Learning shouldn't be a chore, it should be fun and free for everyone. Classrooms should recognize that education is a two way street- and that both student and teacher have something to learn from each other.
In a resource-based-economy, education can be reimagined to be more effective and exciting, giving students exactly the individualized learning environment they need. See this magazine for more ways to redesign education.
But first, let's look at why our education system needs reform in the first place.
For too many children, school can feel a lot like prison. It's wise to consider why, exactly school is run the way it is. With strict deadlines, uniforms, and age-based segregation- the truth is school was designed to be a factory for workers, not philosophers. Everything you find in school can be found in your average workplace. While the argument can be made that this prepares people for a job, evidence shows that self-directed learning is far better when it comes to producing motivated students. When you force a child to learn something at your pace, instead of the child's pace, learning will become a chore and the child will become bored.
Children love freedom, and it turns out teachers love it too! When teachers have the freedom to run the classroom the way they see fit, without supervisors or principals constantly peering over their shoulders, they have a greater ability to tailor their educational approach to their specific classroom. Many times, teacher-led schools opt for project-based learning, or smaller, more intimate class sizes.
Everything we've discussed here doesn't even begin to touch on the millions of people with a college degree who can't find a decent-paying job.
If school isn't preparing students for life, what's the point?
Maybe it's time to get rid of the idea of "school" altogether, and make the entire world a place to learn.
Think of the most important things you learned- how to walk, how to ride a bike, maybe how to use the microwave: Almost none of them were things you learned at school. This doesn't mean that we must get rid of organized education- far from it. But the idea of "school" as a singular place where you come to sit down for eight hours should be relegated to the dustbin of history. For most of the last 100,000 years, people learned by doing- joining apprenticeships, experimentation, and even asking questions. It might be a good idea to bring those back.
So where should the schools of the future be built? Why not everywhere? There could be an app which would allow teachers to list their classes, and they might all be in the same building, or they might be spread out across the city. One teacher may decide to hold a class in a restaurant, or someone else may decide to open a "mall" where several dozen teachers come to set up shop. Students and teachers could then check into classes with their payband, which would note whether they were late and on time. No more need for attendance checks or sign-in-sheets!
What's most important is that there's competition. Each parent would choose a class regimen for their child, and every day could be something different. At the end of each quarter, the teacher grades and reviews the child- but not only that, the students review the teacher- and the students even review each other! Teachers can also recieve reccomendations from other respected professionals in their field. Of course, all of these reviews would be marked so an observer could tell which was which.
Because everyone knows that they are being reviewed, there is an incentive to be on your best behavior. We already see this effect in other p2p services such as Uber: Drivers work very hard to maintain a good ranking. Some teachers would only accept the best students, and parents would only want the best teachers. The student review system isn't the same as giving a "grade" to the teacher: A series of very specific questions are asked in order to gauge the instructor's interest, and the student is never asked to give a general opinion of the class. The students would give the teacher a review before their final test, and nobody would see the results until final grades came out. This is to prevent either party from giving a negative "retaliation" review. Even then, it would be easy to spot one or two upset students who gave the teacher a bad score- but if all the students did it would be a sign of something worse. An example set of questions students could be asked at the end of each quarter can be found in the Measures of Effective Teaching kit here. MET is the result of years of studies and academic research by The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.
The ability to rate teachers wouldn't be available to all students: Only those in grades 6 and up can be trusted to give reasonable answers.
There are plenty of benefits to having an open education system: Both students and teachers can have classes at any time they feel convienient, and they could be about anything. The subjects available wouldn't be limited to math or science, but anything people wanted to learn. Someone could be a student one minute, and a teacher the next. Students can cancel or leave classes at any time, and pick from a wide array of classes that fit their needs exactly. Independence is king. Compare this to the rigid, inflexible demands today's academic centres place on our children, and you'll see that an open system can be more fun and educational than anything offered today.
