.Education

On June 11th & 12th in Washington DC, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (aka “P21”) held its annual summit.  Attendees ranged from US Department of Education Staff to the NEA to corporate leaders.  The presentations, panels and ad hoc discussions focused on “21st century skills” -  a buzzword, an organization, and a movement to make education more meaningful and effective to better prepare students for their future in a global economy.  (For full disclosure, I serve on the board)  P21’s stated mission is to facilitate the development of the following skills:

• Information and communication skills
• Thinking and problem-solving
• Interpersonal and self-direction skills
• Global awareness
• Financial, economic and business literacy
• Civic literacy

P21 has received a lot of attention lately, most of which is positive.  However, some scholars and education activists have labeled 21st Century Skills as “soft skills” which are not critical to a core curriculum.  To that, Ken Kay, President of the Partnership, has responded that they are setting up a “false dichotomy.”  21st Century Skills are not about replacing core curricula, but rather to enhance and contextualize them.  To quote Paige Johnson, “you can’t think critically about nothing.”  I agree.  The “drill and kill” method of memorization so prevalent in our schools must give way to the development of higher order thinking skills.  Because of the pace of innovation and the market, students need to become versatile thinkers and communicators, not narrow experts on specific topics.  Students graduating high school today will have between 10 and 12 jobs during their career.  Adaptation, collaboration, problem solving, self-direction and ICT literacy will be the keys to their personal success and the collective success of countries whose economies depend on skilled workers and innovation.

/end rant

I’m happy to welcome Ken Kay, President of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, to the blog to answer some questions on the past, present and future of P21.

SCHMEDLEN: Ken, congratulations on a very successful summit.  What were the highlights from your point of view?

KAY: I think the attendance was overwhelming. We had four state chiefs in attendance, while seven states received the 21st Century Skills Practice of the Year Award. There was phenomenal state participation which really demonstrates all the nation-leading work our partner states are doing and accomplishing. I think all the participants were impressed by the level of success and breadth of reform states have taken on.

In that same vein, Gene Wilhoit lead a thoughtful discussion on how the 21st century skills movement fits in with the voluntary national standards initiative lead by CCSSO and NGA. Hopefully, the standards will be rigorous and call for 21st century skills to be embedded in deep content requirements.

Throughout the summit, there was incredible participation from leading policymakers – including James Shelton, Roberto Rodriguez and Barbara Pryor. In addition, Cyber Summit afforded thousands of education, policy, civic, community and business leaders the opportunity to interact with one another, discuss important education reform initiatives and follow the National Summit. We hoped to secure 2,000 participants and ended up with nearly 3,000.

SCHMEDLEN: Is the Partnership meeting its stated goals?  Are things progressing as the P21 executive board originally intended?

KAY: This is a thought-provoking question. I believe P21 has exceeded original expectations and has branched off in directions that weren’t part of the original plan. Our measurements of success have changed dramatically. For example, we didn’t set out to start a State Leadership Initiative, but now we have 13 states. So we’ve changed the way we measure success.

SCHMEDLEN: Let’s get into this whole “false dichotomy” business.  Why are some skeptical about 21st century skills?

KAY: There are a couple of things we hear. The first is that we can’t call them 21st century skills if they predate January 1, 2000. I don’t think this works as criteria. We never said or wanted to “invent” skills. We wanted to create a national dialogue about which skills were critical for success in today’s world and whether our education system ensures that students graduate with the skills and knowledge required to be full participants in society. While some skills are new, many are timeless. Critical thinking, problem solving, communications skills, and global awareness will be around 92 years from now, yet our nation is not currently on a concerted track to find the best ways to teach and assess these skills.

