Response to Docs "On Distance Education"

In the article on Phaedrus and in the chat last night, the same thing was brought up. That "All education is done at a distance". Those are the Docs words, but I think they are true. He continued on about how we are so fluent in some methods of bridging the distance, that we don't call them technologies. I am not so sure that this is the real problem.

I think the real issue is using the "right" bridge at the "right" time in order to bridge the gap. For instance, email is not the most effective way for a teacher and learning to do everything. Neither is chatting, webquests, classroom group work, or any one method. I think the real problem is that the old classroom isn't a "cure all" to work for educationing people. BUT neither is online/internet/web methods. We have to be sensitive to the situation and the students. Not all students learn the same way. Some need to hear, some see, some do, some discover, some be told, and so on.

I hate it when people act like the traditional classroom is the way things should be. But I equally hate it when peopl thing the "WEB" is the future and face to face education is useless. Just my thoughts.