In today's increasingly technological world, the reality of accelerating change requires that we all acquire 'just-in-time' self-directed learning skills such that we can learn what we need, independently, whenever necessary.

Current trends in educational reform point to focusing on helping students develop their skills building their own knowledge; constructivism. As teachers, our role is shifting away from delivery of detailed content and moving toward greater facilitation of student constructivist processes in both individualistic and collaborative contexts.

As technology provides more self-directed options for content acquisition by students, teachers are able to find more time to do what they do best; give transformational meaning and guidance through a student-centered educational approach based on their personal relationships with students.

The emerging model of the ideal knowledge worker is that of the 'Lone Eagle;' an independent, often mobile, person operating a home-based business while maintaining close working relationships with many similar knowledge workers in a wide variety of locations. As teachers we must learn to teach our students to become self- sufficient learners...if they are to fly free above the turmoil of the accelerating rate of change in our modern world.

Development of students' "groupwork" skills, required for success in a distributed knowledge economy, are emphasized in today's school-to-work 'youth entrepreneurial' themes. Peer-mentoring in an outcome-based context has direct vocational implications. As students, (and teachers!) learn to instruct others online with measurable success, the door of unlimited global opportunities opens ever wider.

The format of this handbook presents a web-based 'overview' approach with hyperlinks to multiple self-directed learning opportunities with the highest quality resources available via Internet. Hands-on exercises are included offering different levels of structure for those with beginners to intermediate Internet experience. A variety of online teaching models are demonstrated from general overviews to indepth exploration.

This entire handbook can be found on the web at
http://lone-eagles.com/guide.htm where it will be continually updated. Your contributions would be most appreciated and will be posted free of charge in the service of learners worldwide.