On May 17, 2012, KnowledgeWorks, in partnership with the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and the Nord Family Foundation, hosted a national conversation on digital learning. The nonpartisan event took an in-depth look at the role digital learning should play in Ohio and the nation. National and Ohio-based education experts, policymakers and educators discussed digital learning in the context of the Common Core academic standards, teacher evaluation, school accountability and school funding.

The first panel, providing the national view of digital learning, was moderated by Tom Vander Ark, Founder of GettingSmart.com, and included Bryan Hassel, Co-Director of Public Impact, Karen Cator, Director of the Office of Educational Technology for the U.S. Department of Education and Susan Patrick, President & CEO of iNACOL.

The second panel, discussing the status of digital learning in Ohio, was moderated by Terry Ryan, Vice President for Ohio Programs and Policy at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute,and included Steve Dackin, Superintendent of Reynoldsburg City Schools, Ohio State Representative Timothy Derickson, Ohio State Senator Peggy Lehner,  and Susan Stagner, Vice President of State Relations at Connections Academy.

Video: Ohio Focused Conversation at "Digital Learning: The Future of Schooling?"

Suggested digital learning readings and resources:

• Getting Smart: How Digital Learning is Changing the World by Tom Vander Ark
• Opportunityculture.org
• Evaluation of Evidenced Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies published by the U.S. Department of Education
• The Digital Learning Network (DLN)
• KnowledgeWorks’ 2020 Forecast
• The Rise of K-12 Blended Learning published by the Innosight Institute
• Classifying K-12 Blended Learning published by the Innosight Institute
• Competency Works

Lisa Duty, KnowledgeWorks‘ Director of External Affairs, acts as principal strategist for the digital learning initiative. She is currently developing a partnership that will design a new blended model of education leveraging several elements of the KnowledgeWorks portfolio, including collective impact (Strive), school conversion/redesign (EdWorks) and future of learning research (2020 Forecast).

Lisa’s guest blog post for Getting Smart focuses on a recent conversation around digital learning which took place on May 17, 2012 in Columbus, Ohio. In her post,Digital Learning: The Future of Schooling,  Lisa calls for the Ohio legislature to take action and create a pathway for any Ohio school to operate as a blended learning school.

Yet most students in our schools still walk into a classroom with one teacher lecturing to twenty-five (or more) students, without the level of technology, personalization, or individual control that we find in almost all other fields today. There are exceptions, of course—schools and educators moving rapidly into the future—but they remain the exceptions to the rule.

How do we change the situation so that the exceptions become the norm? While the rest of the world begins to leverage anytime, anywhere learning, how do we keep Ohio students from getting locked out of the best that the world has to offer?

Visit the Getting Smart blog to read the full blog posting.

For more information or to watch a video recording of  the conversation, Digital Learning: The Future of Schooling, click here.

Digital Learning: The future of schooling?

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Presented by KnowledgeWorks, the Nord Family Foundation & the Thomas B. Fordham Institute

12:30 P.M. REGISTRATION

1 P.M. WELCOMING REMARKS
Lisa Duty, KnowledgeWorks

KEYNOTE REMARKS
Stan Heffner, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

PANEL DISCUSSION
 Karen Cator, U.S. Department of Education
Bryan Hassel, Public Impact
Susan Patrick, iNACOL
Tom Vander Ark, GettingSmart (Moderator)

 2:50 P.M. SHORT BREAK

 3 P.M. PANEL DISCUSSION
Steve Dackin, Reynoldsburg City Schools
Representative Timothy Derickson, Ohio House
Senator Peggy Lehner, Ohio Senate
Susan Stagner, Connections Academy
Terry Ryan, Thomas B. Fordham Institute (Moderator)

CLOSING REMARKS
Tom Vander Ark, Getting Smart

 4:30 P.M. ADJOURN

RECEPTION

For more information or to register for the event, click here.

Join us for this timely, nonpartisan conversation about digital learning and where it may lead education in Ohio – and the nation – in the years ahead. National and state education experts, educators, and policymakers will discuss and debate digital learning in the era of the Common Core academic standards initiative, teacher evaluations, governance changes and “doing more with less” financially.

Confirmed Speakers:

 

Click to register or for additional information and logistics.

With questions or for more information, email OhioRSVP@edexcellence.net or call 614-223-1580.

