EdTech
Ed Policy
Smart Procurement
Procurement in the highly decentralized U.S. K-12 education system has always been challenging, but the explosion of web and mobile applications has compounded these challenges in the last 3 years. We are both encouraged by the investment and innovation in the EdTech sector but concerned that purchasing remains complicated and inefficient.
Personalized Learning
Udemy Is Launching an Android App
"Our suite of mobile apps puts us closer than ever to realizing our vision that anyone, anywhere can learn anything."
Ed Policy
Digital Learning Now! Releases Smart Series Guide to EdTech Procurement
The goal is to create a framework for EdTech purchasing by offering practical advice to guide key decisions, sharing lessons learned from districts that have already made the digital shift, discussing the implications for blended learning, and providing examples of best practices in education policy that support smart procurement.
EdTech
13 Startups Share Dreams at ImagineK12 Demo Day
There was a full house at a Palo Alto hotel ballroom for the fifth Imagine12 Demo Day--the debut of 13 eager edtech startups. Check out our summary of the teacher tools.
Ed Policy
10 Sources of Inspiration for Next-Gen Learning Systems
Easier said than done, right? We could keep adding technology to current schools but that would just create a more expensive version of what we have.
Personalized Learning
The Perimeter, the Players, and the Offering: An Interactive Learning Structure
My conversations with the students as I circulated the classroom revealed this truth. I looked over my fifty-plus learning structures to see which one fit best, and I discovered the need for a totally new structure, one that accommodated the literature and standards, the current students, and our classroom. So, out of necessity, “The Perimeter, the Players, and the Offering” was born.
Personalized Learning
Teaching and Learning at Acton – Without the Teaching
Acton Academy has evolved over time from a few homeschooling families to a one room schoolhouse (well, two rooms now) teaching 37 students in a primary and a middle school with plans for a high school in 2016.
Personalized Learning
Overcoming the English Teacher Tech Blues
I have never minded the messiness of learning that sometimes comes with using technology. I have never believed in a right answer to interpreting a poem or a right way to write an essay, so I’ve never really been frightened by the vastness of interpretation that populates the Internet. Instead, I’m excited by the expanding universe of literature, reading, writing, and language.
Personalized Learning
Why is Math So Important?
To quote the futurist Alvin Toffler, “The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but, rather those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” A solid foundation in mathematics and science develops and hones the skills of posing hypotheses, designing experiments and controls, analyzing data, recognizing patterns, seeking evidence, conclusions and proof, solving problems and seeking absolutes, while being open to new information.
EdTech
Life Beyond a Screen: Striking a Tech-Life Balance
I’d like to know what Apple did to make it so difficult for me to put my iPhone down. You might feel the same way about your smartphone, tablet or laptop as well. Whether it’s you, your spouse, or your children that seem constantly connected to a device, it’s essential to strike a tech-life balance for not only our own personal wellness but the relationships that matter to us most.