Posts by Tom Vander Ark
OpenEd: Changing the Way the World Learns
A New York Times article last week suggested that big ideas are dead. At Open Education Solutions, we don’t think so—we want to change the way the world learns. We see evidence of new approaches to learning that work better. Following are four examples of how we’re helping to deploy new strategies, structures, and technologies.
Aviation High Takes Off
This morning Aviation High School celebrated groundbreaking of their new $43.5 million facility across the street from the Museum of Flight in South Seattle.
Why States Should Require Online Courses
EdWeek reposted a Miami Herald story reviewing the pros/cons of the recent addition of a Florida requirement that every high school student take an online course. There is a good deal of speculation in the article that the requirement is just about saving money, noting that “Florida spends…
Celebrate Tagore With a Poem about Schools
It's Rabindranath Tagore's 150th birthday. Here's a Tagore poem that describes a great school including interdisciplinary studies, real rigor, and freedom of thought.
Demonstrated Competence
The goal of school is learning but we still manage it based on time. Students still progress a year at a time after a 180 day school year along with other kids their age. Occasionally politicians call for an end to social promotion, but just mean making struggling students repeat a grade. We didn’t really have a better way to manage matriculation in the era of data poverty.
Good Work: Night Climbing
Leadership is…establishing where a group of people should go, getting them lined up in that direction and committed to movement, and then energizing them to overcome the inevitable obstacles that they will encounter along the way.
No More Big Ideas? 10 Edupreneurs Suggest Otherwise
Neil Gabler suggested in last Sunday’s NYTimes that there are no more big ideas. This week I talked to/about 10 edupreneurs with big dreams that suggest otherwise.
Reflections on Inflections
Inflection points marks the beginning of a different future. We recently hit three inflections in education, and there are three more to come that have the potential to change the world.
PDK/Gallup Poll: Surveys Look Back, Innovators Look Forward
Surveys reflect the questions asked. The annual Phi Delta Kappan International (PDK) and Gallup poll asked a bunch of rear view mirror questions and got unsurprising responses: the public appreciate teachers, local schools, and school choice. The survey reflects broad concerns about public education and budget cuts in particular.
More foreign language, math & science possible with digital learning
Digital learning makes it easier to bring foreign language, math, science and AP courses to students. It can make language learning an engaging, ubiquitous daily experience. And it can help bring science to life and tailor math instruction.