Today we feature a guest post by Bill Sims – the President  of the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools (OAPCS) – who shares his thoughts about the potential of digital learning to liberate learners across Ohio, the United States and the globe.

The transformational developments that have occurred in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Syria, could not have happened were it not for the Internet, or more specifically, what we now refer to as “social media.” Such technologies have unquestionably catalyzed these social revolutions.

One of the most powerful aspects of the Internet and its infinite applications is that it opens up, penetrates and oxygenates closed and disadvantaged societies. It also has become the global communications tool that organizes meetings and movements. It’s been said that “information is like a gas, it seeps through any and all physical and political barriers.” This is a lesson that Assad of Syria, Mubarak of Egypt, and Kaddafi of Libya have learned the hard way and to which Chinese leadership will eventually succumb.

How does this contagious “spring fever” possibly apply to an open and democratic society like America? In today’s world, equality of access to educational opportunities is the hope that springs eternal for all parents who see education as the pathway to success and well-being. But in America, educational choice and opportunity have largely been the province of America’s advantaged.

The emerging digital learning environment has the unique potential to give every child in America access to almost any coursework and some of our nation’s best teachers. In other words, this emerging environment can liberate young people who have been stuck in disadvantaged educational situations with nowhere to go. Access to these educational options means that living in Appalachia, decaying urban environments, or Third World countries may no longer govern a student’s ambition. In today’s educative parlance, zip codes may no longer matter. Information is indeed a gas that fills place and time, penetrating all boundaries, zip codes and sovereign borders. The free-to-anyone and now famous “Khan Academy” is just one example of what any child in America, nay, any child in the world can access.

Not only can a child in Africa access or acquire coursework from American companies or institutions, but an American child can do research on ancient Egypt in Bibliotheca Alexandria. But there’s a caveat: Access is a function of connectivity; and connectivity is the on-ramp to the world of digital learning. To close the achievement gap, to provide these incredible learning opportunities to disadvantaged children and communities, America must provide the essential broadband pipelines to not just every American school, but to all American homes and domiciles.

According to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, rankings of broadband penetration in the United States have steadily fallen— from 4th in 2001 to 15th in 2007 among the 30 OECD countries. OECD countries are a forum of western developed countries committed to democracy and the market economy. According to Wikipedia, the United States ranks 28th in the world in fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 citizens. These statistics don’t bode well for a country looking to reinvent itself as a competitive 21st century bellwether nation-state.

Digital infrastructure does matter and Ohio has done well in these regards relative other states in the union. That’s relatively good news for Ohio students; but, we no longer compete with just other states. We compete with the likes of Singapore, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Finland, and Brazil.

The Internet, social media, and the emerging digital-learning environment are the new “great equalizers” of the new frontier. You don’t have to be a social epidemiologist to make the diagnosis. Disadvantaged and marginalized children in America are beginning to realize the budding potential of this “American Spring.” It is certain to give them the hope, the command and the control to realize their ambitions, and to put them on a more equal footing as they prepare to compete with their determined peers in the rest of the world.

Bill Sims is the President of the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Bill’s career has spanned the fields of education, non-profit organizations and the private sector. Before joining the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools in early 2007, he served as vice president of school management for K12 Inc., a Virginia-based curriculum and school management company with associated charter schools located across the United States. He began his tenure at K12 Inc. as founding head and superintendent of the Ohio Virtual Academy, a statewide virtual charter school based in Toledo. In all, he spent 14 years as a teacher, history department chair, admissions director, school principal and head of school in both public and private education. Bill has also served as executive director of the Cisneros Foundation (New York City), executive director and president of the Denver Council on Foreign Relations, founder of the Denver Institute of International Studies, and founder of the publication World News Digest.

“Competency-based approach can support personalized learning in Ohio” was originally published on Getting Smart’s EdReformer on Feb. 22nd, 2012. In the post, I call for a shift to competency-based learning in Ohio, because these models represent a systems-based yet personalized approach to learning.

See the full original post here for more about the key pieces in Ohio, such as Ohio’s Digital Learning Task Force forthcoming recommendations, the adoption of the Common Core standards, involvement in the PARCC assessment and Ohio’s current offering such as our Credit Flexibility policy and iLearn platform.

