Posts by Tom Vander Ark
Blended Learning in New Orleans
Take a virtual field trip with us, as we dive into what school looks like in New Orleans, 10 years after Hurricane Katrina.
The Perks of Personalized Pathways & Playlists
The most exciting aspect of personalized learning playlists is how easy it is to share or build them with colleagues anywhere in the world. Teachers gain opportunities to learn new approaches from others and be more productive by spending less time building and more time adapting and implementing.
The Shift to Digital Learning: 10 Benefits
The shift from print to digital is a profound transition in how human beings learn, it is more significant than the development of the printing press and its benefits are spreading much more quickly. Here are 10 key ways that learning will benefit from the shift to digital.
Next Generation K-12: 10 Implications for HigherEd
HigherEd institutions will need to enable a bundled multi-provider experience (or risk becoming part-time providers), focus on employability skills and experiences, and take learner experience much more seriously.
8 Online Learning Trends that are Changing the Learning Landscape
Seeking access to more and better learning opportunities, a state official called and asked about next generation of K-12 online learning. We see eight trends--some emerging from k-12 providers, some from HigherEd--improving online learning.
2020 Vision: A History of the Future
Written in past tense, 2020 Vision: A History of the Future is 440 pages of time travel into a best case scenario of how the next five years could be transformational for global learning. Organized around 10 signpost developments, each of the well designed chapters includes a problem statement and a list of solutions, profiles of GSV investees and sector leaders.
Assessment for Learning Project
With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the National Center for Innovation in Education and NGLC are launching a $2 million grant program that will support pilot programs focusing on personalized learning.
Grant-Beacon Middle School Builds Character, Extends and Blends Learning
By: Tom Vander Ark. Four years ago Principal Alex Magaña describes a clear mission: high achievement and growth for all students, providing a college preparatory program of study that sets high expectations and requires critical thinking and problem solving skills. Today, you see three core strategies are helping them achieve that goal: blended learning, extended learning opportunities, and charter development.
15 Elements of Next-Gen Learner Experiences
Here are the 5 design components of learner experiences (LX) and 10 characteristics of LX to encourage high quality, next-gen learning for all learners at scale.
Schools for Wisdom: Personalized Project-Based Learning
The new documentary Most Likely to Succeed follows the journey of students at High Tech High, one of the best high schools in America. David Brooks from the New York Times recently reviewed the movie, but overlooked some key points.