Deeper Learning Digest: #PBLWeek

The Deeper Learning Digest is a regular feature that includes content related to Deeper Learning, project-based learning, the Common Core State Standards, and 21st century skills. Find out more about Deeper Learning at www.DeeperLearning4All.org

News and Views

• A new ‘Education Declaration’ for genuine school reform – The Washington Post

“A coalition of educators, researchers, parents, activists and elected officials issued what signees are calling an “Education Declaration” on Tuesday that lists seven key principles on which genuine school reform should be guided for the 21st century and starts from the premise that public education is “a public good.”
The document offers a progressive approach to school reform that includes ensuring that teachers are properly trained and respected, that opportunities to learn for all students are paramount and that  learning must be “engaging and relevant.”

• In case you missed it, here are three op/eds on the Common Core State Standards from this week, two from USA Today, one from John Merrow:
  Myths Fuel Attacks on ‘Common Core’ standards: Our view – USA Today
  Include Parents in Standards Debate: Opposing View – USA Today
  The Common Core and the End of the World – Taking Note
  

• My Top Three Policy Recommendations for Education Reform – Education Week
  By Justin Reich
  “I was recently asked for my top three recommendations for policy and "non-policy" strategies for improving education, particularly with an eye towards increasing equity and advancing deeper learning (the development of student competencies like ill-structured problem solving, communication, and new media literacy in the context of academic content learning).”
• Teacher-Led Professional Learning: The Latest Revolution In Education – edudemic
• Expeditionary Learning Launches Its First NYC Charter – Education Week
• Aspen Institute Launches Task Force on Learning and the Internet – PR Wire
  

Project Based Learning Week (#PBLWeek)

This week, the Buck Institute for Education introduces "#PBLWeek: A Celebration of the PBL Graduate." From Monday (6.17.13) through Friday (6.21.13) join BIE and PBLers across the globe in answering an important Driving Question about students who have experiences PBL in their school: "What is remarkable about a PBL graduate?" Follow the PBL Week Pinterest Board and the #PBLWeek hashtag across a variety of social networks (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google+,Edmodo) to stay tuned to what is going on.

In that same vein, there will be a project based learning Twitter chat this Tuesday, June 18 at 8pm EST using the hash tag #PBLChat.

Infographics

Because who doesn’t love a good infographic? Here are some that caught our attention this week and that might be helpful for your various networks.

• A Simple Guide To 4 Complex Learning Theories – edudemic
• 12 Principles Of Collaboration In Learning – TeachThought
• 3 Ways To Use Vine In The Project-Based Learning Classroom – TeachThought
• 27 Ways To Be A 21st Century Teacher – edudemic
  

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Six Summer Tips To Tip The Scale For Digital Learning

It's Thursday, and that means it's time to talk digital learning! Today's post comes from Terri Schwartzbeck, Senior Digital Outreach Associate at the Alliance for Excellent Education. 

It’s been a big week for digital learning. Last week, President Obama paid a visit to Mooresville, North Carolina, which is fast becoming a mecca of sorts for proponents of the power of technology to change learning. And today the Associate Press reports that the LEAD Commission is finalizing a five-point plan to speed the adoption of digital learning in schools. Could we be getting close to a tipping point for digital learning to truly make a different in the lives of all students? Here are six steps you can take this summer to help build momentum for digital learning! 