 Our connection to the principles and insights in Getting Smart are strong– dating back to KnowledgeWorks’ investment in the 2006 researched production of the Map of Future Forces, now the 2020 Forecast. Among many things, the 2020 Forecast tells us education is evolving into a world where learning can be tailored to the needs of individual students by leveraging digital technologies.

Like Getting Smart, the Forecast poses critical questions to help push our thinking about the future of learning. We see great overlap between questions that emerge from the “2020,” and the issues Tom challenges his readers to consider in his book and in this recorded chat.

• Where could we adjust policies or build relationships with unexpected leaders to break down existing barriers to innovation and push learning to a new frontier?
• What new teacher roles can we imagine, and what distinct niches could they fill in a new learning ecosystem?
• How might we contribute to making teaching and learning more transparent in schools, communities and the state?
• In what ways could we involve today’s students in redesigning learning for the future?

Thanks to our partnership with the Ohio Resource Center who produced and archived the video, Tom’s presentation to Ohio policymakers, influencers, and education stakeholders continues to shape the Buckeye state. We encourage you to download or order a copy of Getting Smart, watch the video and join the conversation.

— From the Introduction to KnowledgeWorks’ 2020 Forecast , quoted by Tom Vander Ark in Getting Smart

Today we feature our final in a series of three posts from Kate Harkin – Executive Director of eTech Ohio.  Kate is blogging from the 2012 Ohio Educational Technology Conference: Next Generation Innovation.  We’d like to offer our special thanks to Kate for her posts and for her committed effort to expanding learning opportunities for Ohio’s students. Congratulations to eTech Ohio on a wonderfully-engaging and stimulating conference. Mark your calendars for February 11-13th, 2013 for OETC13. 

A heartfelt thank you to all who attended, presented or staffed this year’s Ohio Educational Technology Conference.  I am grateful to and inspired by the student groups, keynote and featured speakers, presenters, and attendees who have helped make this year’s Conference a success.

We were honored to have Ohio’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Stan Heffner this morning.  Superintendent Heffner spoke about the potential of technology to engage students and allow teachers to be the “facilitators of knowledge rather than the dispensers.”  Superintendent Heffner also gave attendees insight into Common Core requirements and how technology can play an important role in facilitating Ohio’s shift to new educational standards and assessments.

Dr. Brené Brown, research professor at the University of Houston and expert on issues such as shame, empathy and vulnerability, delivered today’s keynote address.  Brené urged attendees to express their inner creativity and promised that, even for the most artistically-challenged among us, creative expression will produce future innovation.  Her remarks also highlighted the importance of “connecting” in the classroom, both in regards to learning and interpersonally.

In our closing program on statewide anti-bullying campaigns, we were joined by Senator Peggy Lehner, NBC 4 anchor Cabot Rea, the Equality Project theater group, and founder of the It Gets Better Project Dan Savage.  Senator Lehner provided a legislative report on efforts by lawmakers to address bullying and in particular the onslaught of cyber-bullying.

Cabot Rea’s presentation began with a performance by Columbus rapper, D.O.E, whose lyrics encourage positive interaction among young adults.  Cabot gave attendees a glimpse into his Battle Against Bullying Campaign which shines a light on bullying through interviews with victims and moving statistics about the repercussions of bullying.

We were also privy to a performance by the Equality Project, a troupe of high school actors who perform an anti-bullying theater piece.  These young adults from the Arts and College Preparatory Academy visit middle and high schools, using their skills as actors and actresses to teach younger students about the dangers and devastation of bullying.

Closing out today’s anti-bullying schedule of events was an address by founder of the celebrated It Gets Better Project, Dan Savage.  Dan spoke about the inspiration behind his now-international viral video series providing much-needed support and hope for LGBT youth and marginalized groups.

The Shiny Youth Media Team has done a remarkable job documenting Conference this year and will continue to post their reflections as Conference winds down.  If you haven’t already, be sure to visit the Team’s blog for their unique and refreshing insights on Conference and all things educational technology.

We will be posting video from keynote sessions and featured speakers on the eTech Ohio page, so be sure to check back throughout the next few days.

Today we feature our second in a series of three posts from Kate Harkin – Executive Director of eTech Ohio.  Kate is blogging from the 2012 Ohio Educational Technology Conference: Next Generation Innovation.

