What If Ideas Were Currency?

As technology evolves living patterns change–and vice versa. These kinds of changes impact a range of societal factors.

Your mom starts using facebook and gets more opportunities to see pictures of grandchildren, but perhaps seems less likely to call or physically stop by in lieu. Smartphones and GPS devices mean fewer people buy maps or stop and ask for directions.

And so on.

As ‘things’ change, new ‘things’ become valuable. New currencies surface–and new currencies yield new opportunities for exchange.

See also 6 Technology Integration Ideas For Any Content Area And Grade Level

Trading Ideas

What if–in pursuit of learning–hobbies, expertise, and original thinking were currency? What if you traded one idea for another?

What kind of impact might this have not simply on learner engagement and accountability, but more importantly how community members interact with one another?

How could this model be incorporated into formal learning environments?

And perhaps most importantly, how does this approach disrupt traditional power sets in learning environments? How do equitable terms empower all learning participants?

I don’t know. It’s not a practical idea–just thinking out loud.

What if ideas–creativity, especially knowledge, divergent thinking, synethizing existing ideas into new content and forms, etc.–were a more formal currency. As it is, they have to be turned into sustainable and compelling business models.

That doesn’t seem like our best thinking as a culture, does it?