future of learning
Become a Power Searcher: Join Google MOOC
Last week Google opened registration for Power Searching with Google, a free online course on advanced search skills. The six 50-minute classes will blend the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) learning format pioneered by Stanford and MIT with social and communication tools to create a community learning experience.
Good Work: The Abundance Mindset
There are two kinds of change agents—angry ones and hopeful one. The hopeful ones work toward new solutions. A subset of them approach the world with the ‘abundance mindset’ knowing that we’re riding an exponential curve that promises innovation. Abundant mindsets have mapped the human genome and launched space flights; they will expand access to quality education and extend life. They might even fix Washington DC.
NGLC Awards Innovative School Networks & Colleges
Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) announced its second round of grants to innovative high school and college programs today. The $4.5 million in grants will be shared by eight high school recipients, mostly charter networks, and four colleges. The blended learning models will yield strong college attendance and completion rates among low income students.
Should corporations run publicly funded online schools?
Private enterprise should be eligible for statewide operating contracts for public schools and programs. Private companies have the unique ability to provide quality services at scale. Private enterprise has three unique benefits compared to government agencies and nonprofits. The ability to raise and invest capital is critical to building quality content and learning platforms--investments that can easily exceed $100 million. The ability to rapidly respond to increased demand and operate at scale is another key advantage. The third benefit is the ability to manage to outcomes--data driven decision making combined with operational flexibility.
Defining (and Driving) Collaboration
By: Jordan Lippman. In today's world, both employers and educational institutions place a high value on soft skills that are transferable across professional, academic, and social situations. One of the most frequently cited skills is collaboration.
NewSchools Summit: Where Equity Meets Entrepreneurship
This crowd starts with an unquestionable commitment to educational equality. They embrace entrepreneurship. Most would still prefer to support or work for a nonprofit just because they want absolute mission clarity.
Who Will Work in Schools of the Future?
Robin Lake, CRPE, filled in for Rick Hess last week. One of her great EdWeek blogs asked who will work in schools of the future? "The best technological innovations really are transforming the way kids learn and the way schools are organized." That's the difference between edtech layered on top of how we've always done school and real blended learning.
Overheard In Arizona at the Ed Innovation Summit
This week Getting Smart attended the ASU SkySong Education Innovation Summit 12 in Scottsdale, AZ. Amidst keynotes, sessions, hallway discussions and water cooler chatter, we overheard quite a few ideas from top education leaders, entrepreneurs, funders, and industry professionals.
Review: Creating Innovators
Innovative education advocate Tony Wagner makes the case for preparing students for the innovation-driven economy in latest book. Profiles of successful young innovators are paired Microsoft Tags that link to original videos produced by filmmaker Robert A. Compton, to help enhance content understanding.
10 SkySong Trends
One day does not a trend make but ten trends were on display at the best edu-innovation of the year, the ASU Education Innovation Summit (#eisummit):