A Learning College for the 21st Century: Conclusion

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Conclusion - Anyway, Anyplace, Anytime

Reading this book by Terry O'Banion opened up my perceptions of the way colleges function and the goals they have to help students learn and succeed. O'Banion provides enough evidence to believe that educational reform is needed at this time. By providing examples of Sinclair Community College, Jackson Community College, Lane Community College, Maricopa Community College, Palomar College, and the Community College of Denver, O'Banion has demonstrated that change can happen and creating a learning college IS POSSIBLE!

Terry O'Banion cannot say it better when he says that "colleges that change their basic systems to focus on learning by expanding learning options for students, by engaging students as full partners in the learning process, by designing educational structures to meet learners needs, and by defining the roles of learning facilitators based on the needs of learners, will create an educational enterprise that will help students make passionate connections to learning, one whose accomplishments will be worth great celebration in the institution and throughout the society. The learning college that places learning first and provides educational experiences for learners ANYWAY, ANYPLACE, AND ANYTIME, has great potential for fulfilling this dream" (p. 249).

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Quotes

When Describing Educational Reform - "All of these solutions work toward trimming the branches, when attacking the root is the only viable source of action" (p. 7).

"The reform movement of the past decade has been trimming the branches of a dying tree" (p. 7).

"Putting learning at the heart of the academic enterprise will mean overhauling the conceptual, procedural, curricular, and other architecture of postsecondary education on most campuses" (p.9)

"The student has always been the first priority in the community college, and the current interest in learning is the next evolutionary step in the continuing quest for quality education" (p. 28).

"The purpose of teaching is to help students make passionate connections to learning" (p. 28).

"Technology is like a Swiss army knife, in adept hands, it has many uses including that of opening a 'can of worms'" (p. 70).

"For technology to 'work' in the classroom, there has to be a convincing pedagogy and rationale behind it" (p. 82).

"The world is not won by those who are right. It is won by those who can convince other they are right" (p. 130).

"The community college as an institution is one of the most important innovations in the history of higher education" (p. 232).

About Author - Terry O'Banion

Terry O'Banion, Ph.D., is president and CEO of the League for Innovation in the Community College, an international consortium of leading community colleges in the United States and Canada dedicated to experimentation and innovation. He is the author of 12 books, including Teaching and Learning in the Community College, Innovation in the Community College, and Teachers for Tomorrow: Staff Development in the Community Junior College. During a 36-year tenure in community college education, he served as dean of students at two Florida community colleges and as professor of community college education at the University of Illinois in Urbana. Dr. O'Banion has written more than 100 articles on community college issues and has been a consultant to over 500 community colleges and universities in 45 states and Canada. He earned a doctorate in administration in higher education from Florida State University and holds a master's degree in guidance and counseling from the University of Florida.