In addition, some groups believe by incorporating 21st century skills into instruction it somehow limits the rigor of courses. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has never advocated for skills to replace knowledge – that would get us nowhere. In fact, 21st century skills strengthen the teaching and learning of core subjects and keep students engaged. We wholeheartedly believe students must have a set of core knowledge; however that isn’t enough in today’s world. Decades ago, possessing a great understanding of subjects (math, English, history, and other core subjects) was the ticket up the economic ladder. Now, in addition to this deep knowledge, people need a broad range of skills – such as creativity, innovation, oral and written communication, problem solving and critical thinking – to prosper.

SCHMEDLEN: I’ve noticed growing support from a number of diverse states within the US.  Will there be national standards in the US anytime soon?

KAY: The CCSSO/NGA initiative is salutary in its goal. If this leads to rigorous, internationally benchmarked standards, then it will be a success. If we end up with a set of least common denominator standards, then it will set the country back decades. Still, to craft national standards that raise the bar for student achievement, the Partnership believes that the standards must:

1.    Be internationally benchmarked; and

2.    Include deep core subject matter and 21st century skills – such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration and communication.

At this moment, over a quarter of the states, which educate nearly 25 percent of our nation’s public school students, have formally embraced 21st century skills initiatives. In addition, there are many districts, schools and educators across the country that have effectively combined core courses with 21st century skills to create demanding standards. The CCSSO/NGA project can utilize these existing efforts as exemplars.

SCHMEDLEN: OK, back to P21.  What resources are available for schools in the US and abroad?  What does P21 offer?

KAY: There are a lot of helpful resources out there from a number of groups. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has created a self-assessment tool – the Milestones for Improving Learning and Education (MILE) Guide for 21st Century Skills. A revamped guide will be available in the fall and will assist educators and administrators in measuring the progress of their schools in defining, teaching and assessing 21st century skills.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has also collaborated with the National Council of Teachers of English, the National Council for the Social Studies, the National Science Teachers Association, the National Council for Geographic Education, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (map coming this year) to build detailed maps that include teacher-created models of how 21st century skills can be infused into core classes.

In addition, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills has created Route 21, an online, one-stop shop for 21st century skills-related information, resources and tools. Route 21 showcases how 21st century skills can be supported through standards, assessments, professional development, curriculum and instruction and learning environments. The site is a comprehensive, go-to online resource for high-quality content, best practices, relevant reports, articles and research to assist practitioners in implementing 21st century teaching practices and learning outcomes.

SCHMEDLEN: “21st Century Skills” is a fairly new concept.  How can schools help tenured faculty start infusing their lessons to help students develop these skills?

KAY: There is nothing more important than professional development. If we don’t support teachers as they learn how to integrate these skills into the teaching of core subjects than the teaching and acquisition of these skills and deep content won’t happen.  The Partnership for 21st Century Skills founded the Professional Development Affiliate program, which equips participants with the knowledge and tools necessary for aligning existing professional development offerings with the Partnership’s Framework for 21st Learning. The program is designed for national and regional organizations that provide training and professional development programs to school administrators and instructional leaders. Upon completion of the program, participants join a national community committed to infusing 21st century skills into K-12 instructional practices and sharing their work with colleagues. We will have trained about 100 professional development practitioners at over 60 organizations by the end of this year.

In addition, West Virginia, along with the state’s teachers, has developed Teach21 “to assist colleagues in planning and delivering effective 21st century instruction in West Virginia Classrooms. It enables educators to quickly access 21st Century Content Standards, Learning Skills and Technology Tools for WV Schools, as well as other resources that exemplify rigorous and relevant instructional design and delivery.”

Within the Maine Department of Education and across organizations in the state, there is a sharing of information and cooperation to maximize professional development resources. Currently school districts receive professional development funds based on the number of pupils ($51 per pupil) in addition to federal funds provided to schools. Under the new Governor’s proposal, more than $21 million is available through federal, state and local funds. A plan for statewide cooperation has been drafted and will serve as a commitment for all entities to work together.

The Iowa Professional Development Model (IPDM) provides a structure for professional development that is focused, collaborative, and that directly supports the attainment of district and school student achievement goals. Each school district is required to submit a district professional development plan that articulates how the IPDM will be incorporated into professional development for all teachers. As 21st century teaching and learning expectations are articulated, their implementation into classroom practice will be supported through professional development for all instructional staff.

