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: Smart Teachers, Digital Learning Policy, IWB, & Portfolios
Karen Picks “Battle for Whiteboard-Market Supremacy Heats Up” Karen says, “The crux of this issue is really in the following statement and question: Complicating those decisions are changes in the technological landscape that are raising questions about the long-term educational relevance of interactive whiteboards. Do classrooms really need…
Leadership
Good Work: Bureaucracy Busting Starts With a Positive Presupposition
I watched Rhode Island Commissioner Deb Gist in action yesterday, first on television answering tough questions from a panel of reporters then speaking to and interacting with a conference of educators. She is struggling with the limitations of an old bureaucracy while helping her colleagues invent the future. She set’s the vision, outlines the challenges, encourages collaboration, and does it all with unusual grace and charm. It looks like her positive presupposition has earned the benefit of the doubt.
Leadership
Staff Picks: Global Ed, Online Learning & Flex Schools
Karen Picks “Turkish Kids Are Getting Tablets. What’s Your State Doing?” Karen says, “I was very pleased to listen to a group from the Philippines this week tell us about the digital/eLearn space across the other side of the world. Some of the same issues and some…
Leadership
Good Work: 10 Quotes on Measuring Your Life
My friends from Innosight recently reminded me of Clay Christensen's article How Will You Measure Your Life? After a great weekend with my wife and friends, I reread it waiting for a flight. Here's 10 quotes that made me stop and think.
Leadership
Staff Picks: Digital Playlist, Blended Learning, Mobile Learning
Tom picks digital playlists by Adam Renfro, Karen picks NEA support for blended learning, Caroline picks student Digital Learning Day testimonies, and Sarah picks a presentation iPad app.
Leadership
Good Work: Service Above Self
What strikes me every year is the contribution mentality of the Rotarians. It’s a group of people that take seriously the Rotary International motto, service above self. They have made a commitment to this place and they steward with care. Many of them own a small business. They are doctors, accountants, insurance agents, and realtors. Sure, there is some enlightened self-interest at work here but it’s more than that. They have made a conscious choice to weave the fabric of community and to serve those in need.
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.
Ed Policy
SOPA and PIPA Polling Lower than the BP Oil Spill
How will SOPA and PIPA affect online education? It will be the collateral damage. On the surface, both bills seem reasonable. Both bills seek to give power to law enforcement to stop access to “rogue” websites that abuse copyright and exchange counterfeit goods. The bills focus on foreign websites; however, U.S. based Internet companies and technology leaders fear the bills are over-reaching and will have chilling effects on Internet freedoms in the U.S.
Leadership
Getting Smart Opposes PIPA and SOPA
The Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House have the potential to censor the Web, pose harmful regulations on businesses, and hurt economic growth and innovation. Getting Smart stands with the millions of Internet users, entrepreneurs, businesses, human rights organizations, and professors who oppose PIPA and SOPA.
Leadership
Good Work: Meeting Special Needs
Today I simply want to recognize and thank parents and teachers that work with students with special needs. Nature recently devoted a full issue to the subject of autism. There are some promising organizations attempting to meet special needs. But this blog is mostly a thank you card.