Online Education is a Loop Back to the Beginning

• Era of Education:  Traditional Tribal Society
• How Education Was Done:
• Stories
• Learn by Helping Adults (Participation) 
• I do - We do - You do
• Goal of Education:  Survival
• Strength:  Multi-generational Cohesion
• Weakness:  Narrow Focus and No Curriculum 

• Era of Education:  Greek and Classical Academy
• How Education Was Done:
• Lecture by Paid Tutor
• Didactic Questions
• Greek Tutors Trained Roman Elites
• Goal of Education:  Leadership in Complex City or State 
• Strength:  Broader Curriculum
• Weakness:  Audience is Elites

• Era of Education:  Agricultural American One Room School House
• How Education Was Done:
• Lecture by Trained Teacher
• Canon of Text Books 
• Focus on Basics
• Reading
• Writing 
• Arithmetic 
• Goal of Education:  Train Citizens and Work Force 
• Strength:  Broadly Available and Re-enforce Sense of Community
• Weakness:  Overly Concentrating on the Practical and Functional

• Era of Education:  Industrial American Consolidated Schools
• How Education Was Done:
• Lecture by Trained Highly Teachers
• Canon of Text Books 
• Goal of Education:  Train Citizens and Work Force 
• Strength:  Bring Equality To All Members of Society
• Weakness:  Mass Produce Education; Disconnect Community from School

• Era of Education:  Information Age - Online Education
• How Education Is Done:
• Online Materials
• Life-long Learning
• Bite Size Material
• Social Aspects of Learning Re-emerge  
• Goal of Education:  Self-Directed Learning to Meet Personal Goals 
• Strength:  Brings Back Learning By Doing
• Weakness: Narrow Focus on Personal Interests and No Set Canon