Involvement of the
entire learning community is critical for any successful institutionalised
social process. In the past education was perceived as being the domain
of the educated with the remainder of the community unable to listen
to the conversation let alone eat at the same table. Even as we extend
the concept of school to become a 24/7 process and where large amounts
of the resource is available electronically, schools remain one of the
last vestiges of community for many first world countries. They bring
a diverse range of people together under the one united purpose.
For this reason
it is critical to involve the extended community in the learning process.
Software such as the Knowledge NET© contains a range of tools that
allow even the most "busy" of communities to have direct and
effective communication with their local school. The Knowledge NET©
contains a suite of discussion, forum and information based tools which
allows the school to maintain good contact with their community despite
the busyness of everyone concerned.
The "experts"
in the lifelong learning process are, or should be teachers and for
this reason we expect that they will become an increasingly valued resource
within their communities. Lifelong learning requires each community
member to appreciate the teaching and learning processes, have an awareness
of their own learning capabilities as well as the capability to use
online information and communication tools which allow lifelong learning
to become a practical reality in their lives. This in itself is a teaching
and learning process and schools can become "lifelong
learning hubs" for their communities, providing training
in the area of lifelong learning and this presents an opportunity for
schools to take on a much higher profile in their communities. This
can be particularly true of smaller communities.
As schooling becomes
increasingly autonomous and local content becomes an increasingly important
feature, it is imperative that communities have some input into what
this local content could and should become. The teaching community within
a school will always have a degree of autonomy over what is taught within
their institution as they are the teaching and learning experts but
there is a degree of communication required with the community in order
that school reflects their community within their teaching program and
the Knowledge NET provides an excellent set of tools to allow for these
processes.