Friday, February 6, 2015
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Draft Digital Bill of Rights for Virtual Communities and Markets
The rules any digital community who wants to be a part of the new social economy has to follow, including a 50% customer voted in board, strong privacy protections, open source, the allowance for exchange in order for the markets to function
Extremely tough on spam
rules for the market
how the social sites and others peel apart
Social Capital is how much society values you (reputation), and thus is the perfect currency to pay for services with. Unlike most money, social capital does not exhaust itself with use, and is self-replenishing. Before money, this is how the world worked: If you were well-liked and had no money, you would always find food- but if you were hated and rich your safety could never be guaranteed. Think "Whuffie".
We need seperate currencies for goods and services, because while goods are scarce and limited, services are limited only by human imagination.
-------------------
The future of social networking is very.. small. Instead of the behemoth corporations we have today, the social networks of tomorrow might function far more like real communities, and have thousands, instead of millions of members. Instead of being large, centralized "stacks", they will be run as independent nodes, each maybe focusing on doing one thing really well. We see this today with stand-alone apps like snapchat and kik, that are simple to use and intuitive.
Connectivity between social networks is provided by a universal messaging system- the backbone of the network (not unlike email), and it's provided in the standards set. there is a universal message inbox, in it you can choose to see messages from just this website or all your messages at once, and the universal message system always tells you where the message is coming from and what your account name is there, of course you can choose to connect as many accounts as you want, although one account, your "money" account, will be used to earn social capital and linked to your real identity- all accounts linked to this account will be shown on your reputation page. You can create throwaway accounts to say things you don't want to attach your real name to, this is critical to freedom.
Tribes directly run nodes, they can rent this server space or run it themselves but it only makes sense. That is the only way they could gain that much power: They would need to run their own online communities, which they could then use to ban people. Members of tribes have to connect to other nodes via that one account, so it makes sense that they could ban them tbh. The initial signing-up process obviously involves human verification
Nodes will be small, many having under 1 million members
Even the commenting system will be through the universal inbox
A universal feed is also provide, though seldom used
http://readwrite.com/2014/04/18/social-media-future-mobile-tribes
http://www.brandingmagazine.com/2015/02/13/digital-tribalism-is-rising-marketers-beware/
Extremely tough on spam
rules for the market
how the social sites and others peel apart
Social Capital is how much society values you (reputation), and thus is the perfect currency to pay for services with. Unlike most money, social capital does not exhaust itself with use, and is self-replenishing. Before money, this is how the world worked: If you were well-liked and had no money, you would always find food- but if you were hated and rich your safety could never be guaranteed. Think "Whuffie".
We need seperate currencies for goods and services, because while goods are scarce and limited, services are limited only by human imagination.
-------------------
The future of social networking is very.. small. Instead of the behemoth corporations we have today, the social networks of tomorrow might function far more like real communities, and have thousands, instead of millions of members. Instead of being large, centralized "stacks", they will be run as independent nodes, each maybe focusing on doing one thing really well. We see this today with stand-alone apps like snapchat and kik, that are simple to use and intuitive.
Connectivity between social networks is provided by a universal messaging system- the backbone of the network (not unlike email), and it's provided in the standards set. there is a universal message inbox, in it you can choose to see messages from just this website or all your messages at once, and the universal message system always tells you where the message is coming from and what your account name is there, of course you can choose to connect as many accounts as you want, although one account, your "money" account, will be used to earn social capital and linked to your real identity- all accounts linked to this account will be shown on your reputation page. You can create throwaway accounts to say things you don't want to attach your real name to, this is critical to freedom.
Tribes directly run nodes, they can rent this server space or run it themselves but it only makes sense. That is the only way they could gain that much power: They would need to run their own online communities, which they could then use to ban people. Members of tribes have to connect to other nodes via that one account, so it makes sense that they could ban them tbh. The initial signing-up process obviously involves human verification
Nodes will be small, many having under 1 million members
Even the commenting system will be through the universal inbox
A universal feed is also provide, though seldom used
http://readwrite.com/2014/04/18/social-media-future-mobile-tribes
http://www.brandingmagazine.com/2015/02/13/digital-tribalism-is-rising-marketers-beware/
Our Plan to End Homelessness
Make housing free for everyone.
