future of learning
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…
Great edu web developer wanted
We need an edu-passionate web developer for two new sites: 1. Urban charter school network: innovative blended secondary school network focused in the Northeast opening Sept 2010, hiring leaders now. Need simple phase 1 site up in Sept for hiring, phase 2 site in Jan for enrollement including 3…
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…
iSchool in the middle
I spent a day with the NYC iSchool co-principals thinking about a middle school design. Not surprisingly, we decided it should look at lot like iSchool: engaging integrated projects with individualized online learning. Other design elements we discussed included: · A month long ‘welcome to middle school’…
Updated Grant Opportunities
I made the ultimate board member mistake of leaving off two exciting organizations off my great grant opportunities list. So here’s my updated list leading off with two groups that I support as a board member. (The list also includes friends, clients, and portfolio companies)…
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…
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…
ADVANCE Innovative Education school design session
One of my favorite activities is spending time with smart people thinking about new schools. ADVANCE innovative Education, a provider of alternative certification programs in Louisiana, held a design session today with a great group. The assignment was to design a STEM school and a media arts school. Sponsors hope…
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…