Steem for Life - An idea for blockchain based learning platform
Following my last post about the potential of blockchain based education platforms, I gave the idea a bit more thought and realized that this still falls short of the mark for what we can achieve on Steemit:
Firstly, we should not be using the term 'education platform' because there is no defined way in which this learning (and teaching) takes place, so it should be a 'learning platform' that connects people with knowledge, and allows them to share and exchange ideas while rewarding them for providing value to the community and its members. This is more closely aligned with the concept of life-long learning where we can continue to grow and change as we gain more knowledge and skills.
Secondly, I don't necessarily think that this platform or community needs to be monetized. This was one of the main problems with traditional education systems and institutions being run as a business, because the measure of success becomes how much revenue it generates (and how much profit made) rather than the people and ideas that it helped to nurture and grow. What if just being a good citizen of the Steemit community gave you access to this learning platform, because in our ideal society the 'education system' would be free and accessible to everyone, so that we all have the chance to reach our full potential. I think this is much more aligned with the ideas that @surpassinggoogle had when he started #untalented and @steemgigs, and I personally like this vision of Steemtopia where everyone is given the chance to succeed through hard work and contribution to the community.
Now to the more practical issues with creating a learning platform:
- How do we determine what topics/categories are available?
- How do we connect people who want to learn with those that want to teach (and vice versa)?
- How do we ensure that people stay engaged and active with their learning?
I actually think that the answer to all three questions lies in the way that we need to think about our interactions with other Steemians. I believe that there is always an opportunity for learning if you are open to it, and that there is no right or wrong way to go about it.
For example, I was reading a book on the poisons used by Agatha Christie in her novels and came across a passage about how people can develop tolerance/immunity to poisons, especially if they work with venomous animals. I remembered that @amavi and @holothewise worked extensively with a range of animals, and that I should ask them about this. Also, while I was making miniature origami cranes I could not take good macro shots of the artworks, and I spoke to @edward.maesen about this but also looked at people like @digitalis posted some amazing macrophotography work. Recently I am came across @amariespeaks and her post about tarot readings and recalled my earlier conversations with @mihail.tsvetkov about numerology reading.
My point is that we can wait for this wondering learning platform to be designed and developed by someone on @steemgig or @utopian-io, or we can already be part of it by connecting with our fellow Steemians and helping them to connect with other people. We can already learn and teach what we know and share the wisdom that a platform which is inclusive and truly multi-cultural can offer.
The true benefit and value of a blockchain based learning platform should not be how much cryptocurrency you can make from the exchange of knowledge and skills, but that it unlocks your potential in a way that traditional education systems cannot - which is life long learning that is designed for your own intelligence and interests, and this is something that no amount of money can buy!
Awesome post @plushzilla and your enthusiasm for learning and improving the lives of others really shines through in your writing. I think you're absolutely right in that we all have the capacity to teach and also learn from one another and that communities such as steemit are the future in terms of developing skills and fulfilling potentials.
My own view is that there are enough of us and enough diversity within us that if we were all allowed (and by that I don't mean given permission, I mean unrestricted :)) to follow our own passions and interests, the world would naturally be a better place with progress as a society coming organically rather than being forced in a specific direction.
Another excellent post, my friend!
I hope life is treating you well! :)
Life is treating me as well as I allow it to treat me :)
I do think there are enough of us and enough diversity, so whether it is just timing or something else that is getting in the way of steemit and other communities developing and evolving remains to be seen.
Thanks for the encouragement and I hope your year has also gotten off to a great start!
Now I love this idea even more from that last post. Calling it a learning platform feels way more, I wanna say laid back than saying education. Makes it feel more easily accessible as well.
I did feel like that last post fell a little bit short of the mark. But that's what we are all here to do, to learn and grow from each other, and to improve as well go along by doing :)
I love your idea of a learning platform on steemit @plushzilla, and would like to contribute where/when approriate. My biggest question is:
Steemit is in my current view a short-term social platform where contributions disappear quickly and are difficult to discover later on. I'm trying to solve this somewhat by adding references to older related posts in my new posts, but that feels clunky at best.
Thanks to your earlier writings about @steemgigs I started thinking what I could contribute there, but got stuck in trying to write a post about my qualifications. If you look at my tagline in my profile you can see that it ranges from physics and software development to photography to sound healing and mysticism. Throughout my career I've always gravitated to the role of mentor, so I know I am a natural teacher in a sense. But how that translates to the online world in general and steemit in particular I'm still trying to figure out.
You're right, the way Steemit works is not designed so much for learning as it is for creating opportunities and connections, but that in itself is the catalyst or spark for learning as well. My experience with various forms of engagement associated with the Steemit blockchain indicates to me that there's no one 'correct' way to do this, but we need to promote ourselves and other people in a way that shows what we do and believe in. In a sense this is like creating a brand or identity, but one in which shows how we can connect one person to another in a meaningful way.
I am still pondering and trying to evolve this idea until it becomes something more tangible, much in the same way that surpassinggoogle conceived many of his ideas on this platform. However, we can all do a little bit more with connecting and getting to know more people on this platform because I feel like there are many 'closed circles' here that limit ourselves to further learning.
Just out of interest, I am wondering if you are connected to people on @steemstem and some of the software development projects on utopian.io (and outside of it). I know that there are plenty of people that talk about photography, and a growing number posting about healing and mysticism. Perhaps there are some connections and opportunities there if we put some of our knowledge and skills together :)
Also, my friend is starting to write about his research into the photography users on steemit (I was going through a draft before) so it would be great to get your thoughts and feedback once they are published (I will let you know).
Finding connections has been a bit of a struggle for me. I recently discovered SteemSearch (currently offline) which makes it a bit easier to search steemit but it is time consuming. Some kind of community aspect to steemit might be a solution, I don't know.
I wasn't familiar with @steemstem and am not sure if I'd fit in there. Though I started my career as a conventional physicist, my observations about inconsistencies and dogmatic belief systems have put me on a search for alternative physics, with which I'm now much more comfortable.
I recently left the world of software development, and though I have been tinkering on my own I'm not sure I'd want to get back into that area - although I'd be open to some sort of consultant role.
I've been thinking of a photography teaching series that goes beyond the typical technical aspects but got a bit stuck there as well. I'm happy to help your friend with his research, whether it's commenting on a draft or a published version.
Anyway... I'm currently in a waiting pattern... looking for opportunities to arise...
Great post! I agree - definitely important to steer away from the monetary gains because the current educational system is designed to suck wallets dry and that's it.. If there's more of community feeling behind it hopefully that will deter those kinda scams.. I think when someone goes out on their own to truly learn something it is much more beneficial than a college student trying to fill credit slots.
I was thinking maybe d.tube live as a teaching platform or even just regular d.tube videos with weekly assignments or something? I'd love to have hastags or maybe discord channels dedicated to independent learning.
We are all teachers and students :)