Leadership Blog

Vander Ark on Innovation

This blog was written by Tom Vander Ark (@tvanderark), an education advocate, adviser, and author of Getting Smart: How Personal Digital Learning is Changing the World. Tom is Founder and Executive Editor of Getting Smart and a partner in Learn Capital. This blog is no longer being updated.

Education Opinion Students' Basic Needs Must Be Met Before They Can Learn Deeply
By: Bob Lenz and John Larmer. In order to become empowered and skilled graduates, students must master "deeper learning" competencies. However, getting to that level requires other needs be met first.
Tom Vander Ark, October 15, 2018
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2 min read
Teaching Opinion Teaching Design Thinking to Hack School and Prep for Complexity
Tom chats with Sam Seidel about design thinking and how it can slow down and discover the true root of the problem in education.
Tom Vander Ark, October 10, 2018
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4 min read
School & District Management Opinion The Evolution of the Denver Public Schools Portfolio
Denver Public Schools is the district to watch when it comes to portfolios. Tom shares how the DPS portfolio model is the one to watch.
Tom Vander Ark, October 8, 2018
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6 min read
Teaching Opinion Giving the Gift of Place
In this episode Tom & Emily take you on a virtual field trip to Murie Ranch, in the Grand Teton National Park, to talk about place-based education with Christen Girard and Nate McClennen
Tom Vander Ark, October 2, 2018
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5 min read
School & District Management Opinion A Tool for Finding Better Ways Forward in Everyday Challenges: Innovators' Compass
What is the Innovators' Compass? It's a powerful tool that helps people move forward in any challenge, big or small--in one usable, shareable picture.
Tom Vander Ark, October 1, 2018
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5 min read
School & District Management Opinion Network of Place-Based Community-Connected Rural Schools Receive Grant to Expand
Small community-connected schools sharing resources in networks & leveraging local learning opportunities may be the solution to the rural education decline.
Tom Vander Ark, September 26, 2018
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3 min read
Teaching Opinion The Promise & Challenge of Student-Centered Learning
From the role of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) to policy levers each state should have, Tom takes a deep look into the promise, and challenge, of student-centered learning.
Tom Vander Ark, September 24, 2018
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13 min read
Assessment Opinion David Conley on Next Generation Assessment
In the latest episode of the podcast, Dr. David Conley, a professor in the college of education at the University of Oregon, discusses his new book and offers 10 principles for better assessment--and a vision for how assessment can be integrated into learning.
Tom Vander Ark, September 19, 2018
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5 min read
Personalized Learning Opinion Helping CAOs Make the Shift to Personalized Learning
Explore the difference between managed instruction and next generation learning, and learn ten elements of comprehensive solutions to the challenge of helping chief academic officers reframe their work.
Tom Vander Ark, September 17, 2018
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6 min read
Education Opinion Edu-Roll Ups: The Sprint to Scale
Mergers and acquisitions in education are up about 25% over the first few years of the decade. In this post, Tom explains what is behind that and lists some of the most notable Roll-Ups.
Tom Vander Ark, September 14, 2018
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3 min read
Equity & Diversity Opinion Why Youth Need Social Capital and How Schools Can Help
A discussion with Christensen Institute's Director of Education Julie Freeland Fisher on social capital, disruptive innovation, and her new book, Who You Know: Unlocking Innovations That Expand Students' Networks.
Tom Vander Ark, September 11, 2018
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4 min read
School & District Management Opinion Apple Exec on Rewiring Education
Former Apple VP of Education, John Couch on why he's enthusiastic about project-based and challenge-based learning and the future of learning technology, why design is such a critical concept for education. and his new book Rewiring Education.
Tom Vander Ark, September 5, 2018
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3 min read
Education Opinion The Innovation Inequity Paradox
Technology can fuel innovation, foster creativity, and create engaging learning environments. Ineffective edtech and instruction, however, can punish our poorest and most vulnerable students--especially students of color and those living in rural areas. This post explores strategies for avoiding this outcome.
Tom Vander Ark, September 3, 2018
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10 min read
Teaching Opinion Listening to Kids and Designing from Scratch for Timeless Learning
After 32 years as an Albemarle County educator, Pam Moran sat down with Tom Vander Ark to reflect on her career and discuss her latest book.
Tom Vander Ark, August 29, 2018
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6 min read
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