Paradigm Shift: reflection

In Tim O'Reilly's discussion of the Open Source Paradigm Shift (2004) he describes the change in rules of the computer industry since 1981 thanks to IBM whom themselves failed to understand the consequences of the change; "playing by the old rules while the new rules are reshaping the industry around them."  Can this reality be directly related to education today?  Is education rigidly playing by the old rules while new rules are reshaping countless industries around them?  Who is reshaping the benefits by sticking to the old rules?  Special interest groups?  Definitely not the children, the core agenda of it's existence.  As software commoditization has been driven by standards so have the expectations of student achievement.  But while these technology advances are constantly changing with time and improvements, educational change is not keeping up by a long shot.  In fact it is far behind with it's roots still following the rules set in place by the industrial revolution. 

As Mr. O'Reilly states that software itself is no longer the primary locus of value in the computer industry and that new business models are required.  Open source technology, like internet technology has allowed for people to connect around interests, rather than through geographical location or affiliation.  Values have migrated with change as things that were once kept for private advantage are now shared freely. Collaboration has proven to be central to the success yet education is still so rigidly structured with grade levels defining children, academic achievement based on certain styles of learning and test taking.  Why is education so stifled and unchanging?  Well most certainly it's all the politics involved, the huge clash of values due to the mixing pot of cultures and religions in such a large and new country of immigrants. 

Public education was implemented for "public" benefit.  But in a country with its students' demographic, cultural, and social needs so diverse how can one structure of teaching and learning be so justifiably generalizable?  Will public education have to keep getting worse before a paradigm shift can occur?