<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Perhaps one of the biggest lasting technological changes brought about by the shutdown is a forced adoption of online learning. A laptop isn’t necessary: a 300 dollar ChromeBook will do: it has a camera in it for controlled testing, a microphone, a receiver for the broadband available free from the school. The county supplied those, not the state, not the feds. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Suddenly educating the next generation took a quantum leap downward in cost, because real-time instructors are no longer necessary, even for grading purposes really. Software is proving to be adequate, even if not ideal, for grading written essay-style assignments. It isn’t great at evaluating content, but one might argue that carbon-based teachers are not necessarily any good at that either.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Plenty of students have discovered how easy it is to arrange an online meeting to get a project done. I myself participated in one, a software project for the local superintendent, using six selected students. It came together quickly and efficiently. We may never go back fully to face to face meetings.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>New content isn’t needed. Look at how much excellent material is available free from Khan Academy. A student can get one hell of a good primary education just by exhausting that material, and every bit of it can be done from home with a minimum of bandwidth. Now everyone on the planet has access to that.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Covid revolutionized education.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>spike<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>