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Cloud Learning as Universal Primary Education [Arina]

On 11/15/2011, in assessment, career development, change, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, disruption, education reform, global / globalization, higher education, innovation, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, mobile learning, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, society, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Cloud Learning as Universal Primary Education — from Teemu Arina

Excerpts:

The internet is lowering the transaction costs of learning. This leads to a situation where learning happens more and more in the open markets, in a distributed and decentralized manner. It is obvious that the primary interface will be based on mobile, cloud-based devices. Some principles…

…

There are effectively three levels of certification: 1st hand, 2nd hand and 3rd hand certification.

  • 1st hand certification is what you say you know.
    In the old world you would describe your skills in a resume and leave it to the employer to evaluate if that holds true. In the new world you can make your work and learning processes visible as it happens, demonstrating progress and increasing the believability of your 1st hand descriptions. A simple blog (a log of thoughts) makes reflection visible  and demonstrates the evolution and iteration of thinking as it happens.
  • 2nd hand certification is what others say about you.
    In the old world you would describe your references in a resume and leave it to the employer to call these references to evaluate if these people really value your work and learning. In the new world people accumulate links, likes and comments to the resources you produce on social networks. A Klout score on social media or a personal stock price based on social media activity on EmpireAvenue demonstrate your social capital through a simple metric. The question is, are you making an impact with your progress, enabling other people to build on top of your work through reflection and co-creation, or are you effectively invisible to others?
  • 3rd hand certification is what an authority says about you.
    In the old world you would get a certificate on hand to add in your resume that you have demonstrated the ability to pass a specific rat test (a school). This doesn’t necessarily mean you have mastered all the topics involved, but it demonstrates that you have been capable of passing such tests under the supervision of an authority. In the new world a single test in isolation is not enough but your ability to solve problems in connection with others.
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Dreaming: A look at Anastasis Academy [Tenkely; nice posting re: pedagogy, and learning spaces]

On 11/15/2011, in change, creativity, curriculum, education reform, education technology, engagement / engaging students, innovation, instructional design, K-12 related, learning spaces, smart classrooms, teachers, teaching & learning, by Daniel Christian

Dreaming: A look at Anastasis Academy — from ilearntechnology.com by Kelly Tenkely

Excerpt:

You will notice that we don’t have rows of desks.  No teacher’s desk either.  We have space that kids can move in. Corners to hide in, stages to act on, floors to spread out on, cars to read in.  We are learning how to learn together, learning how to respect other children’s space and needs, learning how to discipline ourselves when we need to, learning how to work collaboratively, we are learning to be the best us.

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Also see:

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5 ideas for responding to what kids want the nation to know about education [Nielsen]

On 10/03/2011, in assessment, education, education reform, expectations, K-12 related, passions, personalized/customized learning, real-world assignments, staying relevant, student-related, by Daniel Christian

5 ideas for responding to what kids want the nation to know about education — from The Innovative Educator by Lisa Nielsen

Excerpt:

In the session the focus was clear. Educators and the former principal (YAY for administrators) who attended wanted to know how we can hear the children and show them they matter, we love them, and we want to honor their unique passions, talents, interests, and abilities.  We discussed a lot of great ideas.  Here are five ways we discussed addressing what students want from education:

  1. Rather than bubbletests, measure student progress with personal success plans.
  2. Rather than report cards and transcripts allow students to showcase their learning with an authentic ePortfolio.
  3. Rather than work that only has the teacher as the audience, empower students to do real work that matters to them and has a real audience.
  4. Rather than telling students how to meet learning goals, empower them to drive their own learning as participant Deven Black explained he does (visit this link to see how).
  5. Have conversations with students about what their talents are.  You can use the videos in this article that feature students sharing stories about their talents.
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Standardized tests for everyone? In the Internet age, that’s the wrong answer. [Davidson]

On 09/27/2011, in 21st century, assessment, change, education reform, innovation, instructional design, internet, strategy, by Daniel Christian

Standardized tests for everyone? In the Internet age, that’s the wrong answer. — from The Washington Post by Cathy Davidson

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ABC – The 21st Century Learning Model [Pontefract]

