Ed3Weekly: Issue #9 of Web3🤝Education
Aloha everyone, nice to have you here for issue #9 of my weekly newsletter on all things web3 and education. This week I will be focusing on the highly anticipated crypto report from a16z. Crypto seems to be everywhere–in the news, in commercials, and maybe even popping up in your casual dinner conversations. Are web3 and crypto the same thing? What does crypto have to do with education?
These are great questions to ask. The idea around web3 is that it is a new version of the internet run on the blockchain that uses a token-based economic system. So while crypto is not synonymous with web3, it is a major part of how it will operate.
As educators, it is important that we stay up to date on trends in crypto. This report lays out five key takeaways about the current state of our crypto adoption:
We’re in the middle of the fourth ‘price-innovation’ cycle
web3 is much, much better for creators than web2
Crypto is having a real-world impact
Ethereum is the clear leader, but faces competition
Yes, it’s still early
I think a key one to focus on that has broad-reaching implications for education is the second takeaway: web3 is much, much better for creators than web2.
In an era of high consumption and reverence for YouTube and TikTok creators, the idea that web3 will open up new opportunities for real economic growth for creators gives me hope. I envision a future in which schools are places for rich creative expression and development that leads to fulfilling careers in the creative space. Rather than being looked upon as a secondary career that is done as a "side hustle" to support your "real job", creativity will be the go-to skill that is nurtured in our schools.
This is in contrast to many implementations of blockchain in our schools around the "learn-to-earn" concept. I believe there is room for that application, but I think it is too limited. You can see the EdSurge article linked in this newsletter to learn more about an application of learn-to-earn. As a creative myself I tend to see more potential in the ability of blockchain and web3 to support our young people as creators that will use blockchain technology to solve new problems in interesting ways.
In order to support the idea of our young people "becoming" during this evolution of our schools, I've included a fascinating podcast interview with Dr. Benjamin Freud and Maggie Favretti. This was a game-changing discussion for me as it digs deep into the idea that we are not human beings, but humans becoming. As we embrace these shifts in our society and economies, it is important that we embrace shifts in ourselves. This podcast includes a companion article that I recommend everyone read as well.
Please enjoy all the links below, and as always your likes, Tweets, and Retweets really help spread awareness of this newsletter. Also, if you have any interesting web3 articles, news, or events feel free to share in my DMs, I am always looking to learn more about what is going on out there!
Articles
Below you will find the annual State of Crypto Report by a16z Crypto. Don't be intimidated by the title. It is easy to read and designed to be graphically heavy. You can easily scroll through the top five findings and glean some quality information about current and upcoming trends around crypto technology.
Introducing the 2022 State of Crypto Report - a16z crypto — a16zcrypto.com The 2022 State of Crypto report is a16z crypto's first-ever data-driven overview and analysis of web3 and crypto.
Here's a companion podcast with an interview with Chris Dixon in which he expands on some of the details in the report.
(TWTR SPC) - a16z's Chris Dixon (@cdixon) On The State Of Crypto And Web3 | Techmeme Ride Home Friend of the show, Chris Dixon (@cdixon) of a16z's crypto and web3 investing initiatives comes on to talk about the recent report: 2022 State of Crypto.…
I am seeing more and more articles coming from the Harvard Business Review around web3 (here's the article I linked to last week). I highly recommend reading these as they are thorough and reflective. This article co-authored by one of my favorite thought leaders in the space, Li Jin, provides some unique and much-needed insights.
Web3 Is Our Chance to Make a Better Internet — hbr.org Web3 represents a chance to reimagine the internet and rebuild platforms from fresh principles. But in order to do that, we need to agree on what those principles should be and why. The social and political philosopher John Rawls’s thought experiment known as the “veil of ignorance,” proposed in his influential 1971 work A Theory of Justice, is an apropos exercise for this moment as we set forth to build a new internet and design new economies. Rawls’s principles of justice would have us approach this as if we don’t know our positions in society: which family we were born into, how much wealth we have, and the like. Lacking such knowledge, builders are more likely to design systems rooted in fairness and consideration for all.
I mentioned "learn-to-earn" in my opening section. It is a common topic around cryptocurrency adoption and particularly in the education space. I'm still forming my thoughts on this topic, but articles like this do provide some food for thought.
How Blockchain Can Encourage Learning | EdSurge News — www.edsurge.com
A version of this article first appeared on the Medium site of the Stanford GSE Office of Innovation and Technology. Blockchain has gotten plenty of ...
Tweets
For more on the crypto report check out this Tweet thread.
Podcasts
Podcast interview with two educators exploring the ideas of regenerative education and living systems. While not directly linked to web3 it is a fantastic mindset to bring into these shifting times. There is a section towards the middle that touches on the impact of the metaverse in our schools.
Maggie Favretti and Benjamin Freud, PhD. on Regenerative Learning and Rediscovering Our Relationship to All Living Systems | Getting Smart — www.gettingsmart.com On this episode of the podcast, we're joined by Maggie Favretti and Benjamin Freud to discuss regenerative learning and the way forward.
Benjamin Freud expands his thoughts on the metaverse and education in this companion article which I am posting below.
The Metaverse will make schools places of becoming, Chapter I | Benjamin Freud, Ph.D. - Intrepid ED News — intrepidednews.com The Metaverse presents possibilities—still unclear, still exciting, still dangerous—to converge data with mind-body experiences that remove distinctions
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