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. Â In the next year I think we’ll get to the point where every student in America has…
Leadership
Good Urban Schools: A Portfolio Approach
This paper, first written in 2004 with Jim Shelton, is one of the first descriptions of the portfolio approach to urban education.
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? Â Ten years ago it was unimaginable. Now it happens annually in New Haven. Â 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. Â 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. Â 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…
Personalized Learning
For Instructional Management See CMOs
Kalman R. Hettleman writes in EdWeek, “It’s the Classroom, Stupid.” She’s right, instructional management is a big deal and often poorly managed. Â Here’s her three reasons: First, predisposition. The personal temperament of educators and their professional culture of insularity predispose them to be weak managers.