vision

Customized schooling

On 03/21/2011, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, education reform, education technology, future, personalized/customized learning, strategy, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Customized Schooling — from edweek.org by Rick Hess

Excerpt:

So, if you’re ready to get your geek on, have I got a treat for you. Harvard Education Press has just published Customized Schooling: Beyond Whole-School Reform. The book, edited by Bruno Manno and [Rick Hess], is an attempt to pull together a bunch of sharp thinking on how we get past just trying to “fix” schools–or to merely give families a choice between school A and school B–and how we start to think about using new tools, technologies, and talent to transform the quality of teaching and learning.

School turnarounds are a swell idea, and will occasionally work. And I’m broadly in favor of choice-based reform as a useful way to open up systems to new providers and permit schools to sharpen their focus. But these measures retain and even enshrine the assumptions of the 19th century schoolhouse, and those assumptions seem an unlikely answer to the challenges of the 21st century. (For my full riff on this score, go peruse last fall’s The Same Thing Over and Over.)

Contents

Introduction
Bruno V. Manno and Frederick M. Hess

1 Creating Responsive Supply in Public Education
Kim Smith and Julie Petersen

2 Reframing the Choice Agenda for Education Reform
Chester E. Finn Jr. and Eric Osberg

3 The Rise of Global Schooling
Chris Whittle

4 Multiple Pathways to Graduation
Tamara Battaglino and JoEllen Lynch

5 The Evolution of Parental School Choice
Thomas Stewart and Patrick J. Wolf

6 Education Tools in an Incomplete Market
Douglas Lynch and Michael Gottfried

7 A Typology of Demand Responders in K–12 Education
Joe Williams

8 Price Competition and Course-Level Choice in K–12 Education
Burck Smith

9 The Data Challenge
Jon Fullerton

10 Will Policy Let Demand Drive Change?
Curtis Johnson and Ted Kolderie

Conclusion
Frederick M. Hess and Olivia Meeks

Tagged with: 1:1 • 21st century • 24x7x365 • customized learning • education reform • future • personalized learning • strategy • vision

What is the place of learning theory in policy discussions? In educational reform?

On 03/21/2011, in change, Daniel S. Christian, education, education reform, leadership, learning theories, legislatures / government / legal, organizational change, pedagogy, policy, strategy, tools, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
In my recent class at Capella University, one of the last discussion board questions asked:

Do you think learning theory should be more explicit in official discussions of policy?

What a great question! My answer was yes, as it makes sense to me to guide educational reform by what is best for the students…for learning. Hopefully, we can make informed decisions. Though I’ve learned that there is no silver bullet when it comes to learning theories, each learning theory seems to be a piece of the puzzle for how we learn. Graphically speaking:

If viewing the above graphic on the Learning Ecosystems blog (vs. in an RSS feed/reader):
You may need to right-click on the above image and save it, then open it.

Such theories should have a place when policies are drafted, when changes are made. But I don’t often hear reference to the work of Thorndike, Bandura, Vygotsky, Gagne, Kolb, etc. when legislative bodies/school boards/or other forms of educational leadership are exploring future changes, directions, strategies. What is it that these people were trying to relay to us? What value can we gleam from them when we form our visions of the future? How does their work inform our selection of pedagogies, tools, organizational changes?

Tagged with: andragogy • change • Daniel S. Christian • education • education reform • leadership • learning theories • legislation • organizational change • pedagogy • policy • strategy • tools • vision

How Netflix innovates and wins

On 03/17/2011, in business, disruption, innovation, leadership, reinvent, strategy, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

How Netflix innovates and wins — from Forbes.com by Chunka Mui

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

Netflix illustrates a design principle that any company aspiring to succeed at disruptive innovation must adopt. It has four parts:

Think Big
Start Small
Fail Quickly
Scale Fast

…

Hastings pursued his big idea, streaming video, even though it would render obsolete his wonderfully successful, highly tuned, mail-based system for distributing DVDs.

Tagged with: business • disruption • innovation • leadership • reinvent • strategy • vision

Tagged with: 1:1 • educational technology • leadership • vision

For those who didn’t catch it — Sal Khan’s March 2011 talk at TED

On 03/11/2011, in analytics, collaboration, digital learning, elearning, emerging technologies, flipping -- inverted learning, motivation, online learning, online media, pedagogy, student-related, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Salman Khan: Let’s use video to reinvent education — March 2011

Salman Khan talks about how and why he created the remarkable Khan Academy, a carefully structured series of educational videos offering complete curricula in math and, now, other subjects. He shows the power of interactive exercises, and calls for teachers to consider flipping the traditional classroom script — give students video lectures to watch at home, and do “homework” in the classroom with the teacher available to help.

