Posts by Tom Vander Ark
Teaching Math Without Words—And Getting Big Gains
Mathematical thinking is a problem-solving skill but we use a lot of abstract symbols and words to try to teach kids math procedures. Just look at a textbook or observe a middle school classroom. Our text-based approach works for some students but is confusing and complicated for too many,…
Funding that Creates Incentives for Performance, Options & Innovation
Doug Potter, Austin Chronicle “How money is spent is as important as how much money is spent in education.” The Digital Learning Now report offers guidance to state policy makers on the technically and politically difficult subject of school finance in a video released today on…
Good Work: Apology Lesson from a 9 Year Old
An apology is the superglue of life. It can repair just about anything. Lynn Johnston After a little temper tantrum, my then nine-year-old daughter Katie left a note in a custom made envelope that said, “I am very sorry for the way that I have been acting. You…
10 Ways I Use Technology to Learn
Talking to smart people at Startup Weekend SFO During the NYTimes conference this week a tweeter got frustrated with the old white men on the stage, “One last time: Would the panel mind talking about how they themselves use technology to learn?” So I thought I’d respond. Write…
Kansas City: A Great Education Improvement Story
In what may be the most improved urban American district, Kansas City, Kansas achieved results by a sustained focus on rigor and relationships. They started with a new goal—college and career readiness (a novel idea ten years ago). They got to know their students, they got them in the right courses, and the teachers got on the same page about good teaching.
Assessment Will Advance When It Moves Into the Background
Digital Learning Now is a framework for state education policy for the digital age. Key to quality is Element #8, Assessment and Accountability. On assessment, DLN suggests that states should administer testing online: Administering tests digitally has multiple benefits. Tests can be administered and scored quickly and…
10 Things I’d Do Right Now As a Superintendent
A public school superintendent asked me last week what I’d do right now. Here’s a list of ten projects for fall 2011: Plan for the shift to personal digital learning in three phases over the next 3-5 years. You need six coordinated plans considering content and instruction, assessment and data,…
Authorizing High Performance
Paul Hill's Reinventing Public Education Good measures, clear targets, transparent results, and strong authorizing are all key to improving educational outcomes. Effective authorizing is the quality lynchpin to the Digital Learning Now framework which suggests that “States should hold schools and online providers accountable using student learning…
Good Work: People That Can Do No Other
Jay Kimmelman moved to Africa to launch Bridge Academies I love people that do what they do because they can do no other. You can see it in their clarity, persistence, and the ability they say no to the BS most of us put up with. In some…
Partnerships Will Unlock Digital Promise
Newt Minnow proposed Digital Promise a decade ago While launching an over due edtech center, Duncan gave a great speech on the power of personal digital learning (I suspect Karen Cator gets most of the credit there). DigitalPromise is supposed to “identify breakthrough technologies, learn faster what’s…