Vander Ark on Innovation
This blog was written by Tom Vander Ark (@tvanderark), an education advocate, adviser, and author of Getting Smart: How Personal Digital Learning is Changing the World. Tom is Founder and Executive Editor of Getting Smart and a partner in Learn Capital. This blog is no longer being updated.
Education
Opinion
A Rocketship Takes Off in South Africa
"We are introducing the blended learning model into South Africa to provide quality education at a cost that the country can afford," said Stacey Brewer, a recent MBA graduate following the now prevalent U.S. trend of smart kids becoming edupreneurs.
Classroom Technology
Opinion
Puget Sound Districts Will Lead the Way on Personalization
Earlier this month the Department announced the 16 winning applicants to the Race to the Top District competition. The nearly $400 million will be split by 55 districts in 11 states.
Education
Opinion
Despite Bad News, Progress is Possible
I have a hard time watching evening news--especially in the last few weeks--the headlines are hard to swallow. You can't help but assume that things are getting worse. It's depressing. But the news doesn't give you an accurate picture of the long term trends that are making life better for more people on this planet.
Education
Opinion
MasteryConnect Eases Common Core Alignment, Instruction & Tracking
Three years ago Doug Weber and Mick Hewitt had left a web design agency and were consulting on a social network in Japan. During that same time, Cory Reid was CEO of Instructure. Trenton Goble, a school principal, and Mick were training for a marathon and discussing Trenton's frustrations around tracking progress of formative assessments in a mastery learning approach.
School & District Management
Opinion
21 Months (and Counting) to Online Assessments
2012 is quickly drawing to a close. When the calendar page flips to 2013 in just a couple of weeks, we suspect that the 2014 implementation of the next generation of online assessments is suddenly going to feel much closer. That realization is sure to provoke a wave of high blood pressure fanning out across the land. But - have no fear - the new DLN Smart Series white paper is here!
Education
Opinion
What You'll See More of 2013
A reporter asked me what to expect on the education front in 2013. To some extent you'll see an extension of the blog "5 Megatrends That Shaped 2012 Education." But like MOOCs in 2012, there are likely to be a few breakout trends that few predicted.
School & District Management
Opinion
Blended Learning Decision: Enterprise or Portfolio
For many districts, the most important strategy decision will be whether to build a common district plan or encouraging schools to develop their own plans.
School & District Management
Opinion
Good Schools Start With Good Goals
Good schools start with good goals. I really like the goal statements from Danville Schools, a small district south of Lexington.
Classroom Technology
Opinion
Sir John Daniel: Openness Rather Than Scale is MOOC Contribution
"I'm delighted that openness has gotten to some very closed institutions," said Sir John Daniel. As the former CEO of Commonwealth of Learning and Vice-Chancellor of Open University, he knows a lot about higher education, open education resources (OER), and online learning.
Classroom Technology
Opinion
Powering the Real Revolution in Higher Education
We've heard a lot about Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) -- the breakout trend of the year -- but it's still a fringe concept feeding what Clayton Christensen calls non-consumption. The real story is how the diverse web of nearly 5,000 institutions (broadly speaking) of higher learning in the U.S. are responding to cost pressure, calls for higher completion rates and better job preparation, and student demands for relevance.
Classroom Technology
Opinion
Big History: An Organizing Principle for a Compelling Class, Block or School
After Bill Gates saw a series of lectures by David Christian on big history Gates said, "He really blew me away. Here's a guy who's read across the sciences, humanities, and social sciences and brought it together in a single framework. It made me wish that I could have taken big history when I was young, because it would have given me a way to think about all of the school work and reading that followed. In particular, it really put the sciences in an interesting historical context and explained how they apply to a lot of contemporary concerns."
Classroom Technology
Opinion
How Digital Learning Contributes to Deeper Learning
Here at Getting Smart, we spend a lot of time thinking about how to improve learning. We advocate for tools and schools that work better for students and teachers. We love to see and share stories about engaged learners producing quality products.
Education
Opinion
10 Things Next-Gen Districts Will Do Well
What will next generation districts do well? In the last week I've had the opportunity to discuss that question with hundreds of school board members and superintendents.
Education
Opinion
Smart Cities: Houston's Low Tech Lift Off
"Houston, unlike other cities, is insanely entrepreneurial and optimistic. It incubates the hell out of new ideas," said nonprofit leader Rhetta Detrich. She would know; she helped build Education Pioneers national network. Lacking the provinciality of East Coast cities, "Houston exists because it was founded on the premise of outsiders bringing good ideas and industry."