Like most little boys, his imagination rules. He builds nests with the pillows on his bed and then tweets at me, makes up his own songs, and turns sticks into, well, just about anything you can think of. He loves to learn.

I dread the day that this love of learning slips away. News reports and studies say that our schools are suffocating the joy of learning out of our children.

Race to Nowhere: The Dark Side of America’s Achievement Culture, the award-winning documentary by filmmaker Vicki Abeles, is opening this weekend at theaters across the country. The film is an investigation into the pressures American children and their teachers face in our achievement-obsessed education system and culture.

The lessons we teach our children today will determine the future of our country and the future of our world.

Coming soon to a theater near you, this may change the way you think about our schools, our society, and our children. .

An easier question to answer may be, “What do winning states have in common?”

A wiki document recently released by International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) provides the answer with a synopsis of each winning state’s plan and a link to the full applications of each of the winners and the nine runners-up.

What you’ll find when browsing these documents is that each state that walked away a winner has big plans to expand online and blended learning opportunities for not only students, but as a component of teacher professional development.

Another common thread is the shedding of “seat time” as a gauge for learning and replacing this less than optimal model for a mastery-based assessment framework. In many of these applications, emphasis on using online learning options for students in need of AP or elective courses also seems to be a priority.

While the financial pay-offs for the winning states is obvious, the real winners will be the teachers and students in these states. With an increasing number of options for K-12 learning and more professional growth opportunities for teachers, we may finally see the reform of an education system that needs a facelift.

Education technology may finally be taking root in classrooms across America and offering states the opportunity to make educational reform a reality with online curriculum that is adaptable for a diverse range of learners.

Does your school offer fully online or blended learning options for students or professional development for teachers? Which do you believe is the most effective?

According to Scott Hagy, the principal,

We decided to start our own program, giving us a chance to save money and provide the same curriculum to students online that they’d learn in class.

Twelve student enrolled in the program, each with a different reason for choosing this online alternative. This will save the district $100,000.

Read the full story from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Keystone’s decision reflects a growing trend toward online learning. ODYSSEYWARE offers an easy-to-integrate, comprehensive curriculum with both core and elective courses that meet the learning needs of a diverse mix of students.

What options do you offer your students who want an alternative to yesterday’s classroom?

While collecting data for the National Broadband Plan proposal, experts learned what many of you already know. E-rate policies are cumbersome and out of date. As a result, broad changes to the E-rate program are planned and will be implemented over time.

How will this affect your public school?

As the plan is implemented for the 2010-11 school year, the benefits* will be substantial:

• Streamlining the application and competitive bidding processes for telecommunications and Internet access in an effort to further reduce the administrative burden on applicants, while at the same time maintaining appropriate safeguards to mitigate potential waste, fraud, and abuse.
• Codifying the requirement that competitive bidding processes is “fair and open” to enhance the Commission’s ability to enforce its rules in cases involving waste, fraud and abuse.
• Simplifying the way schools calculate their discounts and conforming the E-rate definition of “rural” to the Department of Education’s definition.
• Supporting 24/7 online learning by eliminating the current rule that requires schools to allocate the cost of wireless Internet access service between funded, in-school use and non-funded uses away from school premises.
• Providing greater flexibility to recipients to choose the most cost-effective bandwidth solutions for their connectivity needs by allowing the leasing of low-cost fiber optic line from municipalities and other entities that are not telecommunications carriers.
• Expanding the reach of broadband in residential schools that serve populations facing unique challenges, such as Tribal schools or schools for children with physical, cognitive, or behavioral disabilities.
• Creating a new, predictable funding mechanism for internal connections so that more schools and libraries have the ability to use the most technologically advanced applications, including video streaming to the classroom, to provide superior learning opportunities.
• Indexing the current $2.25 billion cap on E-rate disbursements to inflation to maintain the purchasing power of the current program and enable continued support for high speed broadband and internal connections in the future.
• Creating a process for schools and libraries to dispose of obsolete equipment without running afoul of the prohibition on reselling equipment and services purchased using E-rate funds.

*Source: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-10-83A1.doc

While these changes make E-rate more user friendly, they also give educators the opportunity to find innovative improvements to the learning environments, physical and virtual, where children spend the majority of their time.

How do you use E-rate to improve technology and learning in your school or district? What changes do you believe would make E-rate more effective?

When it comes to public education in America, everybody has an opinion. Opinions are easy. Solutions are tougher. The College Board is no exception. To come up with solutions for raising America’s ranking for college completion as compared to other countries around the world, it established the Commission on Access, Admissions and Successes in Higher Education.

After lots of studying and goal setting, the commission came up with a comprehensive list of solutions to increase the number of students who graduate from college, currently 41.6 percent, and are prepared to succeed in the 21st century.

They call them “interdependent recommendations” and must work together to be successful. The goal is to ensure that at least 55 percent of Americans hold a postsecondary degree by 2025.