SCHMEDLEN: Do you have any examples of 21st Century Skills in action?  Have there been any formal assessments done to monitor the efficacy of a redesigned curriculum?

KAY: I could go on and on about the examples we have of 21st century skills being integrated into classroom practices. I’ll give a few short examples.

Instead of a traditional lecture format class structure, teachers in the Catalina Foothills school district in Tucson, Ariz., require students to lead their own discussions about topics they are studying. Students are then graded on their presentation skills, not simply on memorizing rote facts. This exercise builds critical thinking, flexibility, oral and written communication skills and collaboration, all of which fit within the Partnership’s Framework for 21st Century Learning. Good marks go to those who build on, clarify or challenge others’ comments while referencing the material, their own experiences or other current events.

Sixth-grade science teacher Wayne Naylor has found a way to weave 21st century skills into lessons on longitude and latitude that is in line with Indiana state standards. In his class at Craig Middle School, students work in groups to identify natural areas in surrounding Lawrence Township that need improvement. One such example was restoring and renovating the city’s Fall Creek Park. The students performed research into plants native to the area, conducted surveys of their community, used GPS and Google Earth to mark locations of their projects and created visual displays and scale models. Some groups went further by producing a videotape and implementing their plans. This unit has something to engage everyone – kids that once struggled in math had no problem translating proportions from a model picnic table to build the real thing.

In Darlington, Wisconsin, high school teacher Dick Anderson sized on the opportunity to use local rough-sawn timber to impart 21st century skills, including real-world entrepreneurship. For the past two years, students in his class have managed nearly every aspect of planning, budgeting, modeling, building and sitting a full-size rustic covered bridge. Students even worked 60 hours outside of class to complete the last project. In a real lesson of creativity and adaptability, the original site plan had to be scrapped due to environmental issues, which necessitated scaling down the original diagrams so the bridge could fit in a city park. The project taught technical skills, but also presentation skills (students spoke to school board members, the city council, business groups and even the local media).

If you go to the “In the Classroom” section of the Cyber Summit, you will find a myriad of videos that display how teachers teach 21st century skills alongside content.

The 21st century skills movement is just beginning to discuss how we meaningfully assess 21st century skills. Some states are starting to build the assessment of 21st century skills right alongside current assessments. We are also working with federal and state governments on how best they should evaluate 21st century skills on a broader scale.

SCHMEDLEN: Any comments on P21’s plans for the future?

KAY: We will continue to work with our state partners to build 21st century skills education systems. We have 13 states today and hope to be at 20 by the close of 2010.  In addition, we are collaborating with the White House, the Department of Education and Congress to work on the next generation of public policy, including ESEA, to ensure that 21st century skills are built into our accountability, pedagogical and professional development strategies.

SCHMEDLEN: Thank you, Ken.  DLTBGYD.

KAY: Thank you for the time, Michael.

For more information on the Partnership for 21st Century Skills

http://www.21stcenturyskills.org

Around the world, schools are feeling the effects of decreasing revenues and increasing demands.  How will schools react?  Dramatically cutting programs and services is one route, but one that will ultimately lead to long-term stasis in improvement efforts.  As Tony Bryk contends, schools must pursue “twin goals:”

• Improve Learning Outcomes
• Improve System Efficiency

Both pursuits require a measured approach to resource allocation and funding.  Today’s difficult economic conditions for school budgets – many of which are based on real estate tax revenues – may seem like totally negative circumstances.  However, the current climate also presents great opportunities to strengthen schools.

To identify these opportunities, CoSN has created “A Guide to Technology Leadership in the Economic Crisis” called “Mastering the Moment.”  This guide provides expert analysis of K12 technology budgets, as well as prescriptive tactical and strategic responses.  CoSN CEO, Keith Krueger, joins me today to discuss this resource and the current state of K12 budgets.

