There is an amazing disconnect right now between the corporate world and educational institutions that are slowly trying to catch up with the e-learning revolution.  In businesses all over the world, cost reduction is driving the the adoption of e-learning due to the inherent efficiencies gained by moving to a centralized, collaborative technology enhanced model of training delivery.  

Cost effectiveness, and consequently a more environmentally sustainable training system, are the obvious rewards of e-learning.  Student workers are trained remotely without leaving the office and traveling to take classes in some corporate mother ship.  Aptitude and achievement testing are administered through centralized online systems, and evaluated by managers who provide further training when needed with more online content.

Compare that to our schools.  Change in our school systems is painful and slow, and that is understandable.  But Bob Cringely says that some kids are getting too far ahead of their schools:

"We've reached the point in our (disparate) cultural adaptation to computing and communication technology that the younger technical generations are so empowered they are impatient and ready to jettison institutions most of the rest of us tend to think of as essential, central, even immortal. They are ready to dump our schools."

Schools have to enable technology instead of stifling it, or face losing their customers.  Although they are easily frightened by the prospect of technology threats, parents are taking notice and starting to demand change as our schools fail to keep pace.

And here is the discouraging part:  Technology solutions in education are often not designed to reduce cost, but instead are a source of extra expenditures.  Corporations don't add e-learning and keep their training department, they close the corporate classrooms.  Technology solutions can't start on the fringe of a school system and be successful.  They should be centralized, collaborative, and student centered.  Painful changes?  Yep.

So instead of giving every 10 year old a laptop, we need to completely reorganize the educational system.  Hopefully by the start of the 2008-2009 school year ;)