Synopsis
Across the country, a fundamental movement continues to take shape as school districts embark on the journey toward the personalized, modern learning environment. New champions begin to emerge and promote the transition. Instructional models evolve to accommodate unique profiles for individual learners. Curriculum changes to offer authentic learning experiences. Digital resources become integrated and connected. Professional learning programs prepare school-based leaders, instructional coaches, and teacher cohorts to lead and support the shift toward the modern classroom. The conditions are set for the modern learning environment to scale. And the next phase begins.
In The Shape of Change, education futurist Dr. Shawn K. Smith identifies the common experiences districts face as they enter Stage 4 and 5 of the Digital Convergence Framework. While districts take a unique path in the Framework, Dr. Smith identifies the common patterns that drive and detract from progress. Using these common patterns, district leaders can diagnose the barriers preventing progress, while gaining immediate action items to move forward.
The Shape of Change extends the work of The New Agenda to give district leaders and stakeholders a road map for working through the Digital Convergence Framework as the modern learning environment becomes institutionalized and teachers become champions of 21st century teaching and learning.
About the Author
Dr. Shawn K. Smith is an education futurist and a national leader on issues surrounding digital education and pedagogy. He is currently serving as President of Modern Teacher and he is compelled to preserve education s rich heritage and support America s teachers and leaders as they transition traditional classrooms into modern learning environments.
As a rare book collector, Smith has one of the world s largest private collections of John Dewey s writings. He is the author of Teacher as Architect: Instructional Design and Delivery for the Modern Teacher and The New Agenda: Achieving Personalized Learning Through Digital Convergence. He has appeared on both the Discovery Channel and TLC as well as various radio, web, and podcast programs.
Prior to founding Modern Teacher, Smith was a teacher, principal, and Chief of Schools for 15 years in school districts in Illinois and California. He holds degrees from Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin (bachelor s degree, elementary education), the California State University, San Bernardino (master s degree, middle school education), and the University of Southern California (doctorate degree, urban education policy and leadership).
Dr. Smith s extensive research and experience in the field continues to inform his thought leadership. Today, he collaborates with more than 100 school districts across the country to help them overcome challenges with creating and scaling modern learning environments. In his role as President of Modern Teacher, he works beside some of today s most innovative and prominent leaders to challenge the status quo and find new, better solutions.
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