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.
How To Effectively Teach Students Using Video
Video by nature is a fantastically accessible medium. The strong connection a video production can have with an audience makes it an incredibly powerful teaching tool. It has a unique ability to convey complicated topics in a way viewers can really engage with and understand thoroughly. So how do you teach using video?
What the Connections Acquisition Means
Pearson announced today that it acquired Connections Education, a leading national online learning provider. I know both companies well and think this is a great combination. Connections is another success story for Sterling Partners, backers of Laureate, Sylvan. Peter Cohen, President of Pearson’s School Group, came…
Platform-Based School Development
The 1990s brought charter school laws and the New American Schools Development Corporation—both rooted in the standards-movement and based on the hypothesis that there was a better way to organize schools. New Technology High School opened by the Napa School District in 1996. With its first graduating class, it…
Why States Should Contract with Multiple Providers
The Internet has improved the public provision of services in a variety of ways and it is beginning to transform public education. The power of personal digital learning suggests that it doesn’t make sense to limit our children’s opportunity to learn to a local school or geographically defined school…
Free Post-Sec Will Put the Breaks on Spiraling Costs
Mike Feerick, Alison In the last 24 hours I’ve seen a half a dozen articles about free post secondary learning–a little anecdotal evidence that this Internet stuff may actually change higher education in America. The Independent reviews Open University and free courses offered by Stanford.
The Seven Steps to Becoming a 21st Century School or District
Last summer, as I was winding down my eight years as president of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, I went around the country and met with 30 superintendents, asking them, "What can I do to support your efforts to implement 21st century education in your district?" Together we came up with the idea of creating a professional learning community (PLC) of education leaders committed to 21st century education. A team of us liked the idea so much that earlier this year we launched EdLeader21, a community of education leaders committed to building critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity into their educational system.
Why Didn’t Early College Catch Fire?
Ten years ago tomorrow Utah Gov Mike Leavitt and I sat down to breakfast with a small group of reporters to brief them on a plan for a network of six early college high schools. The briefing was cut short when the governor’s chief of staff whispered in his ear…
Q&A: Video Games Broaden Learning for Diverse Learning Styles
Dr. Paul D. Cotnoir, who leads the computer video game department as chair of design at Becker College, answered a few questions for Getting Smart on his views around gaming for learning following the Serious Play Conference in Redmond, Wash. this August.
Excited and Concerned about the Shift to Personal Digital Learning
Based on a sample of about a hundred educators from 16 southern states, the shift to personal digital learning creates new opportunity and new concerns. In several settings, we discussed factors accelerating the shift: Inexpensive mobile devices, learning apps The shift to online assessments led by two state consortia…
Halverson: Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology
Rich Halverson, co-author of Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology and prof at UW-Madison, kicked off the SREB EdTech meeting in Atlanta today with a provocative discussion about the difference between technology for learning (testing and data systems) and technology for learners (phone, twitter, facebook, games).