuroscience, AI and the Future of Education https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cYIvfS-knA. Bernhard Schindholzer takes education to the college level in his video Artificial intelligence & the future of education systems https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdHhs-I9FVo&app=desktop.
This is not to say that their approach is the one that standards should be set as, but an approach that most researchers and policy makers can use as a starting point. Even Betsy DeVos, US Secretary of Education is moving towards a form of Aquarian decentralization of Education when it’s noted in a NY Times article, “She still believes the federal government should have a limited role in telling any school how to educate its students.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/09/us/politics/betsy-devos.html .
Let us hope that as we move through the 21st century, education will change and not continue to reflect 20th century thinking.
"What Would Happen If..." 