Real World Learning

Future of Learning

What Ecosystem Stewards Know That System Leaders Don’t — Yet

Guest Author

Jul 7, 2026

What does it actually take to steward a learning ecosystem, and how is that different from leading a system? Karen Pittman and Merita Irby spent a year inside four community intermediaries, including CommunityShare, the PAST Foundation, and Heart of Oregon Corps, and surfaced three prerequisites that change everything: trust, time, and idea translation. This post is essential reading for any leader working to connect education, youth development, and workforce systems into something greater than the sum of their parts.

Ed Policy

When Scale Gets Ahead of Learning

Rebecca Midles

Jul 6, 2026

Why honest naming matters in education redesign: distinguish R&D from implementation so leaders scale learning, not assumptions.

SEL & Mindset

What If School Offered More? The Case for Community Schools

Guest Author

Jun 4, 2026

Community schools boost student success by connecting learning with mental health, family support, and local community resources.

Career & Technical Ed

In Kansas City, Real World Learning Finds Champions on Both Sides of the State Line

Guest Author

Apr 21, 2026

Real World Learning unites Kansas City educators and employers to expand Market Value Assets and prepare students for joyful careers.

Students and instructors in lab coats working on robotics and electronics in a modern manufacturing workshop

Ed Policy

Making Work-Based Learning Work: Georgia’s Novel Approach to WBL Data

Mason Pashia

Apr 2, 2026

Georgia’s work-based learning uses O*NET skill evaluations at scale—building credible, portable evidence for digital credentials and hiring.

Corey Mohn smiling in a blue button-up shirt, featured in a "A Conversation With Corey Mohn" graphic on GettingSmart.com

New Pathways

What is CAPS? | A Conversation with Corey Mohn

Tom Vander Ark

Feb 10, 2026

Explore how the CAPS Network empowers students with profession-based learning, unbundled pathways, and durable skills for future success.

Students and educators cut a ribbon at a "Real World Learning" virtual storefront grand opening ceremony

Leadership

Why Schools Should Leverage Their Local Chamber of Commerce: Building Economic Opportunity Through Local Partnerships

Mason Pashia, Shawnee Caruthers

Jan 19, 2026

Unlock real-world opportunities for students by partnering with local chambers of commerce to build economic mobility and career pathways.

Leadership

Entrepreneurship: The New Core Curriculum

Tom Vander Ark

Oct 21, 2025

"Entrepreneurship education equips students with resilience, problem-solving, and financial skills to thrive in an unpredictable, tech-driven economy."

New Pathways

Experiencing What’s Next: The Common Wealth of the Commonwealth

Getting Smart Staff

Oct 9, 2025

Exploring Boston’s innovative learning ecosystems, pathways, and experiential learning models that prepare students for future careers

Exterior of the Integrated Learning House, a modern stone building with yellow accents and garage door.

Schools Worth Visiting

Taking Student Integration to the Next Level

Guest Author

Oct 6, 2025

Raymore-Peculiar SD builds an Integrated Learning House, fostering student collaboration, real-world skills, and inclusive learning experiences.

	Beginning	Piloting	Implementing
From Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery	BeginningFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Beginning	PilotingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Piloting	ImplementingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Implementing
From One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning	BeginningFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Implementing
From Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry	BeginningFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Beginning	PilotingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Piloting	ImplementingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Implementing
From Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning	BeginningFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Implementing
From Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities	BeginningFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Beginning	PilotingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Piloting	ImplementingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Implementing
From Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment	BeginningFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Beginning	PilotingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Piloting	ImplementingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Implementing
From Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets	BeginningFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Beginning	PilotingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Piloting	ImplementingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Implementing

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