The document discusses the need for the United States to become an "Education Nation" by prioritizing education. It notes that many students fall behind in reading and math skills and drop out of high school. The document outlines six leading edges of innovation that could help transform schools: 1) Rethinking approaches to thinking and blending subjects, 2) Updating curriculum and assessments, 3) Leveraging technology, 4) Altering school schedules and locations, 5) Incorporating co-teaching with parents and experts, and 6) Empowering today's youth as digital natives and teaching assistants.

1. 1 Education Nation Six Leading Edges of Innovation in our Schools Celebration of Teaching & Learning New York City • March 19, 2011 Milton Chen, PhD Senior Fellow George Lucas Educational Foundation [email_address]

2. Imagine an Education Nation: A learning society where education of children is the highest priority, on par with a strong economy, high employment, and national security. A nation is only as good as its schools. A “ladder of learning” from pre-K through “gray” blending formal and informal learning through schools, technology, museums, libraries, churches, youth groups, and parks.

3. The U.S. an Education Nation? • Of 50 1st-grade students behind in reading, 44 still behind in 4th-grade • A HS student drops out every 26 seconds, 6,000 each day (Tough Choices or Tough Times, 2006) • CA students 1 year behind U. S. average, 2-3 years behind best states (NAEP 2007, 8th-gr. math) • Closing the gap could contribute $2 trillion per year in GDP (McKinsey & Co., 2010)

6. • Innovation: The Key to Creating an Education Nation • A “Must Do” Rather than “Nice to Know” • Internet Time: Google 12 Years, YouTube 5 Years • Every Minute, 24 Hours of New Video on YouTube

8. What is the Key to Educational Innovation?It ’s Simple: School Life = Real Life “From the standpoint of the child, the great waste in the school comes from his inability to utilize the experiences he gets outside the school…within the school itself while, on the other hand, he is unable to apply in daily life what he is learning at school.” John Dewey, The School and Society lecture, University of Chicago, 1899

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10. 6 Leading Edges of K-12 Innovation 1. Thinking 2. Curriculum & Assessment 3. Technology 4. Time/Place 5. Co-Teaching 6. Youth

19. 3. The Technology Edge • Weapons of Mass Instruction, 1:1 edutopia.org/maine-project-learning- schools-that-work • iPod, iListen, iRead sites.google.com/a/eusd.org/eusd-iread/ • Online Learning edutopia.org/stw-online-learning- new-breakthroughs • Wiki-Based 8th-Gr. US History • Intelligent Text • Assistive Tech/Universal Design

24. 4. The Time/Place Edge • Schools as “ Prisoners of Time ” www2.ed.gov/pubs/PrisonersOfTime/Prisoners.html • A New Day for Learning, Beyond the Bell www.newdayforlearning.org • Plac e-Based Learning: Museums, Parks, Gardens

25. 5. The Teaching Edge: Co-Teaching • Parents as Co-Educators • Linking Home & School • Experts as Co-Educators: Rangers, Scientists, Historians, Architects, Writers, Artists

27. 6. The Greatest Edge: Today ’ s Youth • 95% of Stakeholders • Digital Natives Carrying Change in their Pockets • Generation YES: Students as Teaching Assistants genyes.org • Edutopia ’ s Digital Generation edutopia.org/digital-generation

28. edutopia.org/digital-generation

29. edutopia.org/digital-generation

30. edutopia.org/digital-generation

31. What ’ s your definition of a great school? Make it short and measurable!

32. Do the kids run in at the same rate they run out?