Endorsements

"In this epic effort Dr. Bonk takes the technologies, the concepts, the future and even the past of distance education and synthesizes it into a comprehensible landscape. He gives us a window from which we can see it all. Masterful!"

Glenn R. Jones, Chancellor, Jones International University


"Network technology has proven to be a great social leveler and on-ramp to learning for all of the world's citizens. As technology continues to mature, the opportunity for students and educators to harness it to collaborate, learn and educate will grow exponentially as well. This book captures the true potential of technology and open and shared content to 'eliminate the educational divide'. For this reason, The World Is Open is required reading for all participants in the world's ongoing, technology-led education revolution."

Scott McNealy, Chairman & Co-founder, Sun Microsystems and Founder, Curriki.org


"The World Is Open is such an inspiring story for the 21st Century. The subject matter is especially important to me because I use online learning technology to learn and to teach. I love how the stories of people using technology to learn make the book so relevant. Not only is each story inspiring and motivational, but they are also practical, providing many ways for readers to open their own world of learning."

Adora Svitak, 11 year old teacher, speaker, writer, child prodigy


"It has become a truism to say that the world in which we live is changing rapidly. The task now at hand is to understand the trends and harness their power. In no area is this more important than in education, where we must meet the challenge of a high-quality education for all the citizens of the world. And in Professor Bonk.s new book, The World Is Open, he provides a powerful tool to help us meet that challenge. He argues that because of the Web "anyone can learn anything from anyone at anytime". But his work extends beyond this basic premise. He defines and documents the specific trends that are influencing how and where learning takes place so that they can be put to use by a wide range of audiences. This important book helps us deliver the education revolution."

Gaston Caperton, President, The College Board


"Open software and open learning . those two concepts are rocking the world. Yes, the world. Bonk has brought together the key ideas underlying this wave of disruption in an engaging and provocative format. Read Bonk and be changed.

...Read chapter 10 first; it is a little gem. Bonk rightfully sees that mobile learning is the key to truly democratizing learning. Mobile technologies in the hands of everyone is the enabler to realizing Bonk.s liberating and empowering vision -- WE-ALL-LEARN. Now, Read Chapter 10 again."

Elliot Soloway, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, University of Michigan, College of Engineering (Computer Science & Engineering), School of Information, School of Education, and Co-Founder of GoKnow, Inc.


"The printing press was an initial step in the democratization of learning. Curtis Bonk shows how the Internet catapulted knowledge to the next level, enabling "anyone to learn anything from anyone at anytime"

The current economic crisis is punctuating the shift from an industrial to a global knowledge economy and society. Profound changes in learning are at the heart of this transformation as people and organizations can be plugged into a global, open platform of networked knowledge and intelligence. Read this extraordinary book to understand how."

Don Tapscott, Chairman, nGenera Insight, Adjunct Professor, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto and author of 13 books about the new technologies in business and society, most recently Wikinomics and Grown Up Digital


"Curtis Bonk has been a landmark in Internet-based education for many years. He is a genuine character with apparently boundless energy and infinite connective capacity - he seems to know practically everyone in the field! In this new book, he draws on these connections to synthesize a staggering range of views and tools into one of the widest and most readable overviews yet of the world of open learning starting to envelop all of us."

Martin Dougiamas, Founder and Lead Developer of Moodle; Executive Director of Moodle Pty Ltd


"As everyone now knows, thanks to Thomas Friedman, the world is flat. And now, thanks to Curtis Bonk, we know that the world of learning is open. Anyone with Internet access can now connect to the world's best universities, museums, and research centers. Professor Bonk chronicles this profound shift in the global redistribution of educational resources and its implications for lifting educational levels worldwide."

Milton Chen, Executive Director, The George Lucas Educational Foundation, publishers of Edutopia magazine and edutopia.org


"Those who know Curt are used to insightful advice and predictions delivered in an innovative style. The World is Open: How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education does not disappoint! It is a chance to relive much of recent history of technology enhanced learning but then discover innovative ideas to take forward within a practical framework. All this is enhanced with stories and examples presented in a way that cannot fail to enthuse all those who read them to find their place in the new world of open learning."

Nigel Banister, Chief Global Officer & CEO, MBS Worldwide, Manchester Business School


"If you wonder how schools will evolve in the information-rich Internet Age.if you.d like to .see. what that looks like.this book will show you. Dr. Bonk provides compelling examples of 21st century education, and his stories will leave you wondering why we aren.t doing more to ensure that online and blended learning opportunities are available to every student. Picking up on Friedman.s theory regarding the democratization of the workforce, Dr. Bonk explains the ramifications for learning in a globally connected world. This book paints almost endless possibilities in a world where we can now connect young and old across time, culture, language, and geography. It will leave you wanting to open doors for students everywhere."

Julie Young, President and CEO, Florida Virtual School


"Taking his inspiration from Thomas Friedman.s The World is Flat, Professor Bonk.s book .The World is Open: How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education, is a personal account, written in an unabashedly post-modern stream-of-consciousness style, of how the Web of Learning has changed him and is transforming the world. Like Friedman he writes from the American experience but draws global implications. This is a book that all involved in eLearning should dip into for inspiration."

Sir John Daniel, President & CEO, Commonwealth of Learning


"We have an educational economy of information abundance confronting an educational delivery system that was built for a time of information scarcity. Bonk outlines a practical and comprehensive road map for navigating the explosion of open educational resources and how they can be used to prepare ourselves and our students for a life time of learning and discovery."

