TEDxManhattanBeach - Tom Vander Ark - Innovations In Education

Talk title: Innovations in education

In cities such as Delhi and Nairobi around the world children have a passionate desire to learn, but little opportunity. Here at home, we face problems a well: a third of kids don't finish high school, and another third graduate unprepared for college or employment. We can do better. So far when we've taken technology to schools, we've layered the technology on top of the way we've always organized schools. Educators are now shifting delivery to online learning and a blended learning approach. When we teach kids in the right way and with the right modality, they learn more per hour. Personal digital learning is the next wave in education, and will allow us to customize the learning experience, motivate students and equalize opportunities for learning.

Tom Vander Ark is CEO of Open Education Solutions, an organization which provides blended learning services. He is a partner in Learn Capital, a venture capital firm investing in learning content, platforms, and services aimed at transforming educational engagement, access, and effectiveness. A prolific writer and speaker, Tom has published thousands of articles and blogs. He chairs the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL), and serves on the board of LA's Promise and Strive for College. Tom received the Distinguished Achievement Medal.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxManhattanBeach, where x = independently organized TED event. At our TEDxManhattanBeach event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.

[ravenheck]

THIS is what I'm excited about!!!! I just finished writing a 15 page paper (could easily have written 50 or more pages! LOL) for my Masters Degree in Education called "Blended Learning: Transformative Education" and I hadn't seen Tom Vander Ark's work (presented here) yet. There is real potential in systematic eclecticism when it engages learners (who have a level of learner 'readiness') with technology. The demands of traditional face-to-face education are somewhat lessened for on a day to day basis (however, content and activity creation requires a great deal of preparation. But it's doable!), as learners work with, create and evolve their autonomy. 

Our children are born "digital natives". This paradigm is different to the learning paradigm any of us grew up with. This is evolution at work. Blended Learning provides the perfect catalyst for dynamic change and deliverable content to learners, regardless of geography, personal challenges or schedules. Fusing asynchronous learning with synchronous provides for the creation of a 'learner community' but with all the perks of learner-centered autonomy and academic/technical/scholastic growth.

I'm soooo excited about blended learning!!!! I'd like to see that young Lady in Nairobi have this kind of learning experience too. WOW.

[unclewallace]

Excellent talk Tom. Thanks for helping to create the future!