Actually, we could end homelessness today if we wanted to, without building a single thing. Turns out there are 4 times as many empty houses as homeless people. The only reason why everyone doesn't have a house is because some people can't afford one.
But even if we did need to build more homes, there are several ways to make homebuilding cheaper, faster and more efficient. Check out contour crafting, for instance.
With 3-D printing, you could easily construct a house for under $5000, but that isn't even as cheap as we could go.
If you build homes out of earth and use automated construction methods, houses could be created for free. Rammed earth has been used for thousands of years, and most of the oldest buildings in the world are made of it. It's as solid as a rock because it is a rock.
Currently, building with rammed earth is somewhat expensive because of all the labor involved. But if you scale up the process and prefabricate the panels in a factory, the costs would go down significantly. The same goes for all the other components in the home like plumbing and wiring.
There's a lot of other sustainable and inexpensive building methods besides rammed earth, and this is just one example.
What this article is really about is property ownership, and how it would mesh with the concept of a resource-based economy. As you've read, The Global Assembly manages the means of production and this does include land to an extent. Still, that doesn't mean people can't gain the security of a private home or that everyone would be forced to live in cramped, run-down soviet-style apartments. No way. Not when we can do so much better. Everyone deserves to have a home of their own, and they will. It's not even a luxury.
One of the Global Assembly's main responsibilities is ensuring everyone has an place to stay. During the construction of the new cities, families will be able to individually design their houses and have them built, just for them. Each house will be fully recyclable and is designed to be taken apart at the end of it's lifetime. But a resource-based economy does require a value shift, from ownership to access. Today, everyone has to have "one of everything", even when it doesn't make sense or sits unused 98% of the time. Each house has to have one car, one power saw, one surfboard, one toaster.. We buy so much stuff because we're afraid that when we need it most, it'll be taken away. Then, we end up needing to find new places to store all that junk. In a world like this, it's understandable to worry.
When it comes to home ownership, first you want to ask yourself, "why"? The main answers are "security", "stability", and "investment". We want to know that we're safe and that we always have somewhere to sleep at night. In tough times, homes are usually safe places to store money for the long term. When we want to emphasize how solid something is, we say it's "safe as houses". You won't need to worry about any of those things in a resource-based economy. Since everyone is guaranteed access to a home, there's no reason to worry about losing it or being put out on the street.
There are two types of housing agreements people can sign in order to get a house, roughly equivalent to "renting" and "owning", respectively. If you budget wisely, you won't have to worry about missing a payment since you will always be able to fall back on your basic income.
1) Monthly
For those who aren't going to be in an area for a long period of time, it's best to get a monthly deal. Like a rental, you pay a sum of money each month in order to stay, for as long as you stay. Like a rental, the monthly price adjusts based on supply and demand: If you live in a desirable area, then the monthly rent will rise. On the flipside, if you live in a less desirable area your rent will drop, which wouldn't usually happen in today's economy. What makes renting in a RBE unique is that it builds equity. Housing is free, so when you decide to leave your rental you get all the money back, minus any city residency fees. If you leave a rental for more than a certain period of time, it can be placed back on the market. Cities manage these homes.
2) Yearly/Long-Term
If you want to make a long-term commitment and plan to stay in one place, getting a yearly contract is the best deal. You can own a home for anywhere between 10-100 years, and stipulate that the home be passed on to your children if you die before the time is up. Taking out a long-term contract is a serious deal, because you can't just walk away. Even if you leave the home or move, if you can't find someone willing to buy the rest of the lease the money will still be deducted from your basic income monthly.
There are benefits, though. For one, your monthly rate is locked in for the duration of the term and you can rent the home to someone else if you don't want to live there. At the end of the lease, you have the first chance to extend it by making an offer. Long-term homes build equity too, so that once the lease is up you or your family can withdraw the money you've spent on it over the years.
Land inside cities is owned and managed by the city itself, while agricultural and industrial land beyond it is maintained by the Global Assembly. Individuals cannot "own" land, but they can be granted stewardship of it. Stewardship is just an agreement where you agree to take care of the land and also not to harm or abuse it in any way so that it is left available for future generations. Unless you decide to give it away before then, stewardship always lasts for life. This is a recognition that we are really tourists on this planet. Nobody can truly "own" land. You did nothing to create it. It was here for millions of years before you and will be around for billions after you have gone. All we can do is take care of it.