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Afternoon Announcements: Senate Committee Passes ESEA Reauthorization Bill

States are requesting more leeway and time on evaluating teachers during the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, less than two years away in the majority of states. The new assessments will be tied to accountability systems for teacher performance, and educators want to know they’ll be given adequate time to adjust to the standards. Education Week

The Senate education committee passed a bill yesterday that, if made into law, would reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and improve high schools across the nation. Jessica Cardichon, the Director of Federal Advocacy at the Alliance, writes more about the bill’s markup and what implications it could have. High School Soup

East Hampton School District in Middletown, Connecticut is finding ways to increase their budget for technology. Leftover money from this year’s budget will be used to make a commitment to new technology. The district currently has no wireless computer access in several schools and is functioning on outdated computers. The Middletown Press

In the last few years, the number of Americans graduating from college has increased, putting the number at a new high, according to recent federal data. The increase in college degrees comes after two decades of slow growth. New York Times Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: Third Bill to Reauthorize ESEA on the Senate Table

There’s no solution in sight to stop student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1. As of Thursday, the Senate deadlocked over the issue while debating competing proposals. Washington Post

The nation’s high school graduation rate has reached the highest in four decades, but there is still work to be done. At its current rate, the percentage of students earning a diploma could surpass the historical high of 77.1% in the next few years. Education Week

Yesterday, President Obama spoke at Mooresville Middle School in Mooresville, North Carolina. He called for increased high-speed internet and wireless access in 99% of schools within five years and showed how Mooresville has improved teaching and learning with the use of digital technology. New York Times

The introduction of a Republican bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) by Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.) marks the third of its kind in recent days. The House Education Committee plans to consider the bill June 19th. Politics K-12 Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: Obama Calls for Enhanced E-Rate Program, High Speed Internet in All Schools

President Obama spoke at Mooresville Middle School in Mooresville, North Carolina today as part of his Middle Class Jobs and Opportunity Tour. He highlighted the school’s groundbreaking work in digital learning and education technology, with the ultimate goal of increasing high-speed internet access in schools around the country. Alliance president Bob Wise made a statement on the visit. Alliance for Excellent Education

President Obama called for an expansion of the federal E-rate program that would provide high speed internet access in schools across the country. The administration plans to ask the Federal Communications Commission to consider increasing funding to the program, with the goal of providing high-speed broadband and wireless internet access to 99% of schools in the next five years. Politics K-12

Gov. Mike Huckabee, a leading conservative who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, has voiced his support for the Common Core State Standards. He drafted a letter earlier this week to lawmakers in Oklahoma asking them to stick by the standards. The Washington Times

Baltimore County represents the United States as one of the top school districts for graduating students from high school, according to a report released this week by Education Week. The Baltimore Sun Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: Delaware Commits $5 Million to Education Technology

The House of Representatives approved a Republican proposal to keep student loan interest rates from doubling in July of this year. It would align student interest rates from year to year with the government’s cost of borrowing. It’s unclear if the Obama administration and the Senate will pass the bill. Washington Post

The highest-poverty schools in Kansas are primed to experience the brunt of budget cuts due to slashed federal education spending. The Kansas State Department described the loss of funding through Title 1 as “major.” Education Week

Former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords gave a commencement speech at Bard College this weekend. In it, she urged graduates to “be bold, be courageous, be your best.” New York Times

Delaware lawmakers approved $5 million in education technology in the state’s education budget. The money is nearly divided in half between technology block grants and funds for computers to administer state tests. Delaware Online Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: Students in Rural Alaska Fight to Keep School Open

Tom Vander Ark gives his take on why we need the Common Core State Standards and better tests in our nation’s schools. He calls both “a big step forward.”  Huffington Post

Four rural Alaskan schools were shut down this year, and a fifth was scheduled to follow suit. The students at the school rallied together, determined not to let another shutdown happen. They’ve pledged to contribute $18,000 to keep the school open, using funds primarily from ice cream sales at the student store. It doesn’t get more inspiring than this. Alaska Dispatch

Is Google Glass the future of education? Is it possible to imagine a future where students and teachers where the new Google glasses technology, using it to advance teaching and learning? The Kansas City Star

According to new state-by-state analysis of recent data on graduation rates for students with learning disabilities, states are struggling to reach the national graduation rate average of 68 percent for students in that category. Education Week Read Entire Post

West Virginia Becomes First State to Implement “Project 24” as Part of a State-Wide Education Initiative

On April 17, West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin joined with Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia, to announce that West Virginia would be the first state to implement “Project 24” as part of a statewide education initiative.

