Humans are social and communicative creatures; and, for the recent history of the species, humans have used various technologies to facilitate communication and society-building. In the 21st century, we are observing the most recent in a long series of social and cultural upheavals that typically accompany the emergence of new information technologies. In the 21st century, educators face a choice: each educator must either update his or her theory and practice to reflect the emerging realities of human communication or become irrelevant.

My choice to update my theory and practice (in hopes of remaining relevant in the rapidly emerging world of technology-mediated communication) required me to adopt several assumptions that illustrate my philosophy of education and schooling. First, in the modern classroom, educators must be active learners. Learning about their students, their content, their practice, and themselves; educators sustain interest in and engagement in the world around them. I believe this is a fundamental aspect of human nature, and educators frequently forget they need to be learners. Second, achievement is a misguided goal for education. The really important skills and knowledge are never achieved with certainty. We develop skill and knowledge that is useful in many and diverse situations, but one's real success as a learner can only be estimated by understanding how well one performed a given task. Finally, effective curriculum and instruction is characterized by no threshold and no ceiling. I strive for activities that can be performed at some level by any student, but that can continue to challenge both the student and the teacher to deeper levels of understanding (and greater preparation for an unknowable future).

This philosophy has been refined as I have personally and professionally transformed from the literate culture to our post-literate culture. This philosophy has (I believe) contributed to my continued relevance as the world has changed around me.