Recent ArticlesTraditional classrooms aren’t working May 14, 2012 – “Traditional classrooms…really don’t reach every child,” says David Thornburg, award-winning futurist and author, “not because of teachers, not because of anything the teacher is doing, so much as the actual physical structure of the room.” In a new video from Edutopia, Thornburg talks about his “holodeck” classroom and why the role of the teacher must change from lecturer to exploration guide. No commentsRead MoreDan Rather Reports ‘Finnish First’ May 7, 2012 – Over the past three decades Finland has transformed its schools from mediocre to consistently producing some of the world’s best-performing students. The country has virtually eliminated achievement gaps and has been at the top on international tests since 2001. No commentsRead MoreClassroom gaming gains popularity May 4, 2012 – For students in nearly half of K-8 classrooms digital gaming has become a regular and beneficial part of their study. Nearly half of teachers in grades K-8 are using digital games in their classrooms, according to a recent study, and a majority finds games promote student engagement, personalization of learning and collaboration. No commentsRead MoreCBE catches on at Prairie Lakes AEA May 3, 2012 – “Timing is everything,” the adage states. For some Iowa schools, the timing is right to break from the traditional high school model and pursue a better system—competency-based (CBE) pathways. A surprising number, 9 of 28 waiver requests, have come from Prairie Lakes AEA schools. No commentsRead MoreDebunking myths of online classes May 1, 2012 – Let’s say you are a parent trying to decide if online classes would benefit for your child. They sound great and it would allow your child the take a course that is not otherwise available at his/her school. But you’ve also heard some negatives, and are looking for accurate information. No commentsRead MoreWhat skills are businesses seeking? April 25, 2012 – Lawton-Bronson CSD is taking a proactive step in helping to prepare its students for 21st century jobs by asking prospective employers what skills they believe are important to the success of their businesses. The online survey asked employers to consider 11 applied skills… No commentsRead MoreCaveats for flipped classrooms April 18, 2012 – “The flipped classroom is one way to help move teachers toward better teaching but does not ensure it,” says Andrew Miller in a blog post at Edutopia. The flipped classroom allows traditional lecture-type instruction to be conducted via recordings, usually outside of class… No commentsRead More |
InnovatorsWhat skills are businesses seeking? April 25, 2012 – Lawton-Bronson CSD is taking a proactive step in helping to prepare its students for 21st century jobs by asking prospective employers what skills they believe are important to the success of their businesses. The online survey asked employers to consider 11 applied skills… Read MoreSpirit Lake L.I.V.E. expands to J-Term March 22, 2012 – Almost one year ago, Iowa Future featured a story on Spirit Lake L.I.V.E. (Locally Integrated, Virtually Enhanced). This was a project-based learning pilot project involving 20 high school students. The success of last year’s pilot lead to this year’s J-Term which involved all students. Read MoreData show improvement with iPads February 20, 2012 – A preliminary report from a Maine school district shows a group of kindergartners who used iPads performed better than some non-iPad-using peers in testing last fall. This kind of data is so far not available among Iowa schools involved in 1 to 1 programs. Read More |
“People are down on what they aren't up on.”
Jim Mahoney
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The world is changing.We need to change with it.That is why Iowa Future is promoting the need for innovation in education, sharing ideas from across the state and nation, and highlighting the work underway to prepare for the future. |
by Flying Hippo