EdTech
How will the new world order be created?
I’m finding an increasing number of people that draw similar pictures of the future on the back of napkins over lunch. The piece parts usually include: · A social learning platform with apps for content, classroom, schedule and learning management · A vetted and organized body…
This week in America: the big scramble
1. As I travel the country, I see evidence of thousands of districts, charter networks, and non-profits scrambling to mobilize for stimulus money—the great ARRA premobilization. Everyone knows Duncan’s four priorities; everyone is trying to figure out how this is going to play out; everyone is trying to…
More money for more innovation
This week I met with a private equity firm and talked to a new venture fund both interested in education. That makes a couple dozen of each that at least look at learning deals. Most of the VCs fall into the ‘hacking education’ category and only…
Adaptive content: potential to change the curve
Adaptive content will be a game changer—the first real chance to change the learning productivity curve. By ‘adaptive content’ I mean: · Engaging: 2 & 3D animation, video, source documents · Personalized: a ‘play list’ targeted at learning level, by interest and modality · Networked:…
10 edu-entrepreneurial opportunities
With the Race to the Top language out, it’s time to refine the list of opportunities for education entrepreneurs (both .org & .com). From largest to niche size they include: 1. School improvement: between RTT, Inovation, and School Improvement, there will be a couple billion…
Stealth Education Reform Beats the Health Debacle
Watching the Sunday morning arguments about health reform, I was struck by how fortunate we are that Obama’s team snuck education reform into the stimulus bill. While most of the $100 billion for education just partially backfills cuts, it forced states to acknowledge the Department of Education’s priorities…
How new should a new school be?
During a recent AdvanceIE.org school design session, I was struck by the challenge of designing a high school right now. If it opens in 2010, what should it look like in 2014 when the first class graduates? Here’s just a couple of the new design questions: 1. Time to…
School of One: pilot project lives up to its name
Education changed on July 6 at PS131 when Joel Rose and an intrepid group of teachers opened a sixth grade summer school pilot program ambitiously called School of One. The NYTimes summarized it well today, but allow me a little hyperbolic extrapolation. Schools tell kids what…
Freecomonics in Education
Free stuff on the web is changing everything. The new ways we communicate with each other and the resources available are amazing. Can you imagine life without Google Maps? However, it often makes MBAs (like me) scratch their head wondering, “who pays for this?” Following the release…
Jobs: east coast principals, west coast biz dev
Revolution portfolio companies adding positions: 1. Director of Market Development for edu-web 2.0 Bay Area start up Company Description: Founded by key talent from leading social networking, digital content, and education management organizations, this new Bay Area company is developing…