Personalized Learning

RttT: The Work Ahead

With only two winners (thanks for holding the bar high Arne), there are two different paths to resubmission: 1. Support. FL & LA clearly had the most aggressive plans but got dinged for lack of support.  They need a little Barb O’Brien (Lt. Gov CO) style barnstorming to build…

EdTech

Online Learning Saves Education

The only way online education companies can respond to concerns about quality and age-appropriateness is if they are given the chance to experiment and win over students and parents. Government policies need to be tweaked, and companies need investment to grow. But for online education to really take off, we need to let the chalkboard in the little red schoolhouse go, and learn to love the glow of a child’s face lit by a laptop screen. -- Katherine Mangu-Ward, Washington Post

Personalized Learning

Virtual Portfolio Overlay

Virtual courses are quickly becoming an important overlay to portfolio strategy (last post) as Paul Hill pointed out yesterday at Yale Edu Leaders Conference. Virtual schools offer full school and course alternatives.  In the next year I think we’ll get to the point where every student in America has…

Personalized Learning

10 Ways Faith Congregations Can Improve Edu

Peter Groff, the Director of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships for the Department of Education, will be headlining a Teachers College conference on the role of faith congregations in education.   This afternoon, I’ll be outlining these 10 specific ways that congregations can make a difference: 1.  Youth/Family Services: Communities…

Personalized Learning

Yale SOM Education Leaders Conference

A leading business school hosting an education conference?  Ten years ago it was unimaginable. Now it happens annually in New Haven.  The students organize a great conference, get edu-superstars to attend, and turn out in droves. Jon Schnur kicked off the Racing to the Top conference with a review…

Personalized Learning

Flat Lining Schools; Tinkering Won’t Work

This week the “The Nation’s Report Card” showed no progress.  That’s really quite disturbing given aggressive federal policy (NCLB), a handful of cities like New York making real progress, states like Louisiana and Florida pushing hard, and national foundation efforts. It suggests that tinkering won’t come close to…

Personalized Learning

Memphis, 1951

If you’re in/near NYC this year, go see Memphis, the musical.  It’s a fantastic show and powerful story.  From the playbill: TURN UP THAT DIAL! From the underground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis, Tennessee,…comes a hot new Broadway musical – inspired by actual events – with heart, soul…

Personalized Learning

Mobile Learning Maturing (Slowly)

Article worth reading in EdWeek on mobile learning.  I particularly like what Seth Weinberger at Innovations for Learning is doing with the $100 TeacherMate, a cool primary reading and math handheld game pad. See feature in next months Fast Company. Getting close to the device and price point…

Personalized Learning

Fixing No Child Left Behind

The WSJ, published an editorial that both praises and is critical of the President’s Blueprint.  I thought it was worth a full read: The Obama Administration wants to revise the No Child Left Behind education law, which is understandable because the law has flaws. But it’s too…