What innovative ideas do I have that will improve our schools?

Watch education reformist Sir Ken Robinson (no relationship to me) share with us, what is wrong with education today.

We live in a changing world. What worked in the past, might not work in the future. 2033 is the year our kindergarteners graduate from High School. Experts say that 40% of the jobs that exist today, will not exist in 2033. Many of our parents and grandparents, worked the same job their whole career. Our children and grandchildren likely will not have the same opportunity. Many of the jobs that our children will have, do not exist today.

As an education researcher, I have dedicated my life to exploring our changing education system. We can not raise our children to meet the 21st Century, using 19th Century School philosophies.

Here are a couple of interesting videos on our broken school system.

STANDARDIZED TESTING IS NOT TEACHING

One of the biggest problems in education today is over-testing our children. Standardized testing can kill creativity according to educational researcher Sir Ken Robinson.

RISE, SAGE and all the other testing, is not even giving us an adequate benchmark to establish OUR standards.
Check our recent developments in Utah’s Standardized Testing from Questar Assessment Inc.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2020/05/15/standardized-testing/

**Every Child Every Day, in Every WAY.**

There are solutions to our Education Crisis. 21st Century Learning is often referred to as Personalized Learning. Personalized Learning includes Competency Based Education, with Inquiry Based Learning. Because each student learns at a different pace, we can develop a learning system for each child, so no child is left behind. WE can leverage technology in Blended Learning Models to tailor learning to every student.

At Jordan WE say, EVERY CHILD EVERY DAY, we should add, IN EVERY WAY.

My Doctoral Research has caused me to explore highly effective schools.

“Most Likely to Succeed” is a documentary by Ted Dintersmith, that won Sundance Film Festival. It innovative education ideas are sweeping the nation as an educational reform solution. The full length documentary explores High Tech High in San Diego California. Students at High Tech High are not stuck in their seats for long hours each day. Instead students engage in Project Based / Inquiry Learning models that allow students the skills and time to explore. If you have the time, and this is an area of interest to you, I highly recommend the whole documentary.

Reimagining the Classroom

Teachers role becomes coach or mentor.

Why do some classrooms look the same now as they did 70 years ago? In this passionate talk, second grade teacher Kayla Delzer speaks about her mission to revitalize learning and the classroom environment. Kayla explains how to release the power in the classroom by giving students ownership of their learning and making it relevant to them.

What is Blended Learning?

Many educators believe that blended learning is the best solution to today's educational challenges. But what exactly is blended learning? And how can it help you increase student attainment and achievement?

One aspect of 21st Century Classrooms includes Blended Learning. Blended Learning personalizes education with a mix of face-to-face and online technologies. Not all Blended Learning models are the same. Research shows that there is some freedom in designing Blended Learning models. Just like all students are not the same, all schools are not the same also.

“Blended learning is any formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online learning, with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace.”

Blended Learning is NOT online learning. Some of the best Blended Learning models, are happening in the classroom.

A school-wide approach to blended learning that allows teachers the flexibility to define and implement online instruction that meets their students needs. P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School GRADES K-12 | GAINESVILLE, FL Explore more resources from this school: https://www.edutopia.org/school/pk-yonge-developmental-research-school

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Blended Learning has become a catch phrase-- a buzzword for using technology in the classroom. The idea is used to describe the education system's response to the need for 21st century skills, a solution to the budget crisis in schools, and a beacon of hope for the transformation of education through individual interventions.

Let’s Look at some innovative Blended Learning Classrooms

INNOVATIVE MATH CLASSES

My research interest is designing innovative K-12 classrooms. Here is just one idea we can consider in our math classes. Imagine what will happen when we know which students need help!

BLENDED LEARNING: REDEFINE YOUR CLASSROOM

What is Blended Learning and how can it change our classrooms? Here is one of my mentors, Dr. Charles Graham from Brigham Young University defining what Blended Learning is, and how we can implement it in our classrooms.

WHAT BLENDED LEARNING LOOKS LIKE IN THE CLASSROOM

Transforming our classrooms, is not that difficult, especially when we have great schools throughout the country who have already made the move. Looking for "Best Practices" and developing a solid Professional Development Program is critical to success.

FOSTERING A CREATIVE CLASSROOMS

IF we remove Standardized Testing, how will we base our progress in education? Try "Performance Based Assessments" which measure how students perform working with projects.

““The fate of our country won’t be decided on a battlefield, it will be determined in a classroom.” — -- Waiting for Superman
““Let Teachers Teach, Let Students Learn — Chris Tienken