Led by the Alliance for Excellent Education, Project 24 is a ground-breaking new initiative to help school districts plan for and effectively use technology and digital learning to ensure that students graduate from high school ready for college and a career. As part of the statewide effort, particular focus will be on helping all West Virginia school districts to undergo district-wide planning through Project 24.

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Bob Wise: Don't Make a Technology Purchase Until You Make a Plan

In his monthly column in the Huffington Post, Alliance president Bob Wise talks today about the importance of district leaders forming a strategic plan for digital learning and technology implementation. He talks in-depth about the Alliance's Project 24 initiative - a set of resources and tools, along with a framework, to aid districrt and school leaders in creating a digital learning environment. He notes that technology is a powerful way to increase access and opportunity for all students everywhere, but it must be complemented by excellent teaching. Teachers, he says, become educational designers in a digital learning environment. 

"Technology provides students with access to both online and traditional classroom opportunities that leverage data systems and interactive software -- that may not normally be available -- to engage and support students. With comprehensive planning and teacher support, technology can be an equalizer by providing the same educational opportunities to low-income students and students of color as it does to more affluent students. Technology can also be used to tailor learning based on each student's needs.

Effective digital learning provides technological tools that allow teachers to be designers of each student's individual pathway for achieving success. Technology enhances the teacher's role in the classroom by opening up new opportunities for instructional strategies and digital content and resources. Additionally, online professional development opportunities can connect teachers with mentors and expert colleagues worldwide, which enables real-time collaboration on lesson plans and best practices."

Learn more about Project 24, and how digital learning can improve student outcomes Wise's column: Technology in Education: Before You Make a Purchase, Make a Plan.

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Representative George Miller and Alliance President Bob Wise Agree: Students Need a 21st-Century Education

It's not every day that a member of Congress teams up with a non-profit organization to further a bipartisan goal, but that's what happened when Representative George Miller (D-CA) and Alliance President and former West Virginia governor Bob Wise co-wrote an editorial for Politico. Both Rep. Miller and Gov. Wise champion educational transformation, and they both believe in the power of digital technology to increase accessibility, opportunity, and achievement for all students, everywhere. 

Earlier this year, Rep. Miller introduced the "Transforming Education Through Technology Act," which would "update and modernize learning systems by supporting teachers and principals in the use of new technology to redesign curricula, incorporate technology into classrooms and provide assistance with real-time data and assessments," as the op-ed explains. If passed, this bill has the power to expand technology innovation that can transform teaching and learning, just as onlnie ordering has changed the way we eat.

At the same time, Gov. Wise has led the Alliance for Excellent Education's Project 24, a district-level initiative to connect school districts to planning and resource materials to aid them in the transition and implementation of digital technology. 

"Over the next 24 months, the Alliance will help school districts to implement a strategic plan for strengthening education outcomes through the use of technology at no cost," the joint op-ed reads. "The Alliance will help participating districts through a comprehensive planning process around seven interconnected areas where technology and digital learning can improve student achievement: teaching and professional learning, use of time, budget and resources, data systems and online assessments, curriculum and instruction, technology and infrastructure, and academic support and resources."

Rep. Miller and Gov. Wise share a common goal: to ensure that every student everywhere has the opportunity to learn. They share the vision that upgrading digital technology in schools around the nation can achieve that goal. 

"Families can order dinner with the click of a button on a smartphone or computer, but teachers are still wiping chalk off blackboards. Newspapers and magazines are delivered to tablets every morning, but students study from texts that become outdated as soon as they are released," Rep. Miller and Gov. Wise write. "No single solution exists for these problems, but an effective use of technology can be a tool to increasing access to educational opportunities for disadvantaged students and closing the achievement gap. It can also empower teachers to design an educational experience that extends beyond the four walls of the classroom."

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