21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."

I’ve been trying to discuss this more with my son as we’re watching the Olympics. Imagine how many times those divers belly-flopped and how often those gymnasts fell down to learn those beautiful flips and spins! It makes sticking a puzzle piece in the wrong spot seem a lot less traumatic — and maybe worth trying a few times.

"Improvement requires connection" with peers, colleagues, and new ideas, said Karen Cator, director of the Office of Educational Technology for the U.S. Education Department (ED), at a recent ed-tech conference–and that’s the idea behind the first-ever Connected Educator Month, which kicks off Aug. 1.

"The study confirms that musical activity preserves cognition as we age, by comparing variability in cognitive outcomes of older adults active in musical instrumental and other leisure activities."

"This is a very untraditional way of teaching and learning, so … it’s unlike anything we’ve ever done before,"

Turning data into higher achievement involves changing the entire school culture.

Cities across the country, including in the District and New York, are clamoring for Rocketship to set up shop.

Think about it. Just maybe a kid armed with that knowledge will find a way to unleash his or her own scientific brilliance. A brilliance that without a friendly shove never would have been unleashed.

In 1972, kids from the bottom quartile of earners participated in roughly the same number of activities as kids from the top quartile. Today, it’s a chasm.

"You have to finish high school in order to get to the next point."

"Should we invest our limited education resources in teaching critical reading skills or in what’s known as STEM — science, technology, engineering and math?"