Tag Archives: Getting Smart

Imagine a bustling school gymnasium filled with parents, students, educators, and local community members. The energy is palpable as diverse voices share their hopes and dreams for the future of education in their community. A single parent juggling two jobs stands up to speak. Despite rarely attending school events due to their busy schedule, theyContinue reading “Portrait of a Community to Empower Learning Transformation “

Founded by Dick Collins in 1998 in Dallas, Istation rode the 15-year blended learning wave to become a leader in second-generation edtech by providing personalized and adaptive learning in K-8 reading and math.   Founded by Mark Angel in 2018, Amira Learning was the first intelligent reading assistant using predictive AI to provide personalized tutoring toContinue reading “Adaptive Leader Istation Joins AI-Powered Reading Tutor Amira Learning “

Long trend: student enterprise. NFTE, Uncharted Learning, CAPS Network, FFA, StartEdUp, WIT, and others have been supporting youth entrepreneurship in and out of school for decades. Student enterprise also has a long history in journalism student-led publications (see PalyMac), broadcasts, and more recently sports marketing. Entrepreneurship is a trending interest of Gen Z and isContinue reading “Student Enterprise: Invite Learners to Launch a Media Agency or Publication”

By: Paul Herdman The U.S. Career Pathways Story: Federal Inspiration, Local Innovation In the last decade, the United States has seen a massive shift in the national consciousness around college and careers. Many of us in the education reform community were focused on a “Bachelor’s or Bust” mentality. That is, that the attainment of aContinue reading “Career Pathways In A Rapidly Changing World: US Career Pathways Story”

By: Jennifer Kabaker In states across the nation, we see growing momentum to shift education systems to be more personalized, competency-based, and equitable. About ten years ago, only about a dozen states were working to create waivers and flexibility from seat-time-based credits. Today, every state has some sort of policy in support of competency-based systems.Continue reading “6 Ways State Policymakers Can Build More Future-Focused Education Systems”

By : Sierra Noakes, Kip Glazer and Pati Ruiz “Does this edtech tool work for my students, and in my classroom?”  It’s a question many have asked, though the answer isn’t always easy to find. As ESSER and stimulus funding come to an end, district leaders are suddenly tasked with determining which of the recordContinue reading “What is Efficacy Research in Education and How Do I Know if Edtech is Really Working?”

By Bobbi Macdonald and Emily Liebtag It’s increasingly apparent that young people are grappling with growing disconnection, a challenge that extends well beyond traditional schooling and affects the entire landscape of education. In light of this pressing issue, the question arises: How can we initiate a transformative era of education that not only cultivates deepContinue reading “Learner-Centered Ecosystems: Nurturing Connections, Fostering Belonging, and Engaging in Place”

In testimony at a school board meeting last week, I made three points about the implications of AI:   Artificial Intelligence Has Profound Implications for Work and Learning  The rise of artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI, marks a new era of work and learning. After 40 years of rules-based calculation, AI models “learn” patterns and makeContinue reading “The Rise of Artificial Intelligence and the Implications for School Districts”

By Adam Strom, Meisha Lamb-Bell, and Fernande Raine In an era defined by profound demographic shifts and burgeoning diversity within our classrooms, the imperative to cultivate a sense of belonging within educational ecosystems has never been more pronounced. Amidst this backdrop, our report, “Building Belonging: Harnessing the Power of Education in an Era of DemographicContinue reading “What is Belonging, and Why Does it Matter in Schools?”

A lot of schools talk about increasing student agency. “Creating self-directed learners.” “Building lifelong learners.” “Cultivating global citizens.” But when you walk into many of their classrooms, learning looks pretty much the same.  A teacher stands tall at the front of the classroom referencing information on a smartboard or rolling TV monitor, talking to kidsContinue reading “12 Shifts to Move from Teacher-Led to Student-Centered Environments”