Here are their recommendations:

1. Provide a program of voluntary preschool education, universally available to children from low-income families.

2. Improve middle and high school college counseling.

3. Implement the best research-based dropout prevention programs.

4. Align the K-12 education system with international standards and college admissions expectations.

5. Improve teacher quality and focus on recruitment and retention.

6. Clarify and simplify the admissions process.

7. Provide more need-based grant aid while simplifying and making the financial aid process more transparent.

8. Keep college affordable.

9. Dramatically increase college completion rates.

10. Provide postsecondary opportunities as an essential element of adult education programs.

These are great system-wide recommendations. One big question remains. How?

If you’ve ever watched a kid on a computer learning how to play a video game, you know the satisfaction he gets as he conquers one challenge, learning from mistakes, and moves on to the next level. School should offer kids the same opportunities when it comes to education. Furthermore, perhaps policymakers should take a lesson from the gamers. Learn from your mistakes and move forward. Together, we can meet the challenge and win.

According to The State of State Standards – and the Common Core – in 2010, by D.C. think tank, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, the newly established Common Core standards were stronger than 37 states in English and 39 states in math.  In fact, California, Washington, D.C., and Indiana are the only locations that could boast current standards clearly superior to the Common Core in English, and none were clearly superior in math, though 11 were rated “too close to call.”

If, as the authors of the initiative indicated, the purpose is to foster higher standards across the board and level the playing field, we may be on the right path. On the other hand, critics are concerned that the federal government is stepping on states’ rights in linking education funding opportunities to states’ adoption of these standards.

Either way, higher standards of content, clarity, and rigor are on their way to students across the state as the number of schools which adopt the standards continues to grow. According to one teacher, “Schools can always add to the core standards if they choose.”

States were graded on the same scale as most students, and some of the report cards would not have been well-received by their founding fathers and mothers. As reported by the Associated Press, Montana, for instance, received an F for both its math and English standards, yet ironically, students in the state performed higher than the national average on the math and reading portions of the NAEP.

In the end, at least 40 states are expected to adopt the standards, with a few notable exceptions: Texas, where the state school board has been very vocal in its criticism of the federal government usurping state rights; and Alaska, which has also refused to participate.

ODYSSEYWARE’s online curriculum can be easily correlated to state standards and meets high performance criteria to be sure students in every jurisdiction are held to the same standards as students on the other side of the country. Because it is student driven, every child is able to move through courses at a pace that best accommodates his learning style and life circumstances.

As technology advances, collaboration opportunities grow, and the urgency to support student achievement increases, it will be no surprise if core standards are revised over and over again to meet the changing needs of the digital generation.

Has your state signed on to adopt the Common Core standards? Tell us why you think this is a step forward or backward for education.

As responsible parents, we also want our children to have all the opportunities to succeed academically and beyond. This has led to a new trend for toddlers. If you have the money, you can enroll your child in test prep and tutoring for four-year-olds.

The New York Times recently ran an article investigating this hot trend. With the fierce competition for acceptance into gifted programs, many parents have turned to programs that will give their kids an advantage over other pre-kindergarten students.

According to the article, Bige Doruk opened Bright Kids NYC in 2009 to help kids prepare:

She runs a two-month ‘boot camp’ for the gifted test in the fall that includes eight one-on-one 45-minute sessions and two test-prep books for $1,075.

The demand, Doruk says, continues to increase.

As a parent, I understand the urge to give my (brilliant) kid every opportunity that money can buy, I have to ask myself if the test is actually evaluating how gifted a child actually is. Instead, it seems we’re testing knowledge which, in my book, is a totally different game. Perhaps we’re testing how much money parents are willing to spend to get their children into a good school, leaving those without the means in an inequitable situation.

At ODYSSEYWARE, we believe that every student should be given every advantage necessary to compete and excel academically. With customizable online curriculum that can accommodate the learning styles of gifted students as well as those at-risk, students can begin at the appropriate place, and accelerate through the courses at a pace that works for them. This levels the playing field for many kids who haven’t had all the advantages but want to succeed.

Early learning is important for kids. The learning gap seems to widen every day as wealth, not ability, determines what is “gifted.” In addition, when children become test scores instead of living, breathing, brilliant, and curious little learners, we are passing over some of the best and the brightest, and this costs our entire society.

Today, it’s easy to take for granted quick and simple accessibility to the information highway(unless, of course, you have no computer, no Internet-connected mobile device, and no iPad™).

According to a survey conducted last year by Pew Internet & American Life Project,

• 74% of American adults (ages 18 and older) use the Internet.

• 60% of American adults use broadband connections at home.

• 55% of American adults connect to the Internet wirelessly, either through WiFi or WiMax via their laptops or handheld electronic devices.

Disconnectedness affects not only individuals, but schools. Students in areas where access is not available, affordable, or reliable have no way to tap into the learning, creative, and collaborative opportunities available on the Internet.

