Good, and important, questions Eugene. I think there is a lot of toying with various business models out there. Udacity, for example, is a for profit company so the people there are expecting to make money of their model of massive open courses.

But I wonder if we won't start seeing more instructors go out on their own - the rise of the free range faculty. No longer tied to a single institution, with other avenues for a teaching career. Perhaps they will move from one intermediary to another - offering a course on Udemy (also for profit), or maybe forgoing the entire system and doing it fully on their own. For some, especially those who have some technical skills and understanding of online pedagogies, that may be a reasonable alternative - eliminate the university "middle man" and offering their courses directly to students for a fraction of the cost that it would cost at a post-secondary environment. Now, this won't work of all disciplines or subjects, but it might for some. I mean, if you are an English scholar, how many resources do you really need to teach an English course?

And I do believe there is still a role for publicly funded higher learning opportunities. Those of us who work in higher ed are already producing courses and content and getting paid pretty well for it by the public. Why couldn't we just open those up?

To true. It does take courage (and a bit of energy) for learners to push beyond the mentality that the uni and college are the only way. But I wonder if everytime a potential learner sees a site like The Edupunks Guide (http://edupunksguide.org/) or reads a book like DIY U (http://www.amazon.com/DIY-Edupunks-Edupreneurs-Transformation-Education/dp/1603582347), they get a little more courageous. I think resources like that are at least open eyes to the possibility that there may be another way.

...and what is it with the fashion accessory glasses with the girls, eh? Or has that always been a fashion thing with girls that I just haven't noticed before?

I wonder if daughters hear those phrases "you look pretty" or "you're beautiful" differently depending on whether it comes from Mom or Dad? Some of what I have read about the dad/daughter relationship indicates that her sexuality and the future relationships she may have with men are greatly influenced by the type of relationship she has with her father and (basically) how she sees her father treat women. That's the message that she gets about how she should be treated by the men in her life. Which is why I think I tread extra cautiously here with all the beauty and self-image stuff. But i wonder what she hears when the message comes from Mom?

Thanks so much for the lead on Carol Dweck, Doug. Been checking out some of her stuff on the web really like what she has to say. It makes so much sense re) praise and what we say vs what kids hear.

"Take a shower, pig-child!" = awesome. I need to remember that. I work hard at the general "good" comment as well. Doug's comment below has a reference to Carol Dweck, whom I had never hear dof before. But since he posted it, I've searched out some of her stuff and it's very good - related to what you are saying about praise and praising in general terms & what kids here when we praise vs. what we would like them to hear.

That works, too :)

Ah, Sylvia. I knew this would resonate with you! Seems like this convo pops up between us every once in awhile in various spaces :).

Yes, there is something quite magical and mysterious about those serendipitous discoveries at the other end of the rabbit hole, I have to say. And agree completely about the people we choose to connect with being more important (as evidenced by the good ones I'm connecting with right here :).

I think I need to do some social network pruning in the new year and fine tune my networks a bit. Especially Twitter. I have this feeling (oh, crap - here we go with the FOMO again) that I am somehow missing the conversations from the people I really want to connect and converse with. I am finding that I am spending more time consuming, and less time conversing. More time grazing, and less time interacting.

I'm also thinking of setting aside some time - literally booking it into my schedule - to interact with my network. I always love that Alan Levine has this week each year where he does nothing but comment on blog posts. Seems like a really good practice. Less loose ties and more stronger ones. Might be a good new years resolution.

I like that you have emphasized the word NEED. It's such an interesting word that we use, isn't it? I NEED to do THIS THING.

I've been thinking about that word, and the word quick for some reason, a lot lately and how I use it in my everyday speech. And I am beginning to realize that whenever I use the word "need", I am actually surrendering a bit of control - and the power I have to control - my own life. What is it I really need? When i say I need to read this article, do I really "need" to? What do i lose when I think/feel like I "need" to do things?

Just babbling at this point, but I have a half baked blog post about the words "need" and "quick" (as in, I'm going to have a quick look at that in a minute) and how that colours our perceptions that is joggling around in my mind. Maybe not for this blog, but seems more appropriate for my Dad blog.

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