An example of where stewardship might be useful is for someone who enjoys farming. While most farming will be automated, if someone wants to take stewardship of a small portion of land to start an organic farm or resort they would be able to. There isn't any reason for people to own much besides their homes after all, since the planet and the resources on it belong to all of us.
Notice that I never say the Global Assembly "owns" the means of production or land. It manages and maintains it- big difference. If someone wants to temporarily use an unused plot of land for, say a festival or summer camp, then they can without being charged a fee. As long as you don't make a mess and leave only footprints, you are generally free to do whatever you want. The global assembly must show a compelling interest for denying access to any open spaces. This right is known as the right to roam in common-law countries, and if you believe it has been violated you can sue. Of course, extraction of resources (like hunting or fishing) is different.
Actually, we could end homelessness today if we wanted to, without building a single thing. Turns out there are 4 times as many empty houses as homeless people. The only reason why everyone doesn't have a house is because some people can't afford one.
But even if we did need to build more homes, there are several ways to make homebuilding cheaper, faster and more efficient. Check out contour crafting, for instance.
With 3-D printing, you could easily construct a house for under $5000, but that isn't even as cheap as we could go.
This company 3-D printed 10 houses in a single day.
If you build homes out of earth and use automated construction methods, houses could be created for free. Rammed earth has been used for thousands of years, and most of the oldest buildings in the world are made of it. It's as solid as a rock because it is a rock.
Currently, building with rammed earth is somewhat expensive because of all the labor involved. But if you scale up the process and prefabricate the panels in a factory, the costs would go down significantly. The same goes for all the other components in the home like plumbing and wiring.
There's a lot of other sustainable and inexpensive building methods besides rammed earth, and this is just one example.
What this article is really about is property ownership, and how it would mesh with the concept of a resource-based economy. As you've read, The Global Assembly manages the means of production and this does include land to an extent. Still, that doesn't mean people can't gain the security of a private home or that everyone would be forced to live in cramped, run-down soviet-style apartments. No way. Not when we can do so much better. Everyone deserves to have a home of their own, and they will. It's not even a luxury.
One of the Global Assembly's main responsibilities is ensuring everyone has an place to stay. During the construction of the new cities, families will be able to individually design their houses and have them built, just for them. Each house will be fully recyclable and is designed to be taken apart at the end of it's lifetime. But a resource-based economy does require a value shift, from ownership to access. Today, everyone has to have "one of everything", even when it doesn't make sense or sits unused 98% of the time. Each house has to have one car, one power saw, one surfboard, one toaster.. We buy so much stuff because we're afraid that when we need it most, it'll be taken away. Then, we end up needing to find new places to store all that junk. In a world like this, it's understandable to worry.
When it comes to home ownership, first you want to ask yourself, "why"? The main answers are "security", "stability", and "investment". We want to know that we're safe and that we always have somewhere to sleep at night. In tough times, homes are usually safe places to store money for the long term. When we want to emphasize how solid something is, we say it's "safe as houses". You won't need to worry about any of those things in a resource-based economy. Since everyone is guaranteed access to a home, there's no reason to worry about losing it or being put out on the street.
There are two types of housing agreements people can sign in order to get a house, roughly equivalent to "renting" and "owning", respectively. If you budget wisely, you won't have to worry about missing a payment since you will always be able to fall back on your basic income.
1) Monthly
For those who aren't going to be in an area for a long period of time, it's best to get a monthly deal. Like a rental, you pay a sum of money each month in order to stay, for as long as you stay. Like a rental, the monthly price adjusts based on supply and demand: If you live in a desirable area, then the monthly rent will rise. On the flipside, if you live in a less desirable area your rent will drop, which wouldn't usually happen in today's economy. What makes renting in a RBE unique is that it builds equity. Housing is free, so when you decide to leave your rental you get all the money back, minus any city residency fees. If you leave a rental for more than a certain period of time, it can be placed back on the market. Cities manage these homes.