SCHMEDLEN: Keith, I appreciate the time as we’re all gearing up for NECC.  Why did CoSN create “Mastering the Moment?”

KRUEGER: In the face of the most serious economic crisis in generations, K–12 school districts across the nation are paring their budgets and planning for austere revenue cycles.

The panic of the moment could make educational technology an easy target—and a casualty—of the economic crisis. CTOs and district technology leaders are being asked to reduce their budgets.  The goal of Mastering the Moment, is to help superintendents and CTOs/district technology leaders master this moment. The economic crisis actually presents not just challenges, but also tremendous opportunities to strengthen technology investments, operations, programs, plans, staffs and results.  Also, fiscal crisis give us the opportunity to try out some new things.  As they say in Washington, DC, “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste”.

SCHMEDLEN: Can you explain the tactical vs. strategic responses?  How have you defined each?

KRUEGER: Tactical are short term “efficiencies” which offer immediate ways to dampen the impact of budget cuts.  The toolkit gives a dozen ideas to get you started, ranging from looking at open source to reexamining warranties to leasing options to optimizing printers/copiers.  Strategic responses are really all about helping you position technology as strategic to the district’s mission.  For example, we explain how to understand and articulate the “value” of technology.  CoSN has developed a range of tools to help you determine the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), as well as determine the Value of Investment (VOI). 

We also point out some new investments that are worth the cost, even in times of tight budgets.  For example, using economic stimulus dollars to “green” your network will save you in the long term with energy costs.  Virtualization is not only a good thing to do for the environment, but lowers your energy costs – which could be put to use to decrease other budget shortfalls now and in the future.

SCHMEDLEN: Have you seen any significant increase in technology spending due to the ARRA/Stimulus legislation?  If so, in what areas are schools choosing to use this funding?

KRUEGER: The dedicated funding for education technology (Title IID, Enhancing Education Through Technology/EETT) is just starting to flow in July, so it is a bit early to tell.  We have been working hard to help school district technology leaders think strategically about where they should invest which will have long-term impact.  Certainly school districts should be carefully thinking about how they are spending this stimulus money since it is one-time funds intended to create jobs and stimulate the economy. 

SCHMEDLEN: What are the mission-critical technical resources at K12 institutions – human resources, software, hardware or infrastructure?

KRUEGER: Well, I think all of those factors need to work together if you want technology to really be mission critical.  The area that the average school district is most under-funding is probably the human resources to make it all work.  For example, a recent study showed that in education the average technican services 612 computers vs. 150 in private sector.  The survey also found that three-quarters of CTO’s do not have enough staff to implement new technologies and two-thirds do not have enough staff to integrate technology into classrooms or to plan for new technology.  Simply buying more stuff without providing the professional development and technical support dooms the investment to fail.

SCHMEDLEN: Who can access Mastering the Moment resources?

KRUEGER: We have a public version available on our website www.cosn.org – just click on the Initiatives tab and look for Mastering the Moment.  Of course, the really rich and deep resources are for members.  Hopefully if your readers are not yet members, they will check out all the benefits of joining.

SCHMEDLEN: Any comments on cloud computing, the rise of inexpensive netbooks and analytics tools?  Does this “perfect storm” scenario for systemic 1:1 across large systems seem imminent to you? (Shout out: Rene Descartes)

KRUEGER: Cloud computing is coming to K-12 and it will be in a big way.  That said, right now we are only starting to see the impact.  CoSN recently partnered with New Media Consortium to create the first-ever K-12 Horizon’s report on emerging technologies.  We identified it as a key trend in the two to three year horizon.  As far as low-cost net books and other new devices, we are seeing that as a huge trend in K-12 today.  Likewise, data-driven decision making and analytics tools continue to be moving us to a powerful way to individualize instruction.

SCHMEDLEN: Keith, thank you very much for your time.  CoSN is a fantastic organization.  Speaking of CoSN, where will the 2009 conference be held?  Where can people find more information on the event?