From DSC:
Before rushing to a quick take/judgment on this, hear him out. Turning over more control to the students during the relaying of the information makes sense to me. They can pause, rewind, fast forward, etc. They can re-listen to the lecture again and again, without affecting the flow of a typical face-to-face classroom. Then they come into class and can get help on their homework, instantly and when they need the assistance.

Also see:

Flipped Model of Learning: A Podcast with Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams — from November Learning

Tagged with: analytics • collaboration • digital learning • e-learning • emerging technologies • failure / learning from failure • flipping -- inverted learning • learning and study strategies • motivation • online learning • online media • pedagogy • student-related • vision

Items from today’s Cisco Virtual Forum for Education Leaders

On 03/09/2011, in change, changing business models, education reform, emerging technologies, vendors, videoconferencing, vision/possibilities, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

Notes and most of the slides from the Keynotes [11.02MB]

John Chambers, CEO, Cisco
John reflects on why he believes we are better positioned than ever, as a global community, to take advantage of the major transitions that are occurring in education and technology today.

Michael Stevenson, Vice President, Global Education, Cisco
Michael discusses the journey for 21st century learning around the world, and how Cisco is working on critical partnerships to advance education transformation globally.

Gregory B. Whitby, Executive Director of Schools, Diocese of Parramatta
Leading learning for today’s world requires a deep understanding of learners, pedagogy, content and cultural change. Good teachers positively influence student learning outcomes so every school leader has a responsibility to lead and sustain educational change.

Salman Khan, Founder, Khan Academy
There is a lot of talk of how to use technology to improve technology, but very little discussion about using technology to RETHINK education. Salman Khan will outline his path to building the Khan Academy–used by over 1 million students every month–and think through what it means for transforming what happens inside and outside of the classroom.

Gay Krause, Founder, Krause Center for Innovation
The Krause Center for Innovation (KCI) was established to design and implement innovative professional development emphasizing technology integration and STEM subjects, to support the diverse workforce needed to compete in the knowledge economy. Our programs include: (1) MERIT (Making Education Relevant and Interactive through Technology) for enhancing curriculum, pedagogy, and technology skills for educators; (2) FAME (Faculty Academy for Mathematics Excellence) for using Internet technology to support student learning in Algebra; (3) FASTTech – short technology classes to enhance software-based skills. This presentation will address what we’ve learned from our ten years of professional development experience as well as the recommended future direction for PD in order to train educators to guide students to succeed in a global economy.

Gene Wilhoit, Executive Director, Council Chief State School Officers
What do today’s graduates need to know to succeed in tomorrow’s world? In the US and around the globe there are heightened expectations for education, and the multiple attributes students need to acquire to become active contributors in a complex global society. In this session, you will learn how the Council of Chief State School Officers is reshaping American public education, through clear, focused standards, more robust assessment designs, and accountability systems; redesign of our education workforce: and enhanced and dynamic information systems.

Notes and most of the slides from the College and University Breakout Session [9.52MB]

Tagged with: change • education reform • emerging technologies • new business models in he • vendors • videoconferencing • vision • web-based collaboration

Common curriculum/content: Is this a step in the right direction or in the wrong direction?

On 03/07/2011, in curriculum, education reform, K-12 related, leadership, strategy, United States, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Leaders Call for Shared Curriculum Guidelines — from edweek.org by Catherine Gewertz
Diverse group says framework needed for new common standards

Seventy-five respected leaders in education, business, and government issued a call this week to devise shared curriculum guidelines for the new common standards.

The move is notable for finding common ground on a sensitive topic among an ideologically diverse group of thinkers. Signatories include political liberals and conservatives, and those with varying views on controversial education issues such as charter schools, testing policy, and ways to evaluate and compensate teachers.

From the “A Call for Common Content” webpage:
To be clear, by “curriculum” we mean a coherent, sequential set of guidelines in the core academic disciplines, specifying the content knowledge and skills that all students are expected to learn, over time, in a thoughtful progression across the grades. We do not mean performance standards, textbook offerings, daily lesson plans, or rigid pedagogical prescriptions.

From DSC:
This concerns me…as such a call for common content would be more palatable to me if ALL academic disciplines were available and represented equally — not just STEM-related items. Also, does the common content represent the average citizen? (Come to think of it, who/what is the average citizen and what do they want to pursue?)

I think that we need to move more towards an individualized/customized learning approach, where students can pursue their passions and God-given gifts. With dropout rates approaching 30%, is movement towards a common curriculum a step in the right direction? Will such a strategy decrease or increase the drop out rates? Will such a strategy end up creating a vanilla/cookie-cutter approach to K-12 education where you had better like STEM-related topics or else…oh well…better luck next time?

Your thoughts on this? Am I off-base on this?

