Leadership

Content that enables educators, edleaders, organizations and families to increase capacity, apply a growth mindset and implement what’s next in learning on behalf of those entrusted to them.
Leadership

Staff Picks: Philanthropy, EdWeek, Online Education, & Blended Learning

Getting Smart Staff

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."
Leadership

Good Work: Freedom and Virtue

Tom Vander Ark

Father Robert A. Sirico, author of Defending the Free Market: The Moral Case for a Free Economy, argues that a free economy promotes charity, selflessness, and kindness. He argues that free-market capitalism is the best way to ensure individual success, broad prosperity, but also the path to a moral society. Sirico suggests we’ve explore alternatives to free markets and they kill individual freedom, dampen incentives for enterprise, and quash creativity and innovation.
Leadership

Staff Picks: Blended Learning, Higher Ed, ISTE, DigLN

Getting Smart Staff

Tom Picks “Who Governs the Child?” Tom says, “The central tenant of Digital Learning Now!, a framework for state policy, is expanded access to the world of digital learning. The North Carolina struggle that Jeff writes about is emblematic of our time–the shift from a time when…
Leadership

Good Work: The Abundance Mindset

Tom Vander Ark

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.
Leadership

Good Work: Quality Products

Tom Vander Ark

You may have had the good fortune to have an encouraging teacher or a demanding boss that helped to create an indelible life-long image of quality results. Most adults are preoccupied with effort and activity rather than results. When that image is internalized, you begin holding yourself to a high standard of performance even when it seems that others do what they can get by with. Quality work, and the quality effort that goes into it, is its own reward.
Leadership

Staff Picks: Online Speech, Partisanship, Online PD, Bill Nye

Getting Smart Staff

Tom Picks “Telepractice Brings Online Speech Services to School Districts of all Sizes” Tom says, “It’s great to see innovations in blended learning benefiting special needs student.  Online speech therapy works better for students, teachers and districts.” Karen Picks “Partisanship is Ruining Public Education” Karen says,…
Leadership

Good Work: A Dose of Reality

Tom Vander Ark

Mission-driven organizations are susceptible to avoiding market realities. Outside consultants can help impose a dose of reality during a planning process. Organizations are a lot like people when it comes to self-evaluation. It is hardest to tell yourself the truth.
Leadership

Some Choose Wisely

Tom Vander Ark

Chad Wick’s contribution to Cincinnati, Ohio, and American education were celebrated on Wednesday at the Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Chad is stubborn, he just won’t accept the injustice that he sees in Ohio. Chad lives in the future, he’s just waiting for the rest of us to catch up with him. Chad lives as if “All means All.”