We are witnessing the start of a revolution that will transform American education forever. It is part of a revolution we are undergoing in every other aspect of American life.

The United States is shifting from an industrial society to an information society. Among other things, this means there is less emphasis on mass production and more customization of products and services.

...Our school system was created for an industrial society and resembles an assembly line. Students are educated by age, in batches of 25 to 30. They study for common periods of time, and after completing a specified number of courses, they are awarded diplomas. It is a notion of education dictated by seat time. Teaching is the activity that occurs during the time when students are in their chairs.

The expectation is that the typical child at any age can master the material taught in the traditional 180-day school year. Those who are capable of mastering the material more quickly or more deeply are classified as gifted. Those who are unable to learn it as speedily or in the same fashion as their classmates are said to have learning disabilities. In this sense, special education, except for the gifted, is regarded as a deficiency on the part of a child.

In an information society, this model of education works far less well than it once did. Indeed, in the years to come, the educational system may become, by necessity, increasingly individualized. First, our children are diverse in their abilities, so we need a more varied curriculum. Second, through advances in brain research, we are discovering how individuals actually learn, and this will allow us to develop the educational program each child needs. Third, new technologies that provide different pedagogies and learning materials are burgeoning.