2) Yearly/Long-Term
If you want to make a long-term commitment and plan to stay in one place, getting a yearly contract is the best deal. You can own a home for anywhere between 10-100 years, and stipulate that the home be passed on to your children if you die before the time is up. Taking out a long-term contract is a serious deal, because you can't just walk away. Even if you leave the home or move, if you can't find someone willing to buy the rest of the lease the money will still be deducted from your basic income monthly.
There are benefits, though. For one, your monthly rate is locked in for the duration of the term and you can rent the home to someone else if you don't want to live there. At the end of the lease, you have the first chance to extend it by making an offer. Long-term homes build equity too, so that once the lease is up you or your family can withdraw the money you've spent on it over the years.
Who owns the land?
Land inside cities is owned and managed by the city itself, while agricultural and industrial land beyond it is maintained by the Global Assembly. Individuals cannot "own" land, but they can be granted stewardship of it. Stewardship is just an agreement where you agree to take care of the land and also not to harm or abuse it in any way so that it is left available for future generations. Unless you decide to give it away before then, stewardship always lasts for life. This is a recognition that we are really tourists on this planet. Nobody can truly "own" land. You did nothing to create it. It was here for millions of years before you and will be around for billions after you have gone. All we can do is take care of it.
An example of where stewardship might be useful is for someone who enjoys farming. While most farming will be automated, if someone wants to take stewardship of a small portion of land to start an organic farm or resort they would be able to. There isn't any reason for people to own much besides their homes after all, since the planet and the resources on it belong to all of us.
Notice that I never say the Global Assembly "owns" the means of production or land. It manages and maintains it- big difference. If someone wants to temporarily use an unused plot of land for, say a festival or summer camp, then they can without being charged a fee. As long as you don't make a mess and leave only footprints, you are generally free to do whatever you want. The global assembly must show a compelling interest for denying access to any open spaces. This right is known as the right to roam in common-law countries, and if you believe it has been violated you can sue. Of course, extraction of resources (like hunting or fishing) is different.
Take Action
All good things start small.
But where do we begin? Nothing will ever change if we just sit on the couch. You don't have to protest, you don't have to march on Washington- but local initiatives can make a big difference right here and now.
See this list for a few.
There's a lot you can do to make a Resource-Based-Economy happen, but the best thing you can do today would be spreading the word. The more people that know about RBE, the better- especially people in power such as mayors, city councilmen and academics at the local college. If the concept is explained in a clear and understandable way, they may begin to show more interest.
Localize Manufacturing
The next most important thing is to support and create makerspaces. Self-Sufficient, local manufacturing is critical to a resource-based economy. Aim to keep as many resources in your community as possible. In the beginning you will not be able to make that much stuff- and that's okay. Over time, as technology develops your production capability will grow.
Get a large group of people to recycle their paper, plastic and metals- then pool your resources to purchase a 3-d printer. As more people join, you may be able to purchase more expensive machinery such as a CNC machine, an induction furnace and a bioreactor to turn compost and organic waste into fuel. Instead of taking the material you recycle to your local dump or recycling drop-off, take it to your 3-d printer. You can use this waste plastic and other materials to create new objects.
If you have the technical know-how, create a wood gasifier to run your vehicle. It's clean, it's easy and it's far cheaper than using gasoline. Even better, it passes most state emissions tests with flying colors. Biomass is the ultimate renewable, solar energy source.
Minimize the use of money in your life
Cut back and encourage others to do the same. Consider using JOATU as a way to share currently unneeded belongings, such as power tools or surfboards. Jack of all trades universe is a resource-sharing app, not unlike Airbnb or Uber. The only difference is that you can share nearly anything with it.
Approach and Educate Local Businesses
See if any local businesses would be willing to contribute their waste products to your compost/recycling program, and use the opportunity to educate them about a resource-based economy. The more people that know of an alternative to today's failing systems, the better.
