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component:what.educator-leader-portraits
10 Frames for Education: A Case for Options
The cacophony that is U.S. public education is a function of overlapping frames—the variety of aims and perspectives from which stakeholders approach the ‘system.’ Following is a list of ten dominant frames: 1. Workforce development: the 21st century skills folks are primarily concerned with preparing a larger percentage of students…
2 Poems
Parker Palmer Parker Palmer introduces the most evocative book about teaching, The Courage to Teach, with this Rilke poem. Ah, not to be cut off, not through the slightest partition shut out from the law of the stars. The inner—what is it? if…
Good Work: People That Can Do No Other
Jay Kimmelman moved to Africa to launch Bridge Academies I love people that do what they do because they can do no other. You can see it in their clarity, persistence, and the ability they say no to the BS most of us put up with. In some…
The Seven Steps to Becoming a 21st Century School or District
Last summer, as I was winding down my eight years as president of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, I went around the country and met with 30 superintendents, asking them, "What can I do to support your efforts to implement 21st century education in your district?" Together we came up with the idea of creating a professional learning community (PLC) of education leaders committed to 21st century education. A team of us liked the idea so much that earlier this year we launched EdLeader21, a community of education leaders committed to building critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity into their educational system.
Six premises, seven ideas for better teacher training
At the Twitter Town Hall with Education Secretary Arne Duncan (related: the full transcript of that dialogue is online) on August 24, he promised some new initiatives regarding schools of education. In the hope that the suggestion box is still open, I have a suggestion — not for the Secretary but for schools and colleges of education.
Confronting the 15,000-Hour Problem
But we must also contend with the 15,000-hour problem. Most Americans have attended schools for 13 years—and have watched teachers teach for more than 15,000 hours, usually in the company of 25 or 30 other students (40 or 50 in hard times). And while most Americans may want improved schools and better teaching, they do not want teaching and learning to look all that different from when they were in school themselves. The public’sfamiliarity with teaching reifies expectations. It may even breed contempt for the specialized skills that effective teachers and administrators need to develop—after all, an expert teacher can make the job look easy.
Talent Masters
OpenEd will be supporting a talent development initiative starting next week. The goal is to identify and share best practices in K-12 teacher development, particularly STEM.
Lisa Nielsen: 20 Characteristics of Unschoolers, Why it Matters
Learning innovations emerging from the edges; see 20 characteristics of unschooling and why you should care.
Jeb Bush: Edu-Mentor
Jeb Bush is quietly and efficiently shaping the future of American education
Will Richardson: Change Agent
Can Will Richardson help teachers alter the culture of teaching to accept more willingness to engage in the global Internet and in interactive collaboration using tools on the web? We hope so.