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Michael Ortman

Comment on: Topic 'Student Participation in Building the Learning Environment': team opening a new high school, specifically designed as a "world class, 21st century" educational environment. After 11 years there, I founded another small high school in southwestern New Hampshire (that is now a program of the larger traditional area high school). Over the past years I've learned a lot from our teachers, students and families, as well as the community partners who've joined us in our work. (The school web site is www.mc2school.org and our learning structures are documented in a work-in-progress wiki at mc2paedia.wikispaces.org.) I am now involved with a statewide initiative in New Hampshire developing and supporting processes for high school students to earn credit (toward graduation) through learning outside traditional classrooms. As we move into our third year with this initiative (and as the initiative is expanded through its funder, the Nellie Mae Educational Foundation, into Vermont, Maine and Rhode Island), I am continually struck by the supports that TEACHERS need to make the transition from traditional pedagogy to facilitative practice. The biggest challenge comes in the deeply ingrained beliefs about who can learn and how much, not just in how and where. Meanwhile, our after-school partners are fantastic. They bring a developmental perspective on students (which educators tend to lose somewhere in middle school, from my experience), along with a collaborative culture that isn't common in most schools ("mother hen syndrome" in elementary, and "territorial division of instructional responsibility" in high school). Looking forward to the panel discussion! Looking forward to the…; Added by Kim Carter at 4:34pm on June 2, 2009

Topic: Literacy in a connected world: of the World from Which You Will Present: Philadelphia, PA United States Language in Which You Will Present: English Target Audience(s): All educators interested in expanding the definition of literacy and unpacking what teaching literacy looks like a connected world. Short Session Description (one line): Join this session to discuss ways to examine definition and application of literacy education in a connected world. Full Session Description (as long as you would like): What does it mean to be an authentic reader and writer in today's society? In what ways can we help our students experience the power of expression in our classrooms? Join this session to hear powerful examples of literacy practice from the classrooms. Thank you! …; Added by Meenoo Rami at 5:06pm on September 22, 2013

Page: 2013 Reform Symposium Conference Strands: Click on the individual strand tags to see any submitted sessions. Inquiry driven learning- strand tag "inquiry" Individualizing learning- strand tag "individualized" Experiential learning- str; Added by Steve Hargadon at 5:44pm on August 30, 2013

Blog Post: Make EDUCATION better! HOW?: Make EDUCATION better! HOW?

I would like for all teachers to think about this. If the school system you work for tripled your salary

Want would you…; Added by William Lambert at 12:53am on February 3, 2010

Comment on: Topic 'Self Directed Learning May be THE most important skill for learners!': mp; toleration of the "good enough" which promotes a broad gene pool. A broad gene pool gives us the adaptive flexibility to adjust to "black swan" events, (Taleb). well, our educational system should seek to promote that kind of diversity in outreach, methods, programs etc and not just short-sidedly focus on how to efficiently pass the next round of standardized tests which are geared for the immediate environment, but which leave us uneducated for the possibilities of an infinitely rich future there are many skills, habits, behaviors, attitudes which dont thrive in an individual, cut throat environment, but which may be needed for an environment that favors cooperation: such as living in a nuclear age. I think its important to remember that "the failure" is in the system's inability to provide a medium for the seed that is the person to flourish. We know from "The Long Tail" that digitization and globalization allow for the creation of feasible 1:1 relationships. we are less constrained to find "economic" tradeoffs that satisfy the many and underserve the tails of the distribution. We should, therefore be looking to expand the set of possible methods and resources to serve those further out on the tails of the distribution in order to broaden our "gene pool" of human potential.. See Axelrod on "The Evolution of Cooperation" for example Good survival strategy for the a species, all species, for life itself, is to maximize biodiversity, because of the possibility of discontinuous "shock" events to the environment, for which prior specialization is unsuited. The examples of Branson and Gates amply illustrate the rich rewards waiting for us on the untapped wide tails of the human distribution It is arrogant of education to presume it can forecast the future and determine what can and should be precisely taught for "success". If education hasnt learned that yet, then it should attend some of its classes in the sciences and arts to discover the limits of pure rationality and control :D…; Added by ken long at 9:37am on March 18, 2010