KRUEGER: We are back in Washington, DC (Feb. 28-March 2, 2010).  Our Call for Presentations is now open at www.cosn.org

SCHMEDLEN: Thank you, Keith, and happy NECC!

KRUEGER: My pleasure – and be sure to come by our  CTO Leadership Forum at NECC next Mon., June 29th which will focus on How 2 B a Disruptive Technology Leader!  Register at the CoSN website.

Virtual schools are experiencing an explosion in size, interest and scrutiny.  Enrollment just hit 1 million students in the United States – they are no longer just for special-case scenarios.  While the benefits, especially to rural communities and facilities-challenged districts, are clear, many question the academic rigor of the learning process and social development of the students.  The rise of hybrid classes in undergraduate education and “four-day-a-week” secondary public schools further emphasize the growing demand for online learning and remediation.  Lenovo is currently researching outcomes in the field in Ireland, and we will add more projects over the next year.  I’ll share the results here when the studies are complete.

To shed more light on this topic, I’ve asked Bruce Friend, Director of Curriculum Pathways at SAS Institute, to answer some questions regarding virtual schools.  I should add that Bruce has held executive management positions in both the Florida Virtual School and North Carolina Virtual School organizations, so he has seen it all from first establishing one of the largest virtual schools to state policy, standards and assessment.

SCHMEDLEN: Greetings, Bruce – How long have you been involved with virtual schools and online learning?

FRIEND: My adventures in online learning began in 1997 when I was selected as the first online social studies developer and teacher for a new program that became the Florida Virtual School (FLVS).  In subsequent years I became the Chief Operations Officer / Vice President at FLVS.  During my tenure, we grew from less than 100 student enrollments to over 70,000.  I have also served as the director of North Carolina’s state virtual program and in 2006 became the VP of the International Association for Online Learning.

SCHMEDLEN: Here is the big question: Do virtual schools work?

FRIEND: YES, online learning has proven to “work” regardless of how one defines that term.  Whether by providing access to courses students could not otherwise take or by measurements such as state and national standardized assessments, online learning meets the academic needs of students.  I should point out that not all virtual schools are structured in the same way.  Most programs are supplementary, meaning students continue full-time at their brick-and-mortar school but take additional coursework online.  Other programs are indeed full-time and even diploma granting.  In all cases, examples show that online learning allows students to achieve at similar or higher levels than traditional class environments.

SCHMEDLEN: Have there been any longitudinal assessments for graduates of virtual schools?  Is there a sense if they any better or worse off than traditional students in higher education of the workforce?

FRIEND: Given that even the most veteran online K12 schools are about a decade old, the body of research on the effectiveness of online learning is just beginning to form.  Nonetheless, several studies have provided evidence that students taking online course actually outperform their traditional-school counterparts.  One study, for example, focused on Spanish acquisition in an online environment in West Virginia.  In addition, online programs can also offer educational value to taxpayers as was highlighted in Florida by a TaxWatch report.  For a list of studies, go here.

SCHMEDLEN: Jim Goodnight, CEO of SAS, recently made a big announcement: SAS® Curriculum Pathways® is now free.  This is a very powerful collection of resources.  Can you tell me more about the product and why SAS made this decision?

FRIEND: SAS Curriculum Pathways provides interactive, standards-based resources in English, science, mathematics, social studies and Spanish for grades 8-12 in traditional, virtual and home schools. SAS focuses on topics where doing, seeing, and listening provide information and encourage insights in ways that conventional methods and textbooks cannot. SAS Curriculum Pathways is your online partner, engaging students with quality content that can be differentiated to meet their varied needs including learner-centered activities with measurable outcomes and interactive materials that target higher-order thinking skills. All materials are linked to state standards. Schools can also adapt the content to match their technological capabilities. The decision to make SAS Curriculum Pathways available at no cost to all US students and educators comes in response to the need for digital content resources that engage students and promote 21st-century skills. It is yet another example of strongly reaffirming the company’s more than 30-year commitment to education.

