EdPolicy
Personalized Learning
In Context: Connecting Classrooms to the Real-World
In one scene of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, a classroom of glaze-eyed high schoolers stare into space while their teacher drones on in painfully boring monotone, Anyone? Anyone?
Personalized Learning
New Mexico Families Deserve Options
The New Mexico Public Education Commission (PEC) denied application for a virtual charter school last fall on grounds citing three reasons: 1) The application was contrary to the "best interests" of students, the educational system, and the statewide community; 2) The New Mexico Charter laws are "sufficiently ambiguous" as to the authority of the Commission to grant such a charter; and 3) The Public Education Department's rules for charter schools preclude "distance learning" as a substitute for in-person instruction unless approved by a local school board.
Personalized Learning
Community Partnerships for the Digital Learning Revolution
I wasn’t surprised to learn that my hometown of Huntsville, Alabama –The Rocket City – has launched one of the largest school district transitions to digital learning in the nation. I recently visited Huntsville to learn from their experience, and my conversations there reinforced for me that community and family partnerships are essential for the success of digital learning. We have unprecedented investment in education technology, but we don’t yet have the corresponding developments in partnerships to help transitions to digital learning succeed.
Personalized Learning
Smart Cities: Baltimore’s Digital Harbor
Last Thursday night a closed recreation center became a Tech Center in Baltimore's Federal Hill neighborhood. When Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced the city was closing 25 of the 55 rec centers , Andrew Coy (@AndrewCoy) a teacher at Digital Harbor High School and Shelly Blake-Plock (@BlakePlock) faculty associate at Johns Hopkins University School of Education sought an alternative to the center closing. One of the rec centers was a block from Digital Harbor High School where Andrew was developing an after-school program in web design.
Leadership
Teachers Inspiring Teachers in a New Age of PD
A major shift in the force of education has emerged as teachers have become self-directed, independent designers of their own learning. Embracing social media, blogging, and learning from one another in digital spaces, they have forged a new era of professional development that is changing classrooms from the ground up. Simultaneously, and perhaps because of their online interactions, teachers also have begun to re-energize the professional learning in their brick-and-mortar professional spaces.
Personalized Learning
20 Tips for Creating a Professional Learning Network
Networking is a prime form of 21st century learning. The world is much smaller thanks to technology. Learning is transforming into a globally collaborative enterprise. Take for example scientists; professional networks allow the scientific community to share discoveries much faster.
Personalized Learning
Smart Cities: San Francisco Schools Improving, But Impervious to Creative City Assets
San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) appears to be in a time warp. Yesterday, I outlined the leadership role that the Bay Area, especially the city of San Francisco, plays in learning innovation. However, the contrast between one of the most creative cities on the planet and the local school districts is stark. The district has higher test scores than other California urbans but it is small and has a relatively low level of poverty.
Personalized Learning
Join Us in Celebrating National School Choice Week
National School Choice Week 2013 will be the largest celebration of education reform in history, and we couldn’t be more excited! You’re encouraged to get involved by hosting your own free special event during The Week (January 25 to February 2).
Ed Policy
Digital Learning Now! Offers Advice to States & Districts Preparing for Online Assessment
Digital Learning Now! (DLN) today released “Getting Ready For Online Assessments,” the third interactive paper in the DLN Smart Series, to plan a pathway of administering new, online assessments in the wake of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) implementation in the 2014-15 school year.
Ed Policy
Bush-Sponsored Summit Calls for Excellence at Scale
The fifth annual Excellence in Action National Summit on Education Reform, was held in Washington DC the last two days. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush chair of the host organization, kicked off the event Tuesday by urging state policy makers to hold firm on college and career ready standards.