Debbie Roth <dr@sprintmail.com> wrote that she feels strongly that IT is
of great use to learning, citing teleconferencing as an example. I would
agree with you Debbie that IT is a useful tool in communicating and
sharing learning discoveries and also in facilitating environments that
are conducive to learning. If people feel that they create better, learn
more because they are more relaxed at home or in their casual clothes, or
at night, or where there are few (or many) disturbances then that is fine.
Technology facilitates such location-independent working and learning.
Downstructure beyond the arbitray rules that require and reward mere
presence in offices.
IT is just a tool though- it can hinder learning by tying the user up with
getting in a position to communicate their learning discoveries- the
persistent errors with my Office97 laptop puts my focus on busyness-
solving them- and not the creation and learning and business in hand. Look
at the all the books that say little if anything of any importance- the
printing press is not a substitute for knowledge and intelligence- it can
reward and distill that knowledge but does not work in a vaccuum!
Happy holidays and have a great 98 to all list members. May the dialog
continue unabatted in the future- and may email continue to provide a
great means for distilling that learning around the world.
regards, sincerely Simon Buckingham, http://www.unorg.com/teleworking.htm
--Simon Buckingham <go57@dial.pipex.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>