Is the Flipped Classroom the Right Tech Approach for Teachers?
By Charles Perry “Flipping” a classroom refers to a reevaluation of a standard classroom environment where the teacher functions as a “sage on the stage” and the students as passive receptacles for knowledge. Teachers who flip their classrooms instead serve as a “guide on the side” who introduce new…
Good Work: The Abundance Mindset
There are two kinds of change agents—angry ones and hopeful one. The hopeful ones work toward new solutions. A subset of them approach the world with the ‘abundance mindset’ knowing that we’re riding an exponential curve that promises innovation. Abundant mindsets have mapped the human genome and launched space flights; they will expand access to quality education and extend life. They might even fix Washington DC.
Online Learning Keeps Sisters Together
Two sisters from Nevada, Kaleigh and Danielle Fair, graduated from high school together the other day. As this touching video shows, the odds against these young women were extraordinary. Their school, Nevada Virtual Academy, and the teachers there evened those odds and made their journey together across the commencement stage and through their high school experience possible.
Staff Picks: College/Career Readiness, Denver Turnaround, Online Assessment
Tom Picks “Q&A: David Conley on College & Career Readiness“ Tom says, “This post explores common expectations for college readiness benefits students, teachers, colleges, and content developers. David Conley is in the middle of facilitating a rich debate about readiness. I appreciate his responses in this Q&A.” Karen Picks…
Policy Implications of Online & Blended Learning
At the National Charter School Conference (#NCSC) in Minneapolis yesterday, I participated in a discussion of the Policy Implications of Online & Blended Learning with Jim Griffin, Colorado Leage of Charter Schools, Mickey Revenaugh, Connections Learning, and David Hanson. I told the audience of school heads, authorizers, network leaders and district…
Common Core PD Goes Open Source
Educator engagement in the implementation of Common Core State Standards is critical if we really want to see a quantum leap in college readiness. The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), which is one of two groups creating assessments for Common Core, recently awarded a contract to the National Math + Science Initiative’s Laying the Foundation program to create an Educator Leader Cadre to ensure greater expertise in the new standards at the classroom level.
SmartTech Roundup
Blended Schools & Tools Rocky Mountain High-Access. Idaho announced the 30 school districts and two charter schools that will be the first to implement 1:1 laptops in the next two years (they’ll join Maine secondary schools, 40% of South Dakota high schools, a third of Iowa districts,…
iLearn Project Releases 2nd Edition of Online Learning 101
Today iLearn Project released the second edition of its groundbreaking publication, Online Learning 101: A Guide to Virtual Public Education in Washington.
How to Showcase an Army of Talent Through Tech Projects
Just last week I was fumbling through a cupboard spilling over with drinking glasses and java cups, and I found myself staring at a coffee mug that was given to me many years ago. It reads "The three biggest reasons to teach: June, July, & August." I giggled to myself at the absurdity of the written words. First of all, what happened to three months?
Gamification: Bring Gaming Mechanics Into Non-gaming Environments
Games are desirable. They put users in control. The users get rewards. Gamers go at their pace. Games require mastery for advancement. Success at some level is inevitable.