future of learning

Personalized Learning

Is Competency Based Learning the Future of Education?

French President, François Hollande, is short and spectacled. Oh, and he wants to abolish homework. Whatever his arguments (youths from poorer backgrounds are at a disadvantage to their more affluent peers, etc), children across the country must be dancing at their desks.

EdTech

Smart Cities: San Francisco

The Bay Area is unquestionably the world's leading innovation hub--and that includes learning. Ten years ago it was all about Silicon Valley, but recently Oakland emerged as an edreform hotspot. The innovation center of gravity has definitely moved north in the Bay Area as San Francisco has become home to leading investors and startups.

Personalized Learning

School Cliff: Learning That Doesn’t Suck

A college prof called yesterday. He said, “College sucks.” He’s taking a couple courses as a humbling market research project. He found dated content and tools and disengaged students. I said, “If you want to see disengagement, you should try a high school algebra course.”

Personalized Learning

ASAP Case Study: Prizes Can Focus & Accelerate Innovation

The case study, “Automated Student Assessment Prize Phase One and Phase Two: A Case Study to Promote Focused Innovation in Student Writing Assessment,” was released today. It takes a close look at the ways the two phases of The Automated Student Assessment Prize (ASAP) demonstrated current capabilities and mobilized global talent to accelerate innovation in writing assessment.

EdTech

3 Ways to Embrace Change This Year

Teachers embracing technology to support the Common Core and new ways of teaching may want to get organized and prepared for some positive changes. Here are 3 ways to get ready for change in the New Year.

Leadership

SXSWedu Announces Bill Gates as Closing Keynote

Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will address the foundation’s U.S. education work, which focuses primarily on ensuring all students are prepared for success in college and career. The keynote will take place 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 7, 2013 in Ballroom D of the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas.

Personalized Learning

Higher Education Leaders to Discuss Role of Online Education in California

Leaders in online education initiatives will convene at UCLA on January 8, 2013, to bring awareness and discuss key issues regarding the potential for online education to lower costs and improve higher education in California. The conference is sponsored by the 20 Million Minds Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to lowering the cost of higher education.

Personalized Learning

Canvas.net: An Open MOOC From Instructure

Next week classes kick off on Canvas.net, a hosting site for massively open online courses (MOOC) from universities including Ball State, Brown, Central Florida, and Utah. Unlike Coursera and Udacity, content partners can make decisions about the course instruction, assessment, instructional materials, and cost.

Personalized Learning

25 Leading Thoughts from Tom Vander Ark in 2012

Trends Better Learning Online Maps, Playlists, & Badges: Key Blended Learning Themes Grouping, Tracking, & Personalizing Why Aren’t There Any Next Gen Learning Platforms? From Chronology to Competency Better Tests, More Writing, Deeper Learning A Turning Point for Personal Digital Learning…