Addendum on 3/8/11:
Summary of Research Statistics

40 million American adults did not complete high school.
The high school graduate, on average, earns $500,000 more in a lifetime as compared to an individual who did not complete high school.
Most high school dropouts (70%) have the intellectual ability to complete the courses needed for high school graduation.
Most high school dropouts do not feel a connection between high school courses and future employment.
75% of high school dropouts stated that if they could relive the experience, they would have stayed in high school.
81% of dropouts expressed a need for schooling that connected academics and employment.

Addendum on 3/23/11:

‘Curriculum’ Definition Raises Red Flags –– from edweek.org by Catherine Gewertz

Tagged with: curriculum • education reform • K-12 • leadership • strategy • United States • vision

Perspectives on the downturn: A survey of Presidents [InsideHigherEd.com]

On 03/04/2011, in higher education, leadership, strategy, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Tagged with: higher education • leadership • strategy • vision

TEDActive Projects: Education

On 03/01/2011, in education, education reform, K-12 related, leadership, strategy, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Also see:

What Can TED Do For Education Reform?

Tagged with: education • education reform • K-12 • leadership • strategy • student-related • vision

The Connected Life at Home — from Cisco

On 02/28/2011, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, adult learning, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, communications, convergence, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, digital audio, digital learning, digital photography, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, distance education, e-books, e-readers, education, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, entrepreneurship, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, informal learning, intelligent tutoring, internet, K-12 related, learner profiles, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, learning spaces, lifelong learning, mobile learning, mobile technologies, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, online learning, online media, online tutoring, open courseware and systems, personalized/customized learning, social learning / networks, social media, technologies for your home, technology (general), telepresence, television, tools, training / L&D, transmedia, trends, ubiquitous learning, user experience (UX), vendors, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, virtual tutoring, vision/possibilities, web-based collaboration, webinars, workplace, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:

How will these types of technologies affect what we can do with K-12 education/higher education/workplace training and development? I’d say they will open up a world of new applications and opportunities for those who are ready to innovate; and these types of technologies will move the “Forthcoming Walmart of Education” along.

Above item from:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns934/networking_solutions_market_segment_solution.html

Tagged with: 1:1 • 21st century • 24x7x365 • 3D • A/V • adult learners/learning • cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related • communications • content repositories • convergence • corporate / business world • corporate training / universities • cost of getting an education • customized learning • dangers of the status quo • Daniel S. Christian • digital audio • digital learning • digital photography • digital storytelling • digital textbooks • digital video • distance ed • e-books • e-learning • e-readers • educational gaming • educational technology • emerging technologies • future • future of higher education • game-changing environment • higher education • intelligent tutoring • internet • iTunes U • K-12 • learner profiles • Learning Agents • learning ecosystem • learning spaces • lecture recording • Mobile learning • mobile technology • online learning • online media • online tutoring • open • personalized learning • social learning • social media • social networking • technologies for the home • technology (general) • telecommunications • telepresence • tools • TV • ubiquitous learning • user experience • vendors • videoconferencing • virtual field trips • virtual reality / worlds / learning • virtual schools • virtual tutoring • vision • VLE • Walmart of Education • web-based collaboration • webinars • Wireless • workplace

Transforming Troubled Schools — Sajan George on Calvin College’s Inner Compass this Sunday

On 02/11/2011, in education, education reform, K-12 related, leadership, strategy, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

January Series guest Sajan George on Inner Compass this Sunday

Transforming Troubled Schools
A factory still using production systems from the 1950s would not make sense in today’s technological world. Unfortunately, some K-12 schools still use decades’ old educational techniques and policies. January Series guest and turnaround specialist Sajan George describes progressive technologies and approaches currently under consideration to turn around troubled school districts. Karen Saupe hosts.

Airs this Sunday on local PBS station WGVU-TV at 1:30 p.m. (channel 35 & cable channel 6 in G.R. and channel 52 in Kalamazoo.) National broadcast topics, dates and times vary.

Inner Compass episodes may also be viewed after local broadcast through:

— www.calvin.edu/innercompass
— iTunes Store podcasts section
— and other methods for thos in the Grand Rapids, MI (USA) area

Tagged with: education • education reform • K-12 • leadership • strategy • vision

Commentary: Universities On the brink

On 02/04/2011, in colleges, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, future of higher education, game-changing environment, leadership, learning agents, learning ecosystem, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, personalized/customized learning, staying relevant, strategy, universities, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Commentary: Universities on the brink — from Forbes.com by Louis E. Lataif
The ever-increasing cost of education is not sustainable.

From DSC:
Regular readers of this Learning Ecosystems blog can point to numerous postings that illustrate that those of us in higher education are in a game-changing environment. Alternative methods of acquiring an education are springing up more frequently now — disruption is here. The status quo is a dangerous path to be on.

