Impact investing: Where Money & Meaning Meet
Josh Cohen, co-author of white paper on impact investing and founder of City Light Capital, and I share a narrow definition of impact investing as seeking both high return and high impact. Cohen thinks it's entirely possible to have high expectations in both regards across education, safety and security, and energy and environment.
Book Review: Born to Rise
From the minute you pick up Deborah Kenny's book wrapped in star endorsements from the likes of John Legend and Hugh Jackman, you know she must be doing something right. Kenny is Founder and CEO of the successful network of public charter schools known as Harlem Village Academies.
Foundations Urged to Utilize Return-Seeking Investments as Part of Their Impact Strategy
In a paper released today, three experienced investors suggest that recent changes make it possible to produce a substantial impact and achieve market rate returns. Learning Returns: Impact Investing at the Education Turning Point, is the first paper in a series focused on accelerating and improving the shift to personal digital learning.
The Crisis in the Education of Boys
However you slice the numbers, boys are underperforming girls. Online and blended learning is making it easier and more affordable to offer engaging, challenging, and affordable pathways. The potential to personalize learning for groups and individual students holds promise for addressing the crisis in educating boys.
Why Aren’t There Any Next Gen Learning Platforms?
The education sector is in the early stages of transitioning from learning management systems (LMS) to learning platform ecosystems. In fact, a lot of U.S. schools will skip the LMS phase and go straight from print to platform.
Staff Picks: Philanthropy, EdWeek, Online Education, & Blended Learning
Tom Picks "Blended Learning Can Improve Working Conditions, Teaching & Learning" Tom says, "Blending the best of online and onsite learning has the potential to personalize learning for students and teachers with more collaborative and flexible environments." Karen Picks "How Philanthropy Can Improve & Accelerate the Shift to Digital Learning" Karen says, "The exact focus of monetary amounts and targeted funding is so important to fundraising making this article a highlight to read."
Student Warns “Doing Technology” Isn’t Enough
A guest blog this week at edweek.org gave a student the chance to tell us what he thinks is important about technology in the classroom. The perspective of the learner doesn't often get much air time. What this learner has to say deserves attention.
Steelcase Invites Students to Imagine Their Future
This year, Steelcase launched the 100 Dreams Classroom Project as a part of our “100 Dreams, 100 Minds, 100 Years” centennial celebration. Steelcase is a company dedicated to providing great environments where employees can do their best work. To commemorate its 100th anniversary, the company is looking to the leaders of tomorrow to see what dreams they have and how they hope to achieve these advancements. For the project, we designed a simple lesson plan for teachers to download online and implement in their classrooms, which invites children to use crayons to envision the future.
SmartTech Roundup: From Blended Learning to Justin Bieber
Three minute foray into the future. Intel’s three minute video provides a peek into the blended classroom of the future. In response to the video, Tom noted on Getting Smart that the video shows a good partial picture of blended learning but leaves out some of the more compelling reasons for the shift such leveraging teaching talent with technology.
PBS: Taste of College Encourages Students to Continue Classes
John Merrow produced a must watch PBS segment on early college high schools in south Texas. Like AP courses, a partnership with a local college allows students to earn college credit in high school. The challenge and the promise encourages more students to stay in school, graduate, and enroll in college. Online learning makes advanced and college credit course offerings more accessible and affordable.