Lev Gonick, Vice President, Information Technology Services, Chief Information Officer, Case Western Reserve University


"In the age of 'fingertip knowledge' curiosity is the key to learning. Curtis Bonk's "The World is Open" book provides a powerful perspective of how we organizations and individuals can harness the power of global knowledge and content to drive performance and learning."

Elliott Masie, Chair, The Learning CONSORTIUM at The MASIE Center


"Curtis Bonk opens our eyes to the world of open education, where learning can take place anytime, anywhere we have access. This book is filled with powerful stories that paint a new picture of what learning can become if we understand the potentials of this new Web. It's a must read for educators, and, more importantly, for learners."

Will Richardson, Co-Founder of "Powerful Learning Practice, and author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms as well as the highly popular edublog, Weblogged".


"Technology has historically been an appendage to education because it has not been integral to the mission of dispensing information. Dr. Bonk provides a glimpse into the future of learning, in which technology plays a central role by fostering an egalitarian knowledge frenzy where learning is open and unconstrained by classes and schedules. Bonk exploits Web 2.0 technology to make a quite compelling case."

David Jonassen, Distinguished Professor, Educational Psychology and Learning Technologies University of Missouri


"Professor Bonk's insightful book provides a panoptic and inspiring rendering of our new era of pervasive access to learning resources and social networks for open education. What a fun read!"

Roy Pea, Stanford University, Professor of Learning Sciences and Education, Director, Stanford Center for Innovations in Learning.


"Online learning is an important innovation that expands opportunities for students through improving access to new pathways. The World is Open brings new ideas, provides deep insight, and encourages a new way of thinking about education. The book also provides key strategies, resources, and tools for e-learning that will help administrators, teachers, parents and students globally."

Susan Patrick, President & CEO, International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL)


"The World is Open. gets to the heart of the way 10 key technologies are changing the way the world learns and making a flatter world possible. Dr. Bonk offers a new and exciting way to look at the transformation of education from the classroom to an open world of learning technology. Because it is accessible and readable, .The World is Open. will appeal to a wide range of audiences from educators to business leaders. I.m glad to see that the power of social networking in education is recognized for the transformative power that it will bring."

Shirish Nadkarni, CEO and Co-Founder, Livemocha


"Curt offers an insightful and perceptive view of the technological trends that are converging to transform learning to become more global, collaborative, personalized, empowering, ubiquitous, and open. Filled with enlightening and inspiring real-life stories from those successfully using these emerging technologies, this book on open learning trends will be an eye opener and useful guide for many!"

Gary H. Marks, Executive Director & Founder, Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)


"Openness may be the previously missing ingredient that finally enables meaningful educational reform by increasing transparency, affordability, local control, and accountability. In this timely volume, Bonk provides a wonderfully readable look at where openness is taking education, what it means for learning, and what should excite or concern us about the future."

David Wiley, Associate Professor, Brigham Young University; Chief Openness Officer, Flat World Knowledge; and Founder and Board Chair, Open High School of Utah


"A riveting guide to the future of learning and education. This book should be compulsory reading for all who seek to understand the driving forces of this century."

Joon Mo Kwon, CEO of Nexon Corp.


"Learning is dead, Long live Learning! Dr. Curtis Bonk in his latest book, The World is Open, shows how technology and social trends are radically changing the face of learning as we know it. No more pencils, no more books.just virtual worlds, mobile learning, social networks, and exciting new approaches that open new possibilities for how WE-ALL-LEARN! Educators of all areas should be aware of the ten key trends he so clearly describes in this very illustrative and edifying book

Drawing on examples from around the world and through the use of illustrative stories, he brings to life the how changing technologies and social trends are impacting learners of all ages."

Heidi Fisk, Executive Director and co-Founder, The eLearning Guild


"In this thoughtful new book, Curt Bonk's research and observations mirror what we in iEARN have seen since 1988. Teaching and learning are being impacted by connective technologies in ways that creative education practitioners discover daily. No longer is information, wisdom, and critical analysis the sole domain of libraries, "experts," or even teachers in the front of passive students who absorb what they are told. The Internet and other technologies reveal that students, with invaluable teacher facilitation, can learn through interaction with people anywhere in the world, coming to their own critical conclusions, posing new inquiries, and generating amazing intellectual and creative work.

Just as importantly, students are comfortable with change, easily adapting to new technology tools, and take for granted that learning is not just something done during school days, but is a life-long endeavor. An early iEARN pioneer from Argentina noted that "No one knows so little that s/he cannot teach another and no one knows so much that s/he cannot learn from the other." Professor Bonk's illustrative stories of how technology can enhance learning confirm that through technology students can go beyond learning about the world to learning with the world."

Ed Gragert, Executive Director of the iEARN-USA


"Curt Bonk has captured the essence of the wondrous digital empowerment practices and philosophies in today.s highly networked world. From his book, you will learn that educational technology entrepreneurship is a splendid kind of virus to be infected with."

Paul Kim, Chief Technology Officer, Stanford University School of Education


"A very interesting read, that is equally applicable to educators, trainers, learners, managers, strategists as well as technology specialists. We are at the brink of educational evolution and the ten trends of WE-ALL-LEARN provide a framework of how we can embrace this evolution. Education is no longer a luxury but a human right--we are all learners and WE-ALL-LEARN. The world is open and it is now time to embrace that openness for the benefit of Society. This book is a must have for all, that has real life examples with technologies that are available now."

Stefano Ghazzali, CMALT, FHEA, FRSA, Program Development Manager, Manchester Business School, University of Manchester