Latest Projects
As part of my work teaching at Carnegie Mellon University I discovered the work of Clayton Christiansen and Michael Horn. In their book Disrupting Class they identified online learning as the key disruption innovation for K-12. Today the blended learning model is allowing brick and mortal schools to incorporate online learning to personalize the learning experience. In December 2012 I was the keynote speaker for a half-day symposium sponsored by Apex Learning.
In my presentation I addressed Innovation in Education: Using Blended Approaches to Personalize Student Learning. Here’s an infographic from Knewton that captures many of the key issues I addressed in the presentation:
Created by Knewton and Column Five Media
Created by Jeff Main for Questeq
Beginning in July, 2011 I began to work with a series of non-profit and for profit organizations on a consulting basis. My major projects include an assessment set of tools for Questeq, a regional IT company in the Pittsburgh Area, the management of two events – the Three Rivers Educational Technology Conference and the Quality Classroom Consortium - and work with schools on project-based learning and strategic planning. In 2013 I’ll work with my colleague at Carnegie Mellon, Ananda Gunawardena, to try to find a K-12 fit for his project, Classroom Salon. Together with Aaron Sams, one of the Flipped Learning developers, I’ll test out using Classroom Salon in the South Fayette School District, the Ellis School, the Manchester Academic Charter School, and the Fox Chapel Area School District.
For Questeq I developed a process and materials that look at the State of Technology. The Beaver Area School District was the first K-12 institution to use the technology assessment as a planning tool. During the 2012-2013 school year I worked with Keystone Oaks School District, the Fannett-Metal Area School District, and the Sharpsville School District. I also developed a webinar series for Questeq that started in November 2012 with “BYOD – Bring Your Own Disaster.”
In 2013 I began to work with Nikki Navta to develop a professional development framework and assist with course development for Zulama, a Pittsburgh-based company providing online and blended learning for grades 9-12. The Elizabeth Forward School District taps into the Zulama program for its Educational Technology Academy.