SCHMEDLEN: Speaking of interactivities, what is most important in an online learning environment: the instructor, the course management system, the content, the state standards, the assessment or something else?

FRIEND: In my experience, the most important component still remains the instructor.  While “online” may sound “high tech” for some, it is the “high touch” that makes the difference for students.  Effective teaching has always been about connecting with students.  Technology allows us to do this in ways that we could not have envisioned a decade ago.  Certainly you need high-quality, engaging online content, and you need the technology delivery system to connect this content to the students; however, a caring , passionate teacher is still crucial.

SCHMEDLEN: New South Wales just announced they will order approximately 220,000 IdeaPad netbooks.   That’s a lot.   Will the availability of less expensive mobile hardware make a profound impact on online learning?

FRIEND: Driving down the price of hardware can certainly have a positive impact on schools’ ability to acquire the latest technologies; however, hardware alone will not transform the way teaching and learning take place.  To complement that hardware, teachers need quality learning resources such as SAS Curriculum Pathways, and equally important, teachers need the ongoing professional development that will allow them to maximize the potential that both hardware and digital curriculum can provide to them and their students.  I think we will profoundly affect teaching and learning for the better, both in traditional and online classrooms, when we effectively provide teachers with hardware, digital content, training, and leadership support.

SCHMEDLEN: If you had one piece of advice to give nations, provinces, states or districts that plan to roll out online learning or virtual schools, what would it be?

FRIEND: Do not simply try to replicate the traditional classroom in a virtual environment.  Tens of thousands of students have consistently told us that a major reason they like online courses is that they are accessible at convenient times.  Still, new online programs are often asked to employ traditional mechanisms of school management (seat time over performance) and funding models.  In addition, online course content needs to be dynamic, interactive, and engaging.  Simply taking your text-based resources and turning them into an online course is not going to engage students.  The power of online learning is maximized when students can access learning 24/7 and work at their own pace on engaging courses that promote active learning.

SCHMEDLEN: Thank you!

For more information on Curriculum Pathways (it’s free!) visit www.sascurriculumpathways.com

Back in November, I had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion with colleagues from Science Chicago, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy and Motorola. The topics ranged from workforce readiness to accurate assessment of skills in today’s students. Some of the topics elicited spirited feedback from the audience, especially the lasting dependence on antiquated credentialing practices which have no end in sight. The very engaged audience was made up of scientists, educators and curators, all drawn to Northwestern University for the iLab Visioning Workshop.

The iLab Network (www.ilabcentral.org) enables people to use real instruments, rather than simulations, via remote online laboratories using their web browser. Unlike conventional experimental facilities, iLabs can be shared and accessed widely by students and other audiences across the world that might not otherwise have the resources to purchase and operate costly or delicate lab equipment.

This means that students are able to use equipment at far-flung sites like Los Alamos National Laboratories and research universities without leaving their classrooms or homes.  A joint project between Northwestern and MIT, the iLab Network strives to increase inquiry-based learning and expose the next generation of students to authentic scientific practices.

The chief organizer of the event, Dr. Kemi Jona, Director of the Office of STEM Education Partnerships and Associate Professor at Northwestern University, has agreed to sit down and answer some questions about the iLab Network and the future of online education.

SCHMEDLEN: Dr. Jona, thank you very much for taking the time. Can you tell me about how the iLab concept was developed?

JONA: MIT has been working on developing the idea of remote online labs – or iLabs – for over 10 years. They have created a very nice open source architecture that makes it much easier for people to share laboratory devices over the web. Their idea was to make these labs available to their undergraduate students even when the lab room was closed. It can also make it possible for more students to use the device in a given amount of time.

With the iLab Network project, I wanted to figure out how we can make these expensive lab devices that universities have available to high school students who would normally never be able to have access to them. So I partnered with MIT to create the iLab Network to make lab devices broadly available to pre-college audiences.

