Personalized Learning
Carrots, Sticks & the Bully Pulpit
Carrots, Sticks & The Bully Pulpit reviews the federal role is largely discouraging for those of us interested in advancing educational equity and achievement. The was some consensus among the bipartisan authors that “federal policy makers have trouble holding a steady course amid all the interests and politics,” and that the “federal government lacks the authority and tools to effectively play an active role in school improvement.” On a more positive note, there was also some consensus that the feds had an important and doable role in promoting transparency and that the president and secretary had a valuable bully pulpit role.
EdTech
10 Innovative & Practical Applications of SMART Tech
The SMART Board and SMART Notebook software collaborative learning software are tools that can be used for whole class, small group and individual learning. The below list includes creative ways I have seen the SMART Board used.
Personalized Learning
All About Relationships: CRM in EDU
There are a handful of big companies that really understand customer relationships in a deep way. A couple of them sell this expertise in the form of customer relationship management (CRM) software and related consulting. Wikipedia says:
Personalized Learning
Secretary Duncan & Chairman Genachowski Join Digital Learning Day Town Hall
The first-ever Digital Learning Day, February 1, 2012, will feature a National Town Hall meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, former governor and president of the Alliance for Excellent Education Bob Wise, Emmy Award-sinning journalist Leon Harris.
Personalized Learning
CER Lunchtime Lessons – Blended Learning
Tom Vander Ark discusses the models of blended learning and how its capabilities can benefit students, educators, and schools at the Center for Education Reform Lunchtime Lessons for School Choice.
EdTech
MIND Launches ST Math Touch for Tablets at FETC
MIND Research Institute launched today its new ST Math® Touch, which combines touch-screen animations with the interactive and visual math game, at the Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC) in Orlando, Fla.
EdTech
SmartTech Roundup: eTexts, Smart Tutors, & Venture Funding
After a long drumroll, Apple launched an authoring tool. Some claimed revolution but we were a bit underwhelmed. After writing a book, authors will find they are trapped in the iPad universe (Audrey Watters was really bummed).
Personalized Learning
Edcamp: Innovation In Professional Development
Professional development (PD) opportunities for educators today are still relatively limited to seasonal workshops and conferences. While this can be the preferred model for district administrators when looking at continuing education requirements, teachers are finding ways shake up the idea of traditional ongoing professional learning opportunities.
Personalized Learning
The Mature Brain: There’s Hope for the AARP Eligible
In his book The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain, Gene Cohen describes "one of the brain’s most powerful tools is its ability to quickly scan a vast storehouse of templates for relevant information and past experience to come up with a novel solution to a problem. In this context, the mature brain is especially well equipped, which is probably why we still associate wisdom with age."
Leadership
Good Work: Coming to Grips With Standards of Quality
When I was a superintendent, a group of 40 students ranging from six to eight years old asked me to visit their classroom for a presentation on quality. One after another, teams of students described quality teachers, quality schools, and quality students.