Topic: Looking for contributors toward developing this book on "user driven learning": ok that deals predominantly with health care. You could reflect on your learning experiences right from childhood, your teachers who inspired you and your continued prowess utilizing web 2.0 The aim is to chiefly inspire the audience with your feeling and also to a smaller extent inform them of your subject but most importantly make them recognize the sign posts in life long learning. Please find the details in this web link: http://www.igi-global.com/requests/details.asp?ID=657 There is also a chapter template available online at: http://www.igi-global.com/development/author_info/ Appreciate your help and guidance in formulating strategies toward this book and look forward to your response. Feel free to share it with other potential contributors. We can expand in volumes to accomodate a greater number of quality contributions. Do let me know if you have any more queries. I understand that the above is very different from any book that is usual for medical students or the healthcare community and so understanding the requirements is challenging to say the least. I can also forward some pdfs of possible sample chapters (already published as articles) and a sample article on "user driven healthcare" if interested. Warm regards, rakesh http://peoplesgroup.academia.edu/RakeshBiswas…; Added by Rakesh Biswas at 8:16pm on August 15, 2009

Topic: Dennis Littky Talks About Big Picture Schools: rovidence. He is nationally known for his extensive work in secondary education in urban, suburban, and rural settings, spanning over 40 years. As an educator, Dennis has a reputation for working up against the edge of convention and out of the box, turning tradition on its head and delivering concrete results. Presently, Dennis’s focus is to expand the Big Picture Learning design to include college-level accreditation through College Unbound, where students will have the opportunity to earn a B.A. and advanced certifications through a critically challenging, real-world based, and entrepreneurial course of study. Dr. Littky holds a double Ph.D. in psychology and education from the University of Michigan. His work as a principal at Thayer Junior/Senior High School in Winchester, N.H. as featured in an NBC movie, A Town Torn Apart based on the book Doc: The Story of Dennis Littky and His Fight for a Better School. In 2004, he (along with Samantha Grabelle) published a book about the Big Picture Learning design entitled The Big Picture: Education is Everyone’s Business, which went on to win the Association of Educational Publishers’ top award for nonfiction in 2005. In 2003, Dennis was recognized as a leader in the small schools movement and awarded the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education. Fast Company ranked Littky #4 among the top 50 Innovators of 2004, and the George Lucas Educational Foundation recently selected both Dennis and Elliot as part of the Daring Dozen – the Twenty Most Daring Educators in the World. Web: http://www.bigpicture.org/…; Added by Steve Hargadon at 10:43am on October 4, 2009

Comment on: Topic 'Degree-based Education is doomed... and so are your degrees!': om's comment about "whoever has the gold makes the rules" is where the change will occur. Right now many parents are already opting out of the existing public education system, either to send their kids to private schools, or to home school them. Many more are beginning to send their kids to the growing number of charter schools, funded with a combination of public and private dollars. This is just putting the education choice into the hands of the consumer, who is the parent, and the student. Right now public schools, private schools and charter schools are just different versions of "thinking inside the box" where there is structured curriculum where kids get some sort of credential (report card/diploma) that indicates they have mastered enough information to move to the next level. The credibility of these indicators can be part of a thousand other discussions. So far, the signature on the report card/diploma for a K-12 student comes from the traditional school. I think the first major change/breakthrough will come with the signature on the diploma comes from a local college/or a distant college/ that offers the curriculum through the Internet and contracts with a variety of traditional and non-traditional groups to mentor students into learning from this curriculum. Such groups could be the current mix of public/private/charter schools, home school parents, or a new group of competitors, consisting of local parent networks, local church/business/parent groups, the Boys & Girls Clubs, or any place with access to the Internet where adults can help kids learn from the content provided by who every puts their name on the diploma. As long as there is "credibility" in that institution, this can happen....IF, the purchasing decision is in the hands of the consumer (parent) and not the bureacracy (government/local schools system). How this affects the institutions of higher education, with huge expense commitments for the buildings on their campuses, remains to be seen. However, I suspect there are task forces trying to figure ways to stay relevant, and competitive, in this new era.…; Added by Daniel Bassill at 12:57pm on July 3, 2010

Blog Post: Five questions to ask when giving corporate gifts.

An examination done by Promotional Products Association International found that business to business gift giving in the United State adds up to almost $6 billion every year, and…

Added by Jill Bromund at 11:37pm on July 15, 2018