Hi Mary Anne,

I was just trying to point out that there are other methods available to educate oneself besides the conventional colleges.

I agree that essays and things that are not yes/no , true/false or multiple choice will be subject to personal biases of the grader. However, as you point out - a student's nationality, physical appearance, etc. are thrown out of the equation. I would like to see a set up - where the essays pass a review board composed of several individuals and the median mark of the sum is delivered.

This way one strong political, moral or ideological persuasion is less likely to weigh heavily upon the student.

For someone who feels they cannot afford college - or my pet desire - to see internet education courses offered in many languages for free and made available in libraries of the second and third world nations.

Some folks, in our nation and many others who are unable to physically attend a university or even a grade school should be given the opportunity to be taken by those with online access - and for those who do not - charitably funded online centers - could much more inexpensively educate tens of thousands of intermediate age kids with only several instructors to help keep the process working.

Yes, in the USA we have a great variety of choices - and the human touch is still the best way to go. But I do not fear online education as churning out social cripples. Much human interaction is inescapable unless one is a hermit or handicapped. And even then I would prefer the hermits be educated ones - rather than uneducated. Perhaps their online interaction may prompt a desire for real interaction? Who knows?

I still can imagine a comprehensive college course - one that rivals Harvard in intensity - and ALSO a more comprehensive elementary and high school course that churns out better educated kids than their local school district and colleges.

A real genius kid - may attend his normal school AND also be taking classes online.

Even the slower children who may have had injuries or childhood deafness, etc. and who are behind their peers may catch up quicker with the presence of free online elementary schools, and other commercial ones which the parents may be able to afford.

I would love to see a US standardized internet education made available in all languages and broadcast freely through the world....

(Sung to the tune I would like to teach the world to sing)
Music here

I would like to teach the online world to learn, in perfect harmony

I would like to teach them, if I could, in
Beijing and New Delhi...

I would like to teach the oppressed and poor and help them all to see...

the wonder of enlightened ways which will help them to be free....

I can't continue...

(sniff sniff... I think my big liberal heart is about to burst)

The utopian,

SDAI-Tech1