Don't wait for the collapse
Got a way to bring RBE closer to reality? Just do it. The truth is, we will all be dead when the "collapse" happens- because it never will. It's the nature of the current system not to collapse in one big step, but to gradually get worse over time. It isn't that much different from a frog in a boiling pot, with the heat slowly rising higher. By the time the "collapse" happens, it will be too late to do anything. That's why the change has to start today.
Now that you've read what you can do today, let's take a look at what you can do tomorrow. Read the transition plan here.
But where do we begin? Nothing will ever change if we just sit on the couch. You don't have to protest, you don't have to march on Washington- but local initiatives can make a big difference right here and now.
See this list for a few.
There's a lot you can do to make a Resource-Based-Economy happen, but the best thing you can do today would be spreading the word. The more people that know about RBE, the better- especially people in power such as mayors, city councilmen and academics at the local college. If the concept is explained in a clear and understandable way, they may begin to show more interest.
Localize Manufacturing
The next most important thing is to support and create makerspaces. Self-Sufficient, local manufacturing is critical to a resource-based economy. Aim to keep as many resources in your community as possible. In the beginning you will not be able to make that much stuff- and that's okay. Over time, as technology develops your production capability will grow.
Get a large group of people to recycle their paper, plastic and metals- then pool your resources to purchase a 3-d printer. As more people join, you may be able to purchase more expensive machinery such as a CNC machine, an induction furnace and a bioreactor to turn compost and organic waste into fuel. Instead of taking the material you recycle to your local dump or recycling drop-off, take it to your 3-d printer. You can use this waste plastic and other materials to create new objects.
If you have the technical know-how, create a wood gasifier to run your vehicle. It's clean, it's easy and it's far cheaper than using gasoline. Even better, it passes most state emissions tests with flying colors. Biomass is the ultimate renewable, solar energy source.
Minimize the use of money in your life
Cut back and encourage others to do the same. Consider using JOATU as a way to share currently unneeded belongings, such as power tools or surfboards. Jack of all trades universe is a resource-sharing app, not unlike Airbnb or Uber. The only difference is that you can share nearly anything with it.
Approach and Educate Local Businesses
See if any local businesses would be willing to contribute their waste products to your compost/recycling program, and use the opportunity to educate them about a resource-based economy. The more people that know of an alternative to today's failing systems, the better.
Don't wait for the collapse
Got a way to bring RBE closer to reality? Just do it. The truth is, we will all be dead when the "collapse" happens- because it never will. It's the nature of the current system not to collapse in one big step, but to gradually get worse over time. It isn't that much different from a frog in a boiling pot, with the heat slowly rising higher. By the time the "collapse" happens, it will be too late to do anything. That's why the change has to start today.
Now that you've read what you can do today, let's take a look at what you can do tomorrow. Read the transition plan here.
Technology
In the future, technology will be used to improve people's lives- making the world into healthier, happier and safer place. The great thing about most of this technology is that it already exists or is being worked on today, just not for the purpose of a resource-based economy. Imagine what could happen if these advancements were brought together into one system!
Let's list all of them here, and create links to each technology page explaining them in detail.
CDS collaborative Design system Will allow people to collaboratively design and create things from all over the world, intellectual property is built-in
Payband- This little bracelet will allow you to pay for things with the flick of a wrist, while monitoring your health to keep you in top condition http://fueledbyfriendship.blogspot.com/2015/02/new-technology-payband.html
D-Machine Open Source democracy machine and handheld/smartohone
Social Networks
Reputation accounts
Earthbag Construction/soilcrete
Automated systems, construction
Sharing Economy
Hovercrafts
Nanomorph robot Companion
Let's list all of them here, and create links to each technology page explaining them in detail.
CDS collaborative Design system Will allow people to collaboratively design and create things from all over the world, intellectual property is built-in
Payband- This little bracelet will allow you to pay for things with the flick of a wrist, while monitoring your health to keep you in top condition http://fueledbyfriendship.blogspot.com/2015/02/new-technology-payband.html
D-Machine Open Source democracy machine and handheld/smartohone
Social Networks
Reputation accounts
Earthbag Construction/soilcrete
Automated systems, construction
Sharing Economy
Hovercrafts
Nanomorph robot Companion
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