I’m delivering a keynote at the online Learning Revolution conference early tomorrow morning. It is being recorded so you can listen to it on your own schedule, but if the topic interests you and you’d like to participate with questions and comments, please grab a cup of coffee and join me! Here’s a description of my talk:

Self-directed learning is sometimes thought of as teacher-less learning by children, but that is not completely true. The role of the teacher is different when the child decides when, where, how, and from whom to learn; the context and purposes of teaching are radically different in this configuration. However, it is not a new configuration. Many teachers and philosophers during the last half of the twentieth century anticipated the backlash to institutionalized standardized learning and outlined how teachers can help people learn independently. In the 21st century we have social, economic, and technological changes that support this model of teaching and learning like never before. This talk outlines how a different kind of teacher is emerging from the ferment of unschooling, democratic schools, technology, and social perceptions about children in society.

Here is the schedule of keynotes for tomorrow:

Thursday, April 24th at 7am Learning Revolution Keynotes, Don't miss Pat Farenga on "What is the role of the teacher when children learn on their own?" Leonard Waks on "Beyond the University: New MOOC Audiences and Providers," Stephanie Sandifer on "Mobile Learning Among the Museums of Houston, Texas: A Blended & Personalized Learning Environment Leveraging Community Resources for Improved Learner Outcomes," Jackie Gerstein on "SAMR as a Framework for Moving Towards Education 3.0," Steve Wheeler on "Students Driving Change: How Learners are Making the Difference in the Digital Age," Roger Schank on "Out with the Old and In with the New: A Plan for Redesigning High School so that it is Fun and Useful," and Michael Strong on "Creating Great Educational Communities." See the schedule in your local time at http://learningrevolution.com/page/attending-schedule.