Blended learning was the topic of a lively Education Sector panel discussion on March 22, and, along with the video, we wanted to share some highlights. The inspiration for the talk was a recent Education Sector article on the Alliance Tennenbaum Family Technology High School, a two-year-old Los Angeles charter school that mixes traditional teacher-led lessons, collaborative learning, and indepContinue Reading »

We live in paradoxical times.

On the one hand, we are getting smarter. Since the 1980s political scientist James Flynn has tracked the rise in IQs globally. For instance, between 1953 and 2006 IQs have gone up a whopping 17.4 points. Rising IQs are now known as the “Flynn Effect.”

On the other hand, only 23 percent of fourth-graders can identify George Washington as thContinue Reading »

Happy Pi Day! In honor of this mathematical day, take a look at these nine amazing charts. (The Washington Post)

The best way to celebrate Pi. Whether you are eating pie today or not, here are some of the best ways to celebrate National Pi Day. (USA Today)

From homeless to Stanford. A teenager who spent part of his life going from one homeless shelter to another is now college bouContinue Reading »

How to raise long-term living standards for children. Step one: Elevate academic expectations, writes Peter Cookson Jr. (The Journal News)

Doing “more than ever before.” Almost 70 percent of teachers surveyed say that technology has helped maximize their work in the classroom. This Education Sector piece profiles a blended learning school in California, where technology allows for 48 (enContinue Reading »

President Obama, in last night’s State of the Union address, announced a new competitive grant program to award schools that “better equip graduates for the demands of a high-tech economy.” A key way to do so is by developing partnerships with local community colleges and employers. Obama heralded P-Tech in Brooklyn, the result of a collaboration between public high schools, CUNY and IBM, that Continue Reading »

When you think of innovative ways to improve student achievement, the first thing that comes to mind is probably not a classroom with one teacher and 48 students. But that’s precisely the set-up at Alliance Tennenbaum Family Technology High School, a new Los Angeles charter that’s using blended learning to improve outcomes for at-risk kids.

Tennenbaum, a member of Alliance College-Ready Continue Reading »

No more forgotten lunch money. Students in one Florida school district pay for school lunches by scanning their palms, which are linked to their accounts. (USA Today)

Can creativity be taught? Respondents to a new survey say yes. And NASA arguably thinks so; the company hosts a monthly class for its employees aimed at boosting creativity. (The Daily Press)

Arne Duncan as SecretaryContinue Reading »

Trending toward reform. More teachers nowadays are likely to favor performance-based reforms in evaluation and pay (when compared to veteran teachers), according to this new study. It reiterates some of what was found in Education Sector’s survey of teachers released this summer. (Teach Plus)

Learning as they go. A new blending learning approach in a Washington, D.C., school puts 200 midContinue Reading »

The first district in New Jersey. This report on Newark’s “groundbreaking” decision to move ahead with merit pay includes a colorful anecdote from the union leader. Also, Education Week reports that Mark Zuckerberg’s $80 million donation will, in part, fund the performance pay increases. (The Star Ledger)

Improving loan literacy. More universities are trying to educate students on the coContinue Reading »

Happy Flag Day!

Why smart people make dumb decisions. Answer: mental shortcuts. (The New Yorker)

Reading games. A summer camp in Cincinnati includes an activity, called DEAR, that requires kids to carry around books with them at all times. Randomly, during the day, they will be asked to Drop Everything and Read. (Annie Murphy Paul)

Blended learningContinue Reading »