“Standing at the Crossroads, and Sinking Down?”
Legend
says that famed bluesman Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at a
crossroads in Mississipi, so that he could acquire the mastery of guitar that
made him famous. Afterward, he enjoyed success as a traveling blues musician,
before dying mysteriously at the age of 27, near yet another crossroad in
Mississipi. His music and legend live on to this day, and he has been widely covered
by aspiring and successful musicians, including Cream’s famous take on his signature song.
While
there is a certain allure to the legend, it’s not lost on me that Johnson’s
choice ultimately led to his ruination and untimely death. A friend recently posted an interesting article
on her blog, exploring the broader dilemma that higher education faces in
responding to this era of new technology and non-linear thinking, communication
and learning.
It
got me thinking about how our field can respond to the challenges of what isn’t
merely a change in technology, but a huge paradigm shift, not unlike that seen
after the invention of the printing press. Woody Allen once said “More than any
other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair
and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the
wisdom to choose correctly.”
My
friend’s post, and others it references, examine the failure of the newspaper
industry to understand the new paradigm, and posits that higher education is at
a similarly critical juncture. She is an instructional designer, so her
thoughts are very much centered on how to use technology to remain relevant,
but I encourage you to read what she posted, and some of the links she refers
to, and to post your comments on how Student Affairs professionals can choose
the right path at the crossroads, rather than “sinking down.”
Source: nope