Innovation from around the world

To keep up with the lightning fast pace of progress in education, progress that touches everything from what students should learn to how they learn best, today’s schools must extend their beyond the traditional boundaries of the classroom to exchange ideas with others around the globe.

As the education community becomes ever more inclusive, Ohio’s teachers and students must export their best and brightest ideas worldwide while at the same time learning from ideas imported internationally.

We are committed to helping educators and those who care about education across the state keep up with the latest thinking and the best research – knowledge that can keep Ohio at the forefront of education innovation.

Innovation resources

Retooling Schooling, an Innovations in Education project, aims to create a forum for the exchange of provocative ideas for transforming education, shift the national conversation about education, and develop practical concepts for the establishment of a more relevant system of public schools in America. A comprehensive set of resources is available on each of five topics related to radically re-shaping learning, defining the 21st-century teacher, preparing students for multiple pathways to success, and creating a new vision for teaching and learning.

OneWorld is an online hub that publishes news on global issues and provides support to non-profits and the public on issues related to development, the environment, human rights, and global politics. In addition to sharing news and analysis on education issues, the site provides links to leading innovative efforts in education from across the globe, such as child-centered teacher training in China, flexible school schedules in India, hands-on boarding schools in Northern India, and many more.

The Connected Classroom aims to provide teachers with an example of a “connected” classroom with their students. Users can join to participate in discussions about using tools like these. The site also provides users with a collection of presentations on topics related to the use of technology with students. A number of Web 2.0 tools are also available.

The objective of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is to enhance economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific community. Members account for approximately 40% of the world’s population. APEC’s education activities are carried out by the Education Network. Education priorities include mathematics and science education, career and technical education, learning each other’s languages, and systemic reform. One of their many initiatives is the Classroom Innovations through Lesson Study program, which has developed a large network of experts and produces lesson plans and videos for APEC members, including those whose students traditionally score highest on the TIMSS assessments that are regularly used to compare students to their international peers.

Innovation and you

Are our schools equipping young Americans with the necessary international knowledge and skills to navigate today's interconnected world? The book Schools for a Global Age: Promising Practices in International Education by Emily Sachar showcases nine model schools addressing this question in innovative and replicable ways.

Best in online education

The Sloan Consortium, a group of universities and online learning vendors, publishes a newsletter about best practices in online learning.

New ways of sharing information

The Digital Open, an online technology community for youth around the world, is an example of the new ways knowledge is being shared.

The library of the future

Provocative discussions are challenging the status quo of the school library both in terms of purpose and space, and Library 2.0 is the model used to define the modern approach where users participate more actively. DesignShare, a journal of education facilities planning, interviewed two experts to gain better insight into serving the information needs of students, schools, and communities via the future of school library planning and design.