Christopher F. Rufo  ⚔️

4. Having been a professor for nearly four decades, the idea of having large lectures or even large sections makes less and less sense. The instructor talks through material that can be read or viewed on line. Students take notes (or not, maybe check their phones, laptops).

5. I always say I can impact my net new knowledge to someone(s) in a lecture or two, what to do with the other dozen or couple of dozen. Our role is not to regurgitate but to guide the learning process.

6. A lot of what we do in a higher-ed classroom, though not all of it can be done online.

7. What is really valuable is working close with students on projects or one on one on research, kind of an apprentice model, where real learning and development takes place. On-line frees up cycles to do more of that.

8. So I think this year's disruption will cause not just providers but consumers of higher ed to think long and hard about what they are doing and what they are paying for.

9. But I think even bigger changes may come to k-12 education, especially in the United States. Again hard, if not impossible, to predict in advance. But here is what I see, esp as the father of 2 young girls.

10. More and more people are questioning the value of traditional school, esp if they are working from home and have the flexibility that brings.

11. More & more people are saying, I'll keep my kid home this year. I am hearing this from people who never, ever would have considered "home-schooling" and would scoff at me when I suggested it.