If…

learning engines hooked into web-based learner profiles occurs — ushering in an era of unprecedented customization/personalization of learning on demand…
web-based educations cost a small fraction of what you have to pay elsewhere…
the rates of tuition increases continue in colleges and universities across the land…
the Internet brings the level of disruption to higher education that it has brought to other industries…

…then what are our plans for remaining relevant and accessible? How are we planning to deal with these trends? What is our response(s)? What is our vision?

Tagged with: colleges • cost of getting an education • dangers of the status quo • Daniel S. Christian • disruption • future of higher education • game-changing environment • leadership • Learning Agents • learning ecosystem • new business models in he • personalized learning • staying relevant • strategy • universities • vision • Walmart of Education

7 ways to spot tomorrow’s trends today — from the World Future Society

On 01/27/2011, in computer science, future, simulations, trends, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

7 Ways to Spot Tomorrow’s Trends Today — from the World Future Society’s Forecasts for the Next 25 Years

In the more than 40 years since the World Future Society was founded, futurists have developed a range of techniques to study the future. Here are a few techniques futurist use to spot new opportunities and potential problems. These methods give individuals and organizations an edge to help them succeed in a fast-changing world:

Scan the Media to Identify Trends—Futurists often conduct an ongoing and systematic surveys of news media and research institutes. These surveys help spot significant trends and technology breakthroughs. Futurists call this environmental scanning.
Analyze and Extrapolate Trends—After the trends are identified, the next step is to plot the trends to show their direction and development into the future. Trend analysis and extrapolation can show the nature, causes, speed, and potential impacts of trends.
Develop Scenarios—Futurists often describe the future development of a trend, a strategy, or a wild-card event in story form. These scenarios can paint a vivid picture that can help you visualize possible future developments and show how you can prepare effectively for future risks and opportunities. Scenarios help you to blend what you know about the future with imagination about the uncertain. Scenarios help you move from dreaming to planning and then to accomplishment.
Ask Groups of Experts—Futurists also conduct “Delphi Polls” which are carefully structured surveys of experts. Polling a wide range of experts in a given field can yield accurate forecasts and suggestions for action.
Use Computer Modeling—Futurists often use computer models to simulate the behavior of a complex system under a variety of conditions. For example, a model of the U.S. economy might show the effects of a 10 percent increase in taxes.
Explore Possibilities with Simulations—Futurists create simulations of a real-world situations by means of humans playing different roles. For example, in war games, generals test out tactics they may later use on the battlefield, or corporate executives can explore the possible results of competitive strategies.
Create the Vision—Futurists help organizations and individuals systematically develop visions of a desirable future. Visioning creates the big picture of the possibilities and prepares the way for goal setting and planning.

Tagged with: computer science • future • simulations • trends • vision

Curiosity-Driven Education

On 01/27/2011, in education, education reform, love of learning, passions, pedagogy, strategy, teaching & learning, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Curiosity-Driven Education — from Futurist Thomas Frey

“If a teacher can be replaced by a machine, they should be.” – Arthur C. Clark

Wilhelm Konrad von Roentgen became famous for “accidentally” discovering x-rays. Roentgen found something in nature that seemed useless, but fascinated him. He devoted countless hours to studying how electrons move from one point to another within a gas. He did this because he had an amazing sense of curiosity that was driven by a need to understand nature.

X-rays weren’t discovered by chance. Chance is when something comes from nothing. Yes, his discovery was serendipitous, but it was followed by a lot of hard work. Today, a scientist in a similar situation would be confronted with the challenges of finding the funding to proceed with this type of research.

Roentgen’s story is a classic example of a scientist who didn’t begin with a well-defined question. So, how do we remove the constraints and incentivize people to build on a hunch, with the remote possibility that their hunch may lead to an enormous breakthrough in society?

We do it by creating systems that empower our curiosity.

Tagged with: love of learning • passions • pedagogy • strategy • teaching & learning • vision

McGraw-Hill and Wipro to develop mConnect for emerging markets [India]

On 01/27/2011, in India, innovation, mobile learning, new business models, publishing, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

McGraw-Hill and Wipro to develop mConnect — an affordable mobile learning platform — to reduce skills gap in emerging markets — from McGraw-Hill.com

Excerpt:

“Through advances in mobile learning, McGraw-Hill and Wipro have an unprecedented opportunity to deliver high-quality, low-cost education to students and workers in rural areas and cities with limited access to resources,” said Harold McGraw III, chairman, president and CEO of The McGraw-Hill Companies, who made the announcement in Davos. “In a country with more than 700 million cell phones, mobile learning will help level the playing field for education in India in ways never before possible. The success of our pilots in India will serve as a powerful example of how business, schools and governments around the world can harness the power of mobile learning to give more people the skills to succeed in the global Knowledge Economy.”

Tagged with: India • innovation • Mobile learning • new publishing models • publishing • vision

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