What's 990 years between friends?

Donald Clark stirred up the pigeons again or some such allegory yesterday by claiming that there has been more pedagogic change in 10 years than in the previous 1000 years – all driven by 10 technology innovations. (#pencilchat anyone?) The items he chose for his somewhat forced list of 10 were:

1. Asynchronous teaching – the new default
2. Links – free from tyranny of linear learning
3. Search (Google)
4. Wikipedia
5. Facebook
6. Twitter, texting
7. YouTube
8. Games
9. Tools (word processor, spreadsheet and presentation tools)
10. Open source

As I said, forced, but he makes a valid point, so even though half this list is a stretch (tools - last 10 years? Bit slow there Donald), he makes a valid point.

"That's the way we've done it for 1000 years" 

Recognising the magnitude of change while it's going on is difficult. Responding to it in an appropriate manner which mixes the best of the old with the best of the new is even harder.

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