Personalized Learning
Personalized learning is a mindset and approach to teaching that focuses on meeting each learner where they are and tailoring a curriculum that considers their interests, prior knowledge and skill level, and pace. Such a demand on the teacher requires sophisticated usage of technology in a combination of personalized, blended and online learning.
What I’m Seeing: Show What You Know
It’s the beginning of the end of pointless post-secondary. Thousands of young people accumulated mountains of debt from college degrees that aren’t worth much–they didn’t learn much and they aren’t employable. The last two days in GettingSmart.com I’ve discussed the increased focus on outcomes and the development…
What I’m seeing: anything, anytime learning
This is the second in a series of ten (or more) blogs on edtech startup categories where there seems to be strong activity. Yesterday I wrote about productive post-sec--folks serious about academic outcomes as well as cost. Today we’re exploring the dynamic category of Informal learning, mostly--non-degree seeking “I need/want to learn something” category. In some cases these options are an alternative to formal post-sec. What I’m seeing is activity in three categories: peer, now, do.
10 impact opportunities for donors and sponsors
Are you looking for investment opportunities to improve equality and equity in education? This week, we’ve compiled a list of 10 great philanthropic and sponsor opportunities: Make new state tests as good as possible by sponsoring a design prize for innovative math and logical reasoning assessment items. The first two…
How to Leverage Backchanneling & the Long Tail of Learning
We’ve all been there. Two colleagues across the room tap away at their phones, while the principal describes the rationale for cutbacks in funding for new technology initiatives. (Or switch out the colleagues for students while you are delivering an essential lecture on freedom of speech.) Their jabbing thumbs are punctuated by muffled giggles, as the digital text flies across the room. Is this a rude disruption or an extension of learning?
What I’m Seeing: Productive Post-Secondary
Wow, the edtech space seems to have exploded. The number and quality of startups is remarkable as is the inflow of talent and investment. Over the next weeks I’ll discuss some of the emerging capabilities I’m seeing in these ten categories: Productive post-secondary: taking outcomes and value seriously…
Deeper Learning Not Lighter Journalism
One thing that really disappoints me is newspaper reporters that try so hard to be cute that they miss–or botch–a story. Stephanie Simon from Reuters is a pandering case in point. After a number of my colleagues invested a lot of time with her discussing the Hewlett Foundation sponsored Automated…
Bridging Policy & Practice: Reflections From an Online Educator & Digital Learning Advocate
My students are adults—graduate students in fact—most of them practicing educators. They’ve enrolled in the University of Cincinnati Masters in Educational Leadership Online Program and they will spend the next two years with their online cohort and me. While we will never meet face-to-face, the cohort will transform from a group of individual strangers to a tight cadre of peers who will come to rely on each other professionally and personally for years to come.
Chip Kimball to Lead Prestigious Singapore School
Chip Kimball is one of the only district tech directors to become a superintendent. He made the transition in a community with a lot of tech savvy people—the Lake Washington school district, located in Redmond Washington, home of Microsoft. Chip has been there more than 15 years, serving as superintendent for the last five years. This summer Chip is taking on an interesting new challenge as head of the Singapore American School (SAS), what may be the largest and most prestigious international school in the world. SAS serves about 4,000 students P-12.
Getting Ready for Online Assessment
Online assessment are at the heart of the promise of digital learning. Online assessments provide real time diagnostics that identify learning levels and gaps. Online assessment provides instant feedback in reading, writing, math and other subjects. Online assessment will power the future of customized learning—the best chance we have to dramatically boost achievement levels. It's time for states and districts to get ready for online assessment.
Can Six Year Olds Really Demonstrate Their Learning?
This week we finished up another one of our project based learning (PBL) or inquiry-based units in my first grade classroom. It had the grand title of rules, relationships and responsibilities.