If I were going to visit the most innovative schools and educational places in the world where would I go?
What characteristics do the most innovative schools / sites / communities share? What are the traits of visionary the visionary leadership, the pedagogy... the exploration and use of technology, creativity? How about the sense of community? Here are a few places on my radar in no particular order:
... and I just realized I wrote them down alphabetically. Strange feat for a Sunday morning, pre-coffee thinking.
Here are the folks I'd like to chat with below. I'd like to hear their thoughts on what education should and shouldn't be. I'd like to explore their thoughts on learning, on what our schools should look like in the near future. How do they seek innovation? How do they stay fresh? What are their thoughts on creating programs, on leadership, and on inspiring people?
Listed in no particular order:
Linda Nathan: Boston Arts Academy
Larry Rosenstock: HTH
Mitch Resnick: MIT Media Lab
Dave Ellis: HSRA
Alfie Kohn: Author
Chris Lehmann: SLA
Gary Stager: Author, Educator
Will Richardson: Author, Educator
Karl Fisch: Author, Educator
Anya Kamanetz: Author
Yong Zhao: U Michigan, Author
Sugata Mitra: Researcher, Educator
Eleanor Duckworth, Harvard University
For many years I've relished the idea of sitting down with Seymour Papert and discussing learning. I'm not sure if Dr. Papert does such things these days after his accident though. I've read Papert's books, papers, seen a good number of videos of his speeches here and there and think he's quite a visionary. I saw a video of Papert some years ago, in Maine I think, speaking about rigor in education, of the need to create things rather than simply use them. I'd love to ask Dr. Papert about his thoughts today on these matters. How can we create better learning environments and more meaningful projects for kids?
For years I've always wanted to sit down and talk with Ray Kurzweil as well. Transhumanism, singularity, the concepts behind creating Singularity University, the work (play) environments there, our interaction with technology in the future, his thoughts on technology in public education in the main: The good the bad and the ugly... and what we could do to better serve students.
I've followed the work of the folks above for some time, books, blogs, and seen many of them speak on the web and at a few conferences. They've inspired me. I'd like the chance to sit with them, to discuss the questions above and to pick their brains about the scope of what I do in a classroom and how it could improve.
As for conferences / seminars:
I'd like to go participate in the main TED conference in Long Beach CA. The price of the event (some 6k in admission alone) takes the event off the map for me. The scope of the conference, the vision, the thinkers assembled are most intriguing though. Sounds like a fine way to spend a week, something that would inspire me.
I attended the EDUCON conference in Philadelphia a few weeks ago (an event I highly recommend). Can't wait to head there again. I'd like to head back to SLA at some point and see teachers in action, be a fly on the wall during a faculty professional development session and talk with Chris Lehmann.
While roaming the hallways at the EDUCON conference in deep thought I found myself buying a raffle ticket to help the school raise money. Lo and behold, I won admission to the Constructing Modern Knowledge Conference this Summer in NH. There are some grand folks there. Can't wait.
So...
What other places or educational systems should I see?
Who should I speak with?
What questions should I ask?
What other conferences should I attend?
This all sounds like one hell of a sabbatical idea... now I just have to convince my school it is too.
Many thanks for tuning in. Looking forward to hearing from you. Adam
What characteristics do the most innovative schools / sites / communities share? What are the traits of visionary the visionary leadership, the pedagogy... the exploration and use of technology, creativity? How about the sense of community? Here are a few places on my radar in no particular order:
- Boston Arts Academy, Boston MA
- High Tech High, CA: Geri and Anne Jacobs HTH, San Diego CA
- MIT Media Lab, Cambridge MA
- Minnesota High School for Recording Arts
- Reggio Emilia and Early Childhood Education, Italy
- Science Leadership Academy, Philadelphia
- Singularity University, Moffett Field CA
- Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, VA
- Virtual Florida: Talk to the folks who run the program... in person and tour how they do it.
... and I just realized I wrote them down alphabetically. Strange feat for a Sunday morning, pre-coffee thinking.
If I were going to talk to the game changers, the visionary educators, the shapers, the creators, the folks who have their pulse on the needs and shifts in education, who would I speak to?
Here are the folks I'd like to chat with below. I'd like to hear their thoughts on what education should and shouldn't be. I'd like to explore their thoughts on learning, on what our schools should look like in the near future. How do they seek innovation? How do they stay fresh? What are their thoughts on creating programs, on leadership, and on inspiring people?
Listed in no particular order:
Linda Nathan: Boston Arts Academy
Larry Rosenstock: HTH
Mitch Resnick: MIT Media Lab
Dave Ellis: HSRA
Alfie Kohn: Author
Chris Lehmann: SLA
Gary Stager: Author, Educator
Will Richardson: Author, Educator
Karl Fisch: Author, Educator
Anya Kamanetz: Author
Yong Zhao: U Michigan, Author
Sugata Mitra: Researcher, Educator
Eleanor Duckworth, Harvard University
For many years I've relished the idea of sitting down with Seymour Papert and discussing learning. I'm not sure if Dr. Papert does such things these days after his accident though. I've read Papert's books, papers, seen a good number of videos of his speeches here and there and think he's quite a visionary. I saw a video of Papert some years ago, in Maine I think, speaking about rigor in education, of the need to create things rather than simply use them. I'd love to ask Dr. Papert about his thoughts today on these matters. How can we create better learning environments and more meaningful projects for kids?
For years I've always wanted to sit down and talk with Ray Kurzweil as well. Transhumanism, singularity, the concepts behind creating Singularity University, the work (play) environments there, our interaction with technology in the future, his thoughts on technology in public education in the main: The good the bad and the ugly... and what we could do to better serve students.
I've followed the work of the folks above for some time, books, blogs, and seen many of them speak on the web and at a few conferences. They've inspired me. I'd like the chance to sit with them, to discuss the questions above and to pick their brains about the scope of what I do in a classroom and how it could improve.
As for conferences / seminars:
I'd like to go participate in the main TED conference in Long Beach CA. The price of the event (some 6k in admission alone) takes the event off the map for me. The scope of the conference, the vision, the thinkers assembled are most intriguing though. Sounds like a fine way to spend a week, something that would inspire me.
I attended the EDUCON conference in Philadelphia a few weeks ago (an event I highly recommend). Can't wait to head there again. I'd like to head back to SLA at some point and see teachers in action, be a fly on the wall during a faculty professional development session and talk with Chris Lehmann.
While roaming the hallways at the EDUCON conference in deep thought I found myself buying a raffle ticket to help the school raise money. Lo and behold, I won admission to the Constructing Modern Knowledge Conference this Summer in NH. There are some grand folks there. Can't wait.
So...
What other places or educational systems should I see?
Who should I speak with?
What questions should I ask?
What other conferences should I attend?
This all sounds like one hell of a sabbatical idea... now I just have to convince my school it is too.
Many thanks for tuning in. Looking forward to hearing from you. Adam