SCHMEDLEN: How does it work?

JONA: Many pieces of lab equipment are already controlled by computer. So even if you are standing right in front of the device, you still control it by telling the computer how to operate it. With the iLab Network you can do the same thing, except that you don’t have to be standing right there – you can control the device from your web browser no matter where you are or where the device is located. You can see the device on a webcam, set up the parameters, run the lab, and get the data back. For example, we’re working right now to let high school students here in Chicago be able to do a radiation lab that is actually located at the University of Queensland in Australia! Another lab we’re working on lets you control a neutron beam coming out of the nuclear reactor at MIT. It’s very cool. When was the last time you got to run a nuclear reactor in high school?

SCHMEDLEN: I noticed that most of the US national laboratories participated in the visioning workshop. Are they looking to raise their profile with students?

JONA: Many of the national labs already have education and outreach programs that do some great work with teachers and students. The America COMPETES Act requires the national labs to help improve science teaching, so that is another motivator for them. I was gratified to have such strong interest and participation from the national lab community at the workshop. They are a tremendous resource for science teaching and learning in this country and the ability to provide remote access to their high-end laboratory equipment via the iLab Network opens up some exciting new possibilities. Most of the labs are hard to get to – they are in remote places and have very tight security restrictions. So provide remote access via the iLab Network is a great solution for them.

SCHMEDLEN: Do you see more universities providing their facilities for iLab?

JONA: I hope so. The goal of the iLab Network is to provide “one stop shopping” for teachers and students who want to use labs and for providers like university researchers who want to share their labs. Universities tend to be very “resource rich” – they have lots of money and equipment, while by comparison, most high schools are “resource poor.” Letting universities share their lab equipment with high school students is a win-win: the universities get to help the schools in their community, across the country, and across the world produce students with better skills, and these students get access to exciting, expensive, and rare equipment to work with.

SCHMEDLEN: I know we’re both fans of Michael Horn and Clayton Christensen, so I have to ask – do you see iLabs as a “disruptive technology?”

JONA: Absolutely! One of the things I like most about iLabs is that they allow us to completely rethink how lab science courses are taught. As you know, usually students only get one 45 minute period to do a lab. That’s hardly enough time to set it up, do one quick pass through it, and clean it up before the bell rings. But that’s not how science experiments are really done and it ends up giving students a totally wrong idea about what science is like. Scientists run an experiment multiple times, compare their results, and figure out if the results they are getting look reliable. With iLabs, students aren’t limited to doing a lab during a 45 minute class – they can do it at home or in study hall. That means they have a lot more time to run an experiment, collect data, and analyze the results in a way that much more closely resembles how scientists actually do it. So aside from making many more labs available to high school students, iLabs is disruptive in that it will change how science courses are taught.

SCHMEDLEN: Do you see iLabs as replacing traditional high school science labs?

JONA: Yes, although it will take some time to happen. The labs that are currently done in high school are usually the ones that are safe, easy to set up and clean up, and can be done in 45 minutes. But are they really the ones that are the best for teaching students science and, just as importantly, getting them excited about science so they want to continue taking science courses in high school and college and consider science as a career option? I’m not so sure. What we need to do is go back and look at all the labs and ask some tough questions. Is this lab worth keeping? Is there an iLab we could provide that would be better? What combination of hands-on labs and iLabs would make for the most effective and engaging science learning for students?

SCHMEDLEN: What’s next for the iLab project?

JONA: We are going to be testing our first high school iLab in early 2009, so we are looking for teachers who want to try out iLabs in their classrooms. We also want to add more labs to the iLab Network so we are also looking for researchers and scientists – at universities, national labs, or companies – that want to share their equipment.

SCHMEDLEN: Where can people find more information?

JONA: Check out our website at www.ilabcentral.org to see which labs we making available and join our community!

SCHMEDLEN: Dr. Jona, thank you very much for your time.

This weekend, over 2