On 09/27/2011, in 21st century, change, collaboration, education reform, social learning / networks, by Daniel Christian

ABC – The 21st Century Learning Model — by Dan Pontefract

 

abc_21st_century_learning_model_pontefract

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Back to basics? Time to redefine ‘basics’ for the 21st century [Knock]

On 09/26/2011, in 21st century, communities of practice, education reform, generational differences, K-12 related, reinvent, staying relevant, by Daniel Christian

Back to basics? Time to redefine ‘basics’ for the 21st century — from Learning Everywhere today by Anne Knock

Excerpt:

Let’s reinvent what is considered the ‘basics’ for this generation and make it flexible enough to roll with the changes that will inevitably come. Let’s not say ‘back to basics’ but develop the ‘new basics.’

From DSC:
This posting provides a nice listing from Anne re: some of the items to help prepare our students for a dynamic and changing world; the posting also lists some of the key characteristics for the delivery of content, the learning environment, and for a thriving community of practice.  

 

 

 

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What are the pros and cons of the Common Core Standards?

On 09/23/2011, in 21st century, curriculum, education, education reform, expectations, K-12 related, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, policy, strategy, teachers, teaching & learning, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
I haven’t had the chance to research this much, but I wanted to post several items re: the Common Core Standards. The jury is still out with me as to what I think about them. My initial concerns center around the ideas/curriculums and course offerings/assessment tools involved with the word “standards” — with implementing things that result in clear, consistent expectations. 

I have become increasingly hesitant towards words like “standards” and “expectations” — at least as these words are currently being used in this context. I’m not saying that the Common Core Standards will try to further pound round pegs into square holes — though that type of thing captures my hesitation here — as not everyone has the same gifts, abilities, and passions.  Much of the current K-12 systems focus so much on STEM-related items — at the expense of so much more that’s out there in the world today.

With that said, I like the idea of getting students prepared — as much as possible — for helping them hit the ground running later on in life when they will need to either go to college and/or get a job. I can see where if a student moves from one district/state to another, how it can be very helpful to have a shared foundation from which to develop the student’s current educational needs and plans.

Some items on this:

  • Common Core State Standards: A note to parents — from Core 4 All by Alan Matan
    By the way, I appreciate Alan’s statement in his posting that asserts:
    “The 21st century skills embedded in the Common Core will pave the way for students to think, reflect, analyze, influence, evaluate, and communicate.”
  • Implementing Common Core Standards — from Advancing the Teaching Profession by Susan Graham
  • CEP reports on progress of Common Core — from Educational Publishing
    Implementation of the Common Core Standards is proceeding with little resistance, but challenges remain in funding and guidance, according to a new study from the Center on Education Policy (CEP). CEP undertook the study to determine how far along each of the adopting states was in implementing the Common Core Standards and what their perceptions are of the standards.
  • CoreStandards.org

 

The Common Core Standards

 

From DSC:

What do you think? What are the pros and cons of implementing the Common Core Standards? From the teacher’s viewpoint? From the student’s viewpoint? From the administrator’s viewpoint? From the parent’s viewpoint?

I look forward to learning more about them and to hearing others’ perspectives on them.

 

 

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Public school choice pushed in Michigan [Cavanagh]

On 09/21/2011, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, education, education reform, education technology, K-12 related, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, Michigan, more voice more choice more control, online learning, strategy, by Daniel Christian

Public school choice pushed in Michigan — from EdWeek.org by Sean Cavanagh

Excerpt:

At a time when many states are adopting controversial measures to launch or expand private school vouchers, Republicans in Michigan are taking a different direction, moving ahead with a plan that would greatly expand the menu of public school choices for students and parents.

