VC - The United Network of Free Learners

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Title Title:The United Network of Free Learners
Date: 21st Mar 2021 17:00 GMT
Host: Jamesb

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Topic: Discussion about Jamesb's article The United Network of Free Learners, which is based on Ivan Illich's learning peer-matching network , covered in Deschooling Society book he authored in 1972. Jamesb coined such network as The United Network of Free Learners.

My notes

Free learning tools

Nowadays we have tools to make free learning more accessible and inexpensive than ever before. Although it is not free in the sense of out of cost, it is easily affordable. Free learning is actually cheaper than Formal Education, specially in college. Note that in some countries, there are no tuition fees for formal education as those are paid via taxes.

Free learning is technology-independent. In that sense, no one is forced to use SuperMemo or any other Spaced Repetition Software, as well as any operative system in particular.

Comunities

Jamesb suggest the idea to start a tiny network. With time, the network will increase the population to overwhelmingly quantity of people, which at that point the community can be split to niche-down it scope. I personally interpret it as a dendritic growth pattern. The more people out there in one particular niche, the more specialized communities will be formed.

The idea is that a free learner could join anytime any community with no restrictions according to his current areas of interests learn drive. These communities could interact with each other, for instance notifying some community-driven events from communities with overlapping scope.

Templates

template: to start a discord with bots preloaded.

Lead by the example

This reminds me the slogan from fellow countryman Pau Gasol, a former NBA player who's motto is "lead by example!. Interestingly, I learned the English expression from him.


Community network

Goal: find free learners with overlapping interests.

Can we came discord servers do the good things from university? (seminars with experts, networking)

University Experts

Experts are paid in university seminars as incentive, they won't get any benefit other than the money.

Master / relationship

Master/mentor-mentoree/aprentice relationship, both win.

LEARN IN PUBLIC

With learning in public, one kills 3 birds with one stone:

  • you learn more
  • you teaching others
  • at the same time, you are getting exposure and marketing