blended learning
Personalized Learning
10 Reasons Every District Should Open a Flex School
Using a flex model, every community can afford to have a great high school. Every community should have a flex option that provides a fully supported individualized pathways to graduation. Every community should use a flex model to leverage local resources and meet specific needs. Every district should open a flex model so that everyone can visit and experience the future of education.
Personalized Learning
10 Elements of Competency-Based Learning
Students should meet learning expectations and show what they know. Competency-based systems are fundamentally different than traditional batch processing by birthday. Here's 10 elements of a blended and performance-based system.
EdTech
Improving Urban Education Options: A Digital Portfolio Approach
There are three key strategies to improving urban schools: bring high expectations to life, create and portfolio of quality options, and phase in personal digital learning
Personalized Learning
Educurious: Engaging Minds & Changing Lives
Educurious set out to make kids work harder, learn more, and love it. With support from the Gates Foundation, the Seattle nonprofit created high school biology and English courses that are compelling and challenging. Results from a handful of pilot sites indicate that it’s working.
Personalized Learning
Blended Learning: New Solution to an Old Problem
Digital Learning Now offers a state policy framework that is America’s best hope for attacking education inequity. We have the roadmap, we have examples, and we have the technology to provide every American student with a good education. The question is do we have the will?
Personalized Learning
Conclusions from the Ohio Digital Learning Summit
The Ohio Digital Learning Summit in Columbus was sponsored by KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Fordham Institute, and Nord Family Foundation. Karen Cator, Bryan Hassel, and Susan Patrick spoke about the shift to online and blended learning. Tom closed the session with six observations.
Personalized Learning
NSBA Virtual Schools Report & The Questions Of “True Costs”
Overall, it’s nothing new; a rehash of reports from years past. Much of this information has been presented, discussed and debated in state capitols across the country. The report does, however, draw mostly negative conclusions about online schools, which is not a surprise given the policy views of NSBA and aggressive lobbying by its state chapters against charter schools, multi-district online schools, and parent choice.
Personalized Learning
Report: Study Warns That Bricks May Hinder Learning
About one third of all students in brick and mortar schools leave unprepared for college and work. “What we're trying to do as a center is to send out a note of caution because bricks appears to have disastrous effects on education in most locations,” said Dr. Lernen.
Personalized Learning
Maker High: Why Every School Should Be a Maker Faire
"Maker Faire" running this weekend in San Mateo. It’s a “festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement.” There will be lots of inspiration for schools that combine digital learning and community connected, team-based, production-focused, authentic, engaging, and relevant student work.
EdTech
Math Web Apps
At the Oklahoma Digital Learning Summit last week, an Oklahoma STEM specialist asked me what math products I liked and I mentioned the following: Elementary Math i-Ready.com from Curriculum Associates, is a great K-8 adaptive assessment with engaging content. Dreambox.com is a K-3 game-based adaptive math product.