“Learning is not a counting noun,” says Dave Cormier, “so what should we count?” His question – a writing prompt, if you will – comes from Week 2 of his latest MOOC on “Rhizomatic Learning.” It’s an incredibly provocative question as I think it recognizes that we cannot really count learning and that, at the […]
Rethinking “What Counts” Read More »
MOOCs for Credit. Each week, Educating Modern Learners picks one interesting current event – whether it’s news about education, technology, politics, business, science, or culture – and helps put it in context for school leaders, explaining why the news matters and how it might affect teaching and learning (in the short or in the long
What You Should Know This Week Read More »
To me, some of the most fascinating questions within the larger context of modern learning center on what the future holds in terms of work. (It’s one of the reasons I’m so pleased that Harold Jarche will be a regular contributor to EML moving forward.) While that future is certainly unpredictable, it’s hard to argue
“Informating” Our Students for the Future Read More »
Let’s start with a simple truth: If I had to choose between spending an hour in a school-wide professional development session covering a mandated concept being rolled out to our entire staff or spending an hour in my classroom learning on my own, I’d choose to learn on my own every time. I love the
Agency and Autonomy in Learning: Starting Points Read More »
LinkedIn Buys Lynda.com. Each week, Educating Modern Learners picks one interesting current event – whether it’s news about education, technology, politics, business, science, or culture – and helps put it in context for school leaders, explaining why the news matters and how it might affect teaching and learning (in the short or in the long
What You Should Know This Week Read More »
It’s a well-known fact that there are far fewer women in science and technology careers than men. Just 12 percent of those earning computer science degrees are women. And tech giants such as Google, Facebook, and Apple have admitted that only one-fifth of their technical employees are female. Conventional wisdom was once that women are
The printing press changed our relationship with knowledge and helped spark the Protestant Reformation, which one could say helped bring about the Enlightenment and all of those scientific advances (such as modern medicine) that we now take for granted. The Internet is once again changing our relationship with knowledge, whether we like it or not:
Why Curriculum Constrains Learning Read More »
Do the stories that we tell about education technology demand we ask more questions? Do they prompt us to rethink what teaching and learning looks like? Or does education technology simply re-inscribe older stories, older practices? And do the stories that we tell about education technology, particularly when those stories are tinged with judgment, shame,
The Stories We Tell about Education Technology Read More »
“Create places that promote conditions of wonder and curiosity and that catalyze the imagination of children.” As a space designer for the past two years, I’ve spent a great deal of time in schools looking at spaces through a lens of both an educator and that of a designer. As you might expect, the physical
Making Learning Modern: Redesigning Classrooms Read More »
What changes in a world where anyone can publish to global audiences with just a few taps on a smartphone screen? Short answer: A lot. Just ask people in places like Ferguson, MO where cell phones have done more to document the unrest of the last few months than traditional news cameras. Or teens who have
Share This: Self-Publishing for Modern Schools Read More »
Last month, a story from New York’s PS 116 went viral: the school sent a note home to parents, explaining that it had stopped giving homework so that kids could do something else with their time after school – play, for starters. According to news reports, parents rebelled – some threatening to remove their children
Parents as Modern Learners Read More »
The best part of my day is always second period, which is called “Spartan Time” in my school. That’s the thirty minutes set aside in our school’s schedule for students to participate in remediation or enrichment experiences offered by their teachers. While many of my peers use that time to get students who were absent
What Motivates Learners? Freedom. Read More »
In light of the seemingly endless discussions around innovation and change, it can be difficult for leaders who are looking to invest in a transformation agenda in their schools to find a clear path forward. What is realistic and where should be their focus? How do they align what they know about good learning and
The Eight Principles of Modern School Transformation Read More »
This week I bring you news from “My Best Teachers Who I’ve Never Met Department,” one that’s filled with dozens if not hundreds of faculty members who I’ve connected with over the past 15 years online. One from fairly early on in my learning about social media and learning, Mark Pesce, popped back up on my
“The Classroom is Not a Place…” Read More »
(The following is a draft excerpt from my new book From Master Teacher to Master Learner, which will be published by Solution Tree Press in June, 2015. Feedback welcomed!) When we talk about transformation in schools, we too often forget what we know about good learning. Transformation is not about more technology, personalized learning, or flipped
From Master Teacher to Master Learner Book Excerpt Read More »
