Harnessing America's Wasted Talent: A New Ecology of Learning

Peter Smith

Dec 2009 · John Wiley & Sons

About this ebook

Praise for Harnessing America's Wasted Talent

"President Obama offered America and the world renewed hope for a better tomorrow. With decades of experience in alternative forms of higher education, Peter Smith grabs that optimistic spirit and seizes the moment to reveal to us the exciting age of Web-based teaching and learning, which is opening access to untold numbers of learners while harnessing the previously wasted talents of millions of people in America and billions around the world. Those seeking insights, a vision of the future, and a chance to join this educational revolution should look forward to Harnessing America's Wasted Talent."
Curtis J. Bonk, professor, Indiana University, and author, The World Is Open: How Web Technology Is Revolutionizing Education

"Anyone who wants to understand where American higher education is headed should read Harnessing America's Wasted Talent. Peter Smith's vision of the future of higher education is based on several decades of experience at the national, state, and international levels. He brings a rare perspective that will interest students, educators, politicians, and those American business leaders who are worried about the future of our workforce and the health of our democracy."
Charles Kolb, president, The Committee for Economic Development

"Harnessing America's Wasted Talent is a must-read for those of us concerned about the increasing economic and education gaps in our country. Peter Smith takes on an important American disconnect: the need for an educated workforce and the fact that most working Americans lack a college degree. Drawing upon his experience in higher education and politics, Smith dissects the problem and presents a contemporary, practical plan to enhance the learning capacity of our country."
Joseph B. Moore, president, Lesley University

About the author

Peter Smith is senior vice president of academic strategies and development for Kaplan Higher Eduction and is the former assistant director for education of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Smith also served as the founding president of California State University at Monterey Bay and the Community College of Vermont. He served as Vermont's lieutenant governor from 1982–1986 and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1989. Dr. Smith is the author of the critically acclaimed The Quiet Crisis: How Higher Education Is Failing America.