Welcome to Tech Coordinator Tuesday!  We at eTech Ohio know that tech coordinators provide invaluable support to districts and educators on a daily basis.  They troubleshoot issues and provide guidance and ongoing assistance on effective ways to integrate technology in instruction.

In a panel session on eTech Ohio’s Teacher Planning Grant, participants from Baldwin-Wallace College, University of Mount Union, University of Akron, Bowling Green State University, and Walsh University asked, “what if students could help serve in the role of tech coordinator?”

In the Mash Lab, students again took the reins and showed off the work they are doing with robotics, gaming, and other STEM subjects.  It is inspiring to see Conference attendees marvel at the mechanical complexity of a robot shooting a basketball or hear a student confidently answer questions about the coding involved in an educational video game.

Today’s keynote speaker and community wireless advocate, Sascha Meinrath called upon educators to challenge the status quo in his thoughtful and informative speech.

In this afternoon’s presentation by the Digital Learning Task Force, Ohio’s educators, administrators, and policymakers continued the conversation by discussing Ohio’s current relationship with technology in education and providing guidance on how we can encourage positive, innovative growth.

The Shiny Youth Media Team were out in force again today conducting interviews and crafting thought-provoking blog posts.  These young adults are truly rising to the occasion—head over to their blog to check out video and posts from today.

Tech Coordinator Tuesday is coming to an end, and we are more grateful than ever for the important work being done by our fellow administrators, educators, students, and of course, our technology coordinators.

Tomorrow we will turn our focus to anti-bullying campaigns across the state—so be sure to check our Conference page, follow @eTech_Ohio on Twitter, and use the #OETC12 Twitter hashtag for updates or to join the conversation.

 Today we feature our first in a series of three posts from Kate Harkin – Executive Director of eTech Ohio.  Kate is blogging from the 2012 Ohio Educational Technology Conference: Next Generation Innovation.

What a great start to Conference!  Every year I am reminded of the incredible energy created by the gathering of passionate educators and administrators, cutting-edge exhibits, and students ready to share their work.   Even if you do arrive bright and early, there’s so much going on it can be hard to see it all.

We are thrilled to welcome the Shiny Youth Media Team to Conference for the first time ever this year.  The 15 students making up the Shiny Youth Team captured conference today through live blogs, tweets and video.

In the keynote address, physicist and popular author Dr. Kaku spoke of the “Sputnik Moment” that changed the landscape of technology and the world forever and called upon educators to create everyday “Sputnik Moments.”

Jaime Casap of Google brought a private sector voice to the conversation in his “Technology in Education” session highlighting the potential of technology to personalize learning, provide greater access to information, and create responsible digital citizens.

Ohio’s educators, administrators, and technology coordinators are answering the call and using Conference as a golden opportunity to share their success story and envision a technology-enhanced educational landscape that engages learners and has the power to transport students above and beyond the walls of the classroom.

At Teacher Planning Grant sessions held by educators from the University of Mount Union and Bowling Green State University, attendees heard real, on-the-ground stories about the mutual and lasting gains that happen when pre-service and current teachers work together to ascertain how best to implement technology in their schools.

We are wrapping up today filled with energy, inspired by the creativity of our colleagues, and excited to see what the next two days will hold.

For more information on Conference, check out the official eTech Ohio Conference page or follow us on twitter at @etech_ohio or with #OETC12.  And be sure to spend some time on the Shiny Youth Media Team blog for of-the-moment updates on all the Conference action.     

*

eTech Ohio hosts the third largest state educational technology conference in the country where more than 6,500 educational innovators gather once a year and share their successes and challenges with one another. The conference is an opportunity for educators to honestly share their experiences—what works, and what doesn’t—for the benefit of their peers. The event is built by educators, for educators and offers pragmatic strategies, answers nagging questions, and shares valuable insights to address needs of college faculty, classroom teachers, and district administrators alike. The conference boasts over 500 sessions, workshops and displays that demonstrate student work, highlight new technologies and discuss 21st century skills. It is also a forum to learn more about critical initiatives impacting our state.More than 250 vendors showcase their products and services as well as conduct hands-on sessions for their clients. International and nationally-recognized keynote speakers kick-off each day and students compete onsite in various design and technology-oriented events. This conference aims to bring Ohio together as we tap into the best educational currents across the state and re-energize!