Posts by Tom Vander Ark
Ed Policy
What’s the Point of More Charters?
An elementary school principal asked Charter Schools? Why, Exactly? Following are five answers to his question.
Personalized Learning
Smart Cities: Raleigh/Durham
Research Triangle Park (RTP) is the nation’s largest R&D center with 7,000 acres and 170 companies including DuPont, Glaxo, IBM, EMC as well as NIH, EPA, and CDC. The triangle refers to three top-notch universities: Duke in Durham, UNC In Chapel Hill, and NC State in Raleigh. There’s also NC Central (an HBCU), a leader in biomanufacturing.
Leadership
Good Work: It’s Easter, Get Busy
We have created a complicated mess of things on this planet--a set of complex systems we can no longer manage, systems that benefit a relative few. It’s our job to fix things--the daily tasks of making things new: teach, heal, care, create. That’s the message of Easter and Passover--it’s time for an extreme makeover, for the ultimate maker faire. Time to get busy. Reconciliation requires leadership. We need to take a stand in favor of those less blessed.
Leadership
Striving and Springing to College
Two remarkable young men realized in college that they had been fortunate in their college preparation, selection, and attendance. The both decided to do something about it. They organized nonprofits and stepped into the CEO role when the graduated.
Ed Policy
NGLC 4: Grants Available for More Breakthrough Blends
With higher expectations, daunting challenges, and new technologies, it's a good time to start over. Creating new schools from scratch--particularly high schools--is a timely opportunity.
EdTech
PLTW Chooses Instructure for Active STEM Learning
After two successful data startups Josh Coates turned his attention to another category with a capabilities gap--learning management systems. I caught up with Josh at SXSWedu earlier this month.
Personalized Learning
Rocky Mount NC: Where Rocketship Meets Carpe Diem
A year ago Doug Haynes made a recommendation to the board of Rocky Mount Prep to adopt a blended learning plan modeled after the Rocketship elementary model and the Carpe Diem high school. The board asked him to become CEO and implement the plan…over the summer.
Personalized Learning
Review: A Case for Accelerating Adaptive Learning in HigherEd
Learning to Adapt: A Case for Accelerating Adaptive Learning in Higher Education, published by Education Growth Advisors, makes the case for learning software that automatically adjusts to student levels.
Leadership
The Good News from Punjab & 10 Lessons for Leaders
A British think tank released a report written by Sir Michael Barber about progress in Pakistan subtitled "How a revolutionary new approach to education reform in Punjab shows the way forward for Pakistan and development aid everywhere." The report includes 10 widely applicable lessons for leaders.
Personalized Learning
An Avalanche of Change is Coming in Higher Ed
Pearson's senior academic team led by Michael Barber said an avalanche is headed for higher education and "all players in the system to act boldly." An Avalanche is Coming: Higher education and the revolution ahead outlines the challenges and makes recommendations for consumers, institutions and governments.