Posts by Tom Vander Ark
Ed Policy
How Teachers Can Best Use Tech
We are in the early years of a learning revolution that has the potential to profoundly improve the reach and quality of American schooling. However, getting digital learning right is more about the planning than the purchase order. It’s not about the technology, but about what we do with it.
Personalized Learning
Partnership for LA Schools Making Progress
“Blended learning continues to be a focus across our network in math/literacy,” said Oliver. Like many districts, the Partnership has made more progress at the elementary level. “ST Math and Achieve3000 are our best programs,” added Oliver, “we are piloting ST Math at one of our high schools this year and continue to work closely with the MIND Research Institute including having a group of our elementary teachers write model lessons for them.”
Leadership
The Future: What 32 Ed Leaders Are Excited About
It's exciting to hear these leaders describing high engagement and multi-modal learning environments with cultures that embrace high expectations and provide strong supports--and personalized learning for educators as well as students!
EdTech
10 Elements of Next-Gen Learner Experience (LX)
User experience (UX) involves a person's behaviors, attitudes, and emotions about using a particular product, system or service. With improving potential to blend and personalize learning, we should be reconsidering the Learner Experience (LX). Here's 10 suggested elements. What would you add?
Ed Policy
Putting It All Together to Make Schools Smarter
Third in a series, this post considers the investment, innovation, and employment models that will create smarter schools and more attractive environments and career pathways for educators.
EdTech
The Promise of EdTech: Customization, Motivation, & Equalization
The premise of Getting Smart is that new tools and new schools are changing old assumptions about what is possible--a trifecta of customization, motivation, and equalization. This is the second of three posts sharing quotes and comments from the book.
EdTech
Build on Strengths, Explore Interests, Shore Up Weaknesses
About 40 months ago Nicholas Carr was suggesting that the Internet was making us stupid—which I thought was stupid. So I wrote Getting Smart: How Personal Digital Learning Will Make Us Smart. I, for one, am very optimistic about the potential to dramatically boost achievement and completion rates here and around the world.
Ed Policy
Getting Smart: How Digital Learning is Changing the World- 2013 Update
The first draft of Getting Smart was written three years ago and a lot has changed since then. Thirty months isn’t a lot of time…except when you’re in the middle of a revolution.
Leadership
Combine Curiosity, Kinesiology, & Causes in ‘14
Moving toward work you love means getting in touch with what, how, and why--what you are drawn to, how you like to spend your time, and the causes that move you to action.
Leadership
Smart Cities: Los Angeles Startup Weekend EDU 1/24
Last year, my Smart Cities: LA post complained about the lack of “innovation and collaboration” in the city, but things are more interesting a year later. The first Startup Weekend EDU in the City of Angels will take place on the weekend of January 24th at UCLA Anderson.