GOP lawmakers, who control both state legislative chambers, have introduced a series of proposals that would give students more freedom to attend schools outside their districts, increase options for taking college classes while in high school, and encourage the growth of charter schools and online education offerings. (emphasis DSC)

Many of those proposals mirror the stated priorities of first-term Gov. Rick Synder, a Republican, who earlier this year called for establishing “open access to a quality education without boundaries.” He described the idea as an “any time, any place, any way, any pace” model. (emphasis DSC)

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Digital Exclusion in the U.S. [Microsoft.com]

On 09/21/2011, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, business, career development, digital learning, economics, education reform, Microsoft, society, sociology, student-related, surviving, United States, workplace, by Daniel Christian


Microsoft.com

 

Also see:

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Digital Promise — new nonprofit corp with some interesting goals

On 09/20/2011, in 21st century, education reform, education technology, emerging technologies, innovation, K-12 related, legislatures / government / legal, research, United States, by Daniel Christian

The Digital Promise - September 2011

Excerpt:

Digital Promise is an independent 501(c)(3), created through Section 802 of the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, authorizing a nonprofit corporation known as the National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies (Digital Promise). According to the statute, Digital Promise’s purpose is “to support a comprehensive research and development program to harness the increasing capacity of advanced information and digital technologies to improve all levels of learning and education, formal and informal, in order to provide Americans with the knowledge and skills needed to compete in the global economy.”

Also see:

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It’s time to take the black male achievement crisis seriously [Dwyer]

On 09/15/2011, in education, education reform, K-12 related, society, United States, by Daniel Christian

It’s time to take the black male achievement crisis seriously — from good.is Liz Dwyer

Excerpt:

Despite the dire statistics on how the education system fails black males—only 50 percent of them graduate from high school—the issue generally isn’t addressed with a sense of urgency. So veteran broadcaster Tavis Smiley has committed to spending the next year asking tough questions and finding solutions to the problem. He kicked off the effort last night with “Too Important to Fail,” an hour-long PBS special featuring interviews with education experts and black male students in Chicago, Philadelphia, Oakland, and Los Angeles.

Also see:

Too Important to Fail

 

Addendum on 9/20/11:

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I need to rant at the end of this loooonnngggg weeeek.

On 09/09/2011, in education reform, love of learning, student-related, by Daniel Christian

Two rants from DSC:

RANT #1:

When someone questions the value of investing in educational technology — especially those technologies that give a student access to the Internet — they’re often inferring that, “Other people don’t know anything of value.”

It should go without saying from here on out that if I can gain access to the Internet through a variety of educational technologies, I’ve just opened up a world of knowledge — tapping into expertise from all over the globe regarding any discipline imaginable! Whether that be at school, church, home, work, etc. — doesn’t matter…value is there…instantly.

Don’t tell me that isn’t valuable!  Stop saying that we’re not getting value from investing in such educational technologies.

RANT #2:

I dropped my daughter off early at school today so that she could help feed the animals in a classroom located at the back of the school (where the teacher had authorized access to such students). Another teacher told her to go to the front of the building…ok…

Then, as I’m driving her to the front of the building, I ask her, “How are things going in getting to the bus in time?” She had 4 minutes to make the trek the other day from the end of the school, carrying a backpack that weighs in at about 25-30 pounds!  She told me that she can not take her backpack to her last class in order to make the mad dash to the bus. Security precautions perhaps?

All these rules. All these “don’t do this”, “don’t do that!” “Sit down.” “Stand over there – now.” “Be quiet.”

Then we wonder why they don’t own their own learning. *&*$$%    Then we wonder why they don’t love learning.  Double *&*$$%

 

 

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Way to go Kent ISD! (Kentwood, MI — USA)

On 09/08/2011, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, collaboration, education reform, education technology, future, innovation, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, learning spaces, Michigan, project-based learning, real-world assignments, smart classrooms, teachers, teaching & learning, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

Creating an Incubator of Innovation for Students & Educators -- Kent ISD -- New Tech High School to Open Next Fall

 

Also see:

newtechnetwork.org

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Student Experience Lab

On 09/07/2011, in education, education reform, innovation, student-related, by Daniel Christian

Student Experience Lab - September 2011

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How learners can be on top of their game: An interview with James Paul Gee [Jenkins]

On 08/30/2011, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, assessment, education reform, education technology, educational games / serious games, future, K-12 related, by Daniel Christian

How Learners Can Be On Top of Their Game: An Interview with James Paul Gee (Part One)

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