Staff Picks: OER Impacts, Learning Online, & the GS Community

Tom Picks OER Impacts on Edu-Business Models

Tom says, “Audrey Waters and Kristen Winkler both wrote about the impact of free and open content on education business models.  The rise of Khan may be the most visible force but other game changers include expanding adoption of open education resources and free/cheap learning apps for Apple and Android mobile devices.  In a short note on this dynamic topic I noted that free viral apps can build a big customer base but may take lots of capital (i.e., you’ll need a friendly foundation or VC).  I also noted an interesting difference between nonprofits and return seeking ventures–a commitment to the customer exhibited in weekly cycles of hypothesis testing supported by data driven decision making.”

Karen Picks Technology can be a tool of efficiency for cash-strapped education budgets”

Karen says, “The title lays out the obvious and I’m very thankful that our hometown paper ran this story. We’ve said it before but being in the basement when it comes to education reform and choice in education, Washington state has a lot going on when it comes to technology and innovation in education. From one of the earliest online K-12 schools in the nation – our very own Federal Way School District’s Internet Academy (TVA’s brainchild as Superintendent) to the ever illuminating work of The Center for Reinventing Public Education, and their recent series of forums around innovation in education – students, parents, educators, legislators and taxpayers will benefit from using technology in the classroom.”

Caroline and Sarah Pick Our Getting Smart Community

Caroline says, “I’m so grateful this week (and always) for our Getting Smart Community of students, parents, teachers, ed leaders and policy makers. We are building a community of people passionate about learning on a global scale. Most importantly this has become a community of people who care about students and have devoted their lives and careers to making a great education possible for every child. Our team is thankful for retweets, comments, guest blogs, pictures and Facebook messages. We are looking forward to continuing this conversation and advancing and uplifting our education system together. Happy Thanksgiving!”
Sarah says, “We appreciate all of your feedback and contributions to the Getting Smart Community. We truly believe that new technologies, learning methods and approaches can dramatically improve learning for students of all ages. Yet, it’s our community that helps continue to deliver and inspire this message. We hope that you continue to join us in conversing and spreading the word about ways we can all ‘get smart.’

Getting Smart Staff

The Getting Smart Staff believes in learning out loud and always being an advocate for things that we are excited about. As a result, we write a lot. Do you have a story we should cover? Email [email protected]

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