-
A Sense of Wonder
In 1974, a young boy named Harold Whittles is about to experience his world in a new and astounding way. For the first five years of his life preceding this moment, Harold has not heard the sounds around him as he has been deaf since birth. This is about to change as technological advances have…
-
Reflections on the Future of Learning
Consider the future for our current kindergarten students and what the world will be like when they graduate in the year 2031. Given the technological advances we are witnessing today, any description of our near future that does not resemble something out of a science fiction story may likely represent an underestimation of the changes…
-
Connected, But Alone?
As we expect more from technology, do we expect less from each other? This is the question clinical psychologist Sherry Turkle asks in her book, Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age, which is based on 30 years of her work studying the psychology of people’s relationships with technology. While she is not…
-
Innovation and Creativity
I am writing this week’s article from 44G, my assigned seat on the plane returning me to Brasilia. It has been nearly two weeks since I departed from Brazil to attend a series of international teacher recruitment fairs, planning meetings, conferences, professional development workshops, and school visits. As with any professional trip of this nature,…
-
Social Media: A Dog’s Story
“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” ~Isaac Newton A friend of mine from Brasilia is known for habitually reposting to Facebook, on behalf of desperate dog owners, photos of missing dogs. Gisela’s hope is that neighborhood residents will recognize the dogs in the photos and reunite these…
-
Digital Fluency Project
“It is in changing that things find purpose.” ~Heraclitus During a recent school governance conference, the attendees, who include school directors and board members, reflected on how schools of the future will be different from what we know today. Our facilitator, Lee Crockett, invoked the often used but, at times, little understood concept of a…
-
Creating Innovators
What does it mean to be an innovative school? This is a question we have been wrestling with in relation to both EAB’s mission statement reference to innovation and our responsibility to offer a consequential educational program that keeps pace with societal changes. The answer to this question will depend on the context of the…
-
Change is Not Optional
During this week’s AdvancED conference, Will Richardson, a leader in the area of social online learning networks and education, shared a thought provoking key note address. While the presentation associated with the talk may be difficult to follow out of context, there are striking photos and quotes that may be of interest and can be viewed through…
-
The Importance of Arts Education
Anyone entering EAB’s auditorium on Friday morning was greeted by a resounding rush of energy and exhilaration, generated by students singing and dancing in their aisles to the music of a live New Orleans brass band. This was the scene last week when, through a series of serendipitous events, The Hot 8 Brass Band found its…
-
Opportunities and Challenges
It is not hyperbole to state that educational systems and pedagogical approaches are in the throes of a revolution. While most of us accept the premise that we are in the midst of a historical transformation in education, the challenge is to make sense of these changes while also seeking to find our own footing…