Getting Smart
by Tom Vander Ark
New Tech Network is a group of about 200 schools (90% in school districts) that share four design principles:
- Teaching that Engages ─ Through project-based learning, teachers become curriculum designers and students learn to be collaborative problem solvers.
- Outcomes that Matter ─ New Tech Network learning outcomes also measure collaboration, written and oral communication and the development of student responsibility for their own learning and agency.
- Culture that Empowers ─ By making learning relevant and creating a collaborative learning culture, students become connected to, engaged with, and challenged by their school, their teachers and their peers.
- Technology that Enables ─ Through a technology-rich environment, teachers and students create, communicate, access information, and experience self-directed learning.
But these like-minded schools that share a learning model and platform aren’t all the same–they are urban and rural, STEM-focused and arts-focused, magnet schools and dropout recovery schools. Read more…