Introducing a New Way to See Education

Here are our values and themes in a nutshell: SelfReliant refers to students as "self-educators" and we intend to pair those self-educators with two powerful resources: "catalysts" and "educational currencies". Catalysts are found all over the Internet - mostly in the form of cool new Web 2.0 platforms, but they can really be any sort of open platform for self-educating and having an authentic real-world experience. Catalysts are also people who can increase the speed of self-education, and can set us on a path toward having rewarding and educational experiences. We refer to these micro-experiences, such as running an eBay shop or Wordpress blog, as 'microenterprises'. SR believes online microenterprises are the new focal point of education, so we'll be focusing on those tools for our self-educator network. To better understand how SelfReliant is building its knowledge base for microenterprising self-educators, please visit our Microenterprise Institute page...

The staff that we'll be looking to engage as SR Professional Catalysts will need to be experts on Web 2.0 platforms, but they will also need to reflect in their work the core values of our company. Catalysts will assist self-educators in such a way that we place the maximum possible value on Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Intellectualism, Caring, Curiosity, Wonderment, Financial Independence, Compassion, Charity, Self-Knowledge, Relationships, and of course, Self-Reliance.

In other words, we are not only creating a "platform" at SelfReliant, like Moodle, Blackboard, Second Life, or some generic VLE (Virtual Learning Environment). We are not going to be value-neutral, and our educational philosophy will echo that of Emerson and Thoreau, Charlotte Mason, and more recently, the Edupunk movement. For more on that, please read continue to our Educational Philosophy page...

The educational technology that SelfReliant is currently developing has a lot to do with the idea of educational currency, the second major resource we'll be connecting our self-educators with - it turns out we need a fairly innovative Internet technology to do that. Educational currencies are a form of fractional credit for intellectual or academic achievement. Like a grade or a PhD, they are assessments, but unlike those bulkier cousins, educational currencies can be accrued over a long period, for many hetergeneous actions, and in real-time, like points in a video game. A good example of an educational currency would be the number of positive reviews your ebook receives on Amazon, or to judge someone's business acumen, their total number of LinkedIn contacts might be a good indicator. Brainbench.com provides educational currencies with their skill-based online exams, which reward the taker with a digital, resume-enhancing medallion. Our platform is set for initial release in Summer 2010. Please watch the SelfReliant Blog for ongoing updates.

The biggest, bulkiest, and most valuable educational currencies in our society today are intellectual property rights. Patents and copyrights in particular are actually bought and sold in what is becoming a far more liquid IP marketplace. The creation of a valuable patent or copyright is the ultimate educational currency because it is a socially guaranteed right to control an area of invention or intellectual expression. Hardly anything can better codify someone's achievement or solidify a reputation. In order to find out more about how we're making the SelfReliant Patent Brokerage a hugely important part of our business, please continue to our Patent Brokerage page...

Finally, SelfReliant is offering two special ways that you can connect with Alex Kaufman in the Research Triangle Area, or remotely through either LivePerson, Skype, or Second Life. These services are SelfReliant Consulting, SelfReliant Seminars and SelfReliant Tutoring and Homework Help. If you're interested in reading more about Alex's ideas in educational, financial, and Internet policy, visit our SelfReliant Publications page...