Relocation

We have now moved permanently to http://www.sensei-winbeforehand.co.uk.  Please update your bookmarks and RSS settings.

Book Worm or Computer Nerd?

Are we ready to say bye to books was the provocative title of a BBC article last Friday on Kindle DX, an e-reading device nearly as big as an A4 sheet of paper.  After spending some time discussing how it will work and how much it will cost, the article never really gets round to answering its own question.

My partner Dawn did a better job in her blog this week of weighing up the pros and cons.  For her, it all boils down to a matter of choice – both/and thinking, not either/or.  Although from the enthusiastic feel to her blog title – The Kindle is Reborn! – I think we can sense her positive vibes towards it.

All I want to do is quote a few relevant sentences from my main man Neil Postman.  Yes, I know I’ve waxed lyrical about his stuff before.  But, well, its my blog, frankly.  Plus a want to give another perspective from the usual technophile one that dominates the internet.

The Kindle is Reborn!

Goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg developed the first printing press in Western Europe (circa 1440).  The technology was based on screw-presses that were already being used to press cloth and grapes.  The genius of the Far East had already beaten him to it though, inventing woodblock printing and moveable type (after which a modern weblog management tool is named).  Later developments saw the introduction of offset printing, which became the norm.

In those days, Cambridge University owned 122 books, each of which were valued at the price of a farm or vineyard.

However, demand was growing for an increased availability to books to the increasingly literate middle classes.  No longer did clergy monopolise the magic ability.  Scientists were able to record and disseminate their discoveries.  Adult literacy increased dramatically.  Copyright laws were passed to protect the authors of these newly available works.  The early 1800s saw the introdution of faster printing output and printing on two sides (Koenig and Bauer).  And, the rest you know.

What would Johannes thought of if he’d heard of a new development where people would be able to read without paper, ink and metal type pieces?  And, in fact, people would be able to access ‘books’ from a gadget no bigger than a regular-sized school textbook.  I think he may have descended into a dark mood…

Adult Learning Versus New Labour

A recent survey conducted by the The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education has found that the proportion of adult learners in the UK is at its lowest level since 1997.  What happened in 1997?  The Labour party came into power, that’s what.  All this is the more embarrassing since Labour’s much vaunted push for adult learning earlier this year.

As someone who works in adult education, there is little surprise for me  in any of this.  Why?  I was hoping you would ask.

Labour’s education policy reeks of yesterday’s class wars.  Education, education education?  More like redistribution, redistribution, redistribution!  The nameless government spokesperson who was dragged on to explain this travesty bleated on about socio-economic groups, ‘participation’ and ’social inclusion’.  The study itself is quick to point out the gap between the “educationally privileged and the educationally excluded”.  So every failure in either explained or explained away in terms of class divisions.  Note the loaded terms.  Educationally privileged? Why not just say elitist and be done with it!