The audacity of Udacity Michael B. Horn The audacity of Udacity Why people thought that the massive open online course (MOOC) providers would disrupt U.S. higher education by themselves by simply offering traditional university courses online […] Dec 12, 2013 Michael B. Horn
A chance for federal investment in competency-based education: Youth CareerConnect Julia Freeland Fisher A chance for federal investment in competency-based education: Youth CareerConnect Last month, the Department of Labor announced a new grant opportunity, Youth CareerConnect, for career and technical education programs. The Department will use up to […] Dec 11, 2013 Julia Freeland Fisher
Challenges to reforming teacher preparation Thomas Arnett Challenges to reforming teacher preparation Over the last few months the debate over the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs has gained new momentum. This summer, US News & World Report […] Dec 9, 2013 Thomas Arnett
Can technology cultivate social capital? Julia Freeland Fisher Can technology cultivate social capital? When we talk about the disruptive potential of online learning, we usually describe new approaches to delivering academic content tailored to students’ individual interests and […] Dec 4, 2013 Julia Freeland Fisher
Don’t expect schools of the future to be here tomorrow Thomas Arnett Don’t expect schools of the future to be here tomorrow My first exposure to blended learning was a transformative moment in my life. At the time, I was in my second year of teaching middle-school […] Nov 25, 2013 Thomas Arnett
What counts as “traditional” when traditions are changing? Julia Freeland Fisher What counts as “traditional” when traditions are changing? Every once in a while you come across a bold policy with a research base that is vague, problematic, or even obsolete. Here’s a prime […] Nov 21, 2013 Julia Freeland Fisher
Teach to One earns promising marks in math learning Michael B. Horn Teach to One earns promising marks in math learning Personalized-learning models powered by technology posted more promising gains in the 2012-13 school year, according to a newly released Columbia Teachers College study on the first-year impact […] Nov 21, 2013 Michael B. Horn
Blended Learning Spotlight: Incubator School Michael Lemaire Blended Learning Spotlight: Incubator School The Blended Learning Universe (BLU) is a robust catalog of blended-learning programs that grew out of our research for “The rise of K-12 blended learning: […] Nov 19, 2013 Michael Lemaire
Disruptive school models for the rising generation Thomas Arnett Disruptive school models for the rising generation As a teenager I attended traditional public schools in Morgan Hill, Calif., a rural suburb just outside of San Jose. At the time, Morgan Hill […] Nov 18, 2013 Thomas Arnett
Yale’s struggles signal broader challenges ahead for colleges Michael B. Horn Yale’s struggles signal broader challenges ahead for colleges For some time, the business model that supports traditional colleges and universities has been breaking. The ability to continue to implement sustaining innovations—more research faculty, […] Nov 14, 2013 Michael B. Horn
Technology tools lag our competency-based aspirations Julia Freeland Fisher Technology tools lag our competency-based aspirations Last week I wrote about structural barriers inhibiting competency-based education from taking off, even when policy shifts away from seat-time requirements to welcome innovation. In […] Nov 13, 2013 Julia Freeland Fisher
Barriers to competency-based innovation aren’t just coming from above Julia Freeland Fisher Barriers to competency-based innovation aren’t just coming from above There is a clarion call from online-learning proponents to free up student time—literally. As Susan Patrick explained in her opening speech at the annual iNACOL […] Nov 6, 2013 Julia Freeland Fisher