Posts by Tom Vander Ark
7 Things Next Gen Schools Will Do Well
Seventeen years ago as a new superintendent I was invited to Microsoft to learn about 1:1 programs in Australia. The architect of those programs, Bruce Dixon, told a compelling story of student engagement in transformed learning environments.
Smart Cities: Los Angeles
LA significantly lags the Bay Area, New York, and Chicago as an edtech leader. The activity level is closer to that of Seattle, a metro area less than a third its size.
Mass Community Colleges Focus on Employability
The 15 Massachusetts community colleges participating in the Massachusetts Community Colleges & Workforce Development Transformation Agenda (MCCWDTA) are making notable progress on improving rapid pathways to high wage jobs. The awkwardly named project is funded by a three-year, $20 million grant from the U.S.
MSOE: An Example of Education for Employability
The Milwaukee School of Engineering experience is a pretty good example of “rigor, relevance, and relationships” (as my friends from Big Picture would say). Their commitment to employability is as strong as any campus that I’ve visited. It’s a place that seems to be asking the right questions about what’s next. Unemployment rates would be lower and economic growth rates would be higher if every city had an urban jobs engine like MSOE.
After Fulfilling 30,000 Wishes, DigitalWish is Just Getting Started
Digital Wish is the edtech DonorsChoose. They have fulfilled more than 30,000 classroom wishes, mostly 1:1 classroom deployments with Dell netbooks.
Insider Views, Outsider Comments
Whiteboard Advisors regularly surveys policy makers. The following are highlights of its latest report and a little color commentary.
Microsoft Innovative Schools
New school models that leverage technology provide a useful picture of the future. Last week, in a three-blog series, I profiled next generation school models that leverage newopportunities, incorporate experiential learning, and promote system redesign.
5 Reasons Columbus Should Make the Shift to Digital Learning
On Thursday, the Columbus Education Commission will consider five ways in which technology can boost urban learning opportunities.
New Mexico Families Deserve Options
The New Mexico Public Education Commission (PEC) denied application for a virtual charter school last fall on grounds citing three reasons: 1) The application was contrary to the "best interests" of students, the educational system, and the statewide community; 2) The New Mexico Charter laws are "sufficiently ambiguous" as to the authority of the Commission to grant such a charter; and 3) The Public Education Department's rules for charter schools preclude "distance learning" as a substitute for in-person instruction unless approved by a local school board.
10,000 Teachers Collaborate on Common Core-Alignment Project
None of those old basal textbooks are aligned to the Common Core State Standards, but they all include great content. What to do? About 10,000 teachers on Edmodo have turned to the The Basal Alignment Project, an online library of revised replacement lessons from common basal reading series (3rd-5th grades) each carefully aligned to the Common Core State Standards (Edmodo Group code: etuyrm).