Hierarchies of Understanding:: data is useful, INFORMATION “invaluable”

I’m as good (or bad) at understanding humans and human learning as the next person! I am not an “educator” just someone who, I suspect (like everyone else), has at some time or other felt swamped: by too much to do; too much to absorb; too little time. We know that people learn in different ways and at different speed and, quite apart from Carpenter & Cannady, there are any number of alternative views on HoU…take your pick!

What I like about the C&C approach is that it reflects an ongoing process – we ARE (or should be) constantly learning – with feedback from our environment shaping our perspectives. On one occasion rendering the “expert” a “novice” and, on another, providing the vital “missing piece” that transforms information to knowledge and, through understanding, to wisdom.

In the beginning was information*…

But, ever the contrarian, I can’t ignore the fact that, the limitations to obtaining data (about anything) pertaining to that which we are observing, are our own!

The Inevitable Next Economy

The Human Productivity Chart

Courtesy of Dan Robles (Ingenesist) 

Human civilization has progressed through many stages.  Each stage arose from the “integration” of the tools developed in the prior stage.  Believe it or not, the next economic paradigm will arise from the integration of the tools being developed in the current stage of human development. Let me explain:

Hunter -gatherer:

We started as hunter-gathers who travelled from place to place to follow animal migrations and seasonal flora.  People would collect fallen branches and burn them for heat or cooking.  Then people started to sharpen rocks that could be used to hunt food better than a dull rock. They sharpened rocks to chop down trees for warmth and shelter.  Soon they sharpened rocks to till soil.

The agrarians

The arrival of the agrarian age came when the arrow, the axe, and the plough were integrated; that is, the output of one became the input of another – allowing people to conserve energy and increasing productivity. The emergence of communities led to the division of labour as people specialized their skills. People soon developed tools and techniques for forging metals, building structures, and harnessing of forces such as wind, sun, water, and domesticated animals.

City-states

The arrival of City-States arose when division of labour, harnessing forces, and transportation became integrated.  Spare time became available to experiment in ideas such as governance, laws, civil services, and currency. Travel allowed for trade of goods, services, and the spread of knowledge across great distances.