In early 2009, Congress directed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to develop a National Broadband Plan to ensure every American has “access to broadband capability.” Released in March, it has beneficial implications in the education sector:

1. Modernize broadband infrastructure to support 21st century teaching and learning.

Through the FCC’s E-rate program, 97 percent of American schools now have Internet access. Reliability, speed, and availability, especially in rural and low-income districts, remain as challenges. Additionally, the ever-expanding advances in technology continue to change and increase the technology needs of schools. By updating this program and others, we can meet these challenges for more American students and help education keep the pace with the world outside.

2. Expand access to broadband with common sense reforms.

The plan also proposes more flexibility for schools and libraries to extend their Internet resources into the communities they serve. Changes to the E-rate program will promote more affordable broadband and wireless solutions, allowing schools to grant community access to school networks for programs like adult education and after school tutoring.

 3. Improve access to high quality online instruction.

A growing number of students and schools are turning to online learning solutions for specialized, elective, and core curriculum. Learning opportunities and teaching resources are now global, supporting collaboration, creativity, and individualized learning. The world of education has indeed become interactive. The national plan supports this education migration that takes learning beyond the walls of the classroom.

4. Unlock the power of educational data.

Teachers, parents, schools, and government agencies need quick access to accurate, relevant data, with strong student privacy provisions, to make informed decisions that will improve educational outcomes. Broadband technology will help give teachers the data they need to help students succeed. Parents can take a more active role in the education of their children when information regarding progress and school programs are readily available.

Perhaps this broadband plan seems like overkill in a world where you take high-speed Internet access for granted, but digital equity is NOT a reality–at least not yet. The implementation of the National Broadband Plan will give every school, every community, and every child a portal to a world of self-directed discovery and teacher-led exploration. All of our children will have the opportunity to develop the digital skills required to participate in our 21st century economy and society.

Why is high-speed, broadband access important to you school and your community? What is the most beneficial aspect of broadband access in your life?

After a teary kiss goodbye, I sped off to work and turned on the news for a reality check, which it gladly delivered.

According to CNN and health.com, said the concerned voice on the radio, there’s new evidence that playing video games and watching TV appear to have “the same link to attention problems.”

I am committed to raising a child with an adequate attention span, but the ten-hour trip from Chicago would have been nearly impossible without the DVD player. Yes, I did let him watch two whole kid movies that were (sort of) educational. (Mommy guilt closes in.)

My son is almost three. He doesn’t play video games, but he loves to watch Fireman Sam and Rescue Heroes. I breathe easier knowing that if we simply skim off a few minutes here and there and continue to read, put puzzles together, sing, dance, and go for bug hunts, we’ll be nurturing the whole child.

On the other hand, this news story did make me think about computers and learning games in the classroom. As more and more students increasingly choose online learning options, we must ask ourselves if we are creating a generation of kids with less than adequate attention spans who are accustomed to fast-paced stimulation from video games and television.

I checked out the findings at CNN.com and here’s what I found:

According to C. Shawn Green, Ph.D, a postdoctoral associate in the department of psychology at the University of Minnesota,

A child who is capable of playing a video game for hours on end obviously does not have a global problem with paying attention. The question, then, is why are they able to pay attention to a game but not in school? What expectancies have the games set up that aren’t being delivered in a school setting?

There’s a question worth asking. What must we do as educators to make learning as exciting as gaming in the virtual world, and how can we teach our kids to balance the thrill of the competition with the satisfaction of quiet thought and critical thinking?

As a mother, these are things I think about all the time, so we will continue to read books, draw zoo animals, and plant gardens. In the meantime, it is our job as 21st century educators and parents to engage students in their learning, with and without games.

With a wide range of multisensory lessons in both core and elective courses, ODYSSEYWARE online curriculum engages the game players, the test-takers, the readers, and the listeners. With the support of parents and educators who pay attention, students can be exposed to many learning experiences that prepare them for a bright future and attention spans that are just fine.

Do you think video games are effective learning tools? Do they disrupt other types of learning for teens?

Recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of America’s Best High Schools, Newberg received a bronze medal for providing a good education across the entire student body and preparing students for postsecondary opportunities.

Despite its honors, Newberg High School has been actively working toward school improvement over the past five years and has incorporated small schools into its learning environment, based on the Coalition of Essential Schoools (CES) model. Small high schools are characterized by high expectations and a personalized learning environment.

ODYSSEYWARE is ideally suited for students in this environment, especially for the summer term.

According to a Newberg High School principal quoted at NewbergGraphic.com,

‘Typically what was offered in summer school was what the teacher was able to teach,’ said Silver School principal Carol Campbell, who supervises the online component. ‘This allows students more options for summer school. There’s more opportunity to recover credits in a variety of subject areas; and there is independent work, where you can work at your pace.’

Students like it too.

‘It’s very helpful,’ said a 16-year-old junior recovering credit for English and Spanish. ‘I can get full credits back before next year, so I don’t have to take a class again next year and have to drop choir.’

ODYSSEYWARE supports individualized learning and rigorous academics. As an increasing number of technology-based learning tools prove effective, online curriculum will continue to become an integral part of credit recovery, advanced placement, hybrid learning, and core academic programs for innovative high schools across the country.