A Social Experiment...

[treedragon]

With school possibly closing, people working from home and online food deliveries, is this what could be possible at all times.

Kids could be educated from school in home via virtual means, people working at home saving travelling and pollution and no need for food shops other than central fulfilment centres.

Is the future here?

No. People are social animals.

I hope not. I like being in the world.

Why would you want to normally? My kids have been off for a month and they are really missing their friends as am I.

Also learning online is not great.

God I hope not.

You know that solitary confinement is a punishment right?

I do wonder if this will lead to any changes to society and how we live.

No, I agree, this is not a good vision for the future. Having said that, I think there are some opportunities for organisations to make some positive long-term changes, including around home working, restriction of unnecessary travel, etc. My university has just announced that we will be moving to online teaching and assessment in the summer term. I must admit that I'm quite looking forward to seeing how this will work. I feel that we have a lot of stale practices in terms of examinations in my subject, and it's definitely not a bad thing that some stick-in-the-muds (of which I am probably one!) will be forced to rethink their decades-old practices. I am less positive about online teaching, though, as I teach a subject that is based on small-group seminar discussion and it's impossible to replicate that interaction virtually.

This is already my life with 2 autistic kids who are not able to be in school due to lack of provision for bright autistics who can't cope in mainstream!

i work from home and get online deliveries.

One positive is that we probably leave less of an environmental footprint.

We do get out and the kids get very well educated, there are some excellent online learning resources. There is the opportunity to learn something they are interested in in much more depth than could ever be possible in a formal school environment.

So it's not all bad and we do get out as well you know!

Just speaking to my partner about this.
I think there will be a societal shift and once they see the pollution levels lower etc. And how people can remotely work from home that there will be more employers pushing for people to work from home. Just my guess anyway. And yes, I know not everyone can wfh!

Look at the money that could be saved with online schooling. One teacher can reach out to thousands of kids. Computers could mark work electronically.

Hopefully not, how depressing would that be that all of our human interaction would be done via electronic means, I actually find that really, really sad. I do hope though that people will re-evaluate whether they really need to fly across the world for a work conference, or if they need to drive to the shops when they could walk. I hope that if anything comes out of this it's that the environment benefits. Doubtful though, I am sure normal life will resume.

Yeah, let's put all the teachers out of work. Let's socially isolate everyone. I hope you're playing devil's advocate OP?

You could say 'look at the money you can save' about anything though.

Look at the money you can save by never going on holiday
Look at the money you can save by only eating baked beans
Look at the money you can save by letting g sick or injured people die
Look at the money you can save by not having art galleries
Look at the money you can save by not having sofas, carpets, beds etc
Look at the money you can save by not having individual homes instead of living in institutions

Look at the money that could be saved with online schooling. One teacher can reach out to thousands of kids. Computers could mark work electronically.

True, but there are lots of vulnerable children for whom school is a safe haven. If this became the norm how much easier would it be for neglect etc to go unnoticed. Just one of the reasons that online schooling is not ideal.

I once wrote a short piece about a dystopian world in which children were taught via videos, isolated in little boxes on their own, as it was seen as more efficient. Totally fails to take into account that people learn more than just lesson content at school. And also, that many low ability and young children just aren't self-motivated enough to do the work without someone there to check up on it and intervene.

We are in the midst of an experiment. This week I have been really busy setting up my own wfh and my primary school aged twins have been asked to get on with homework (no school for weeks here). Dd has done all hers and colour coded her to-do list. DS has done nothing and has no intention of doing anything unless I stand over him!

Look at the money that could be saved with online schooling. One teacher can reach out to thousands of kids. Computers could mark work electronically

People would need the supplies scissors cello tape string laptops, glue, counters etc

A teacher can not help a child struggling or see an upset child.

How would they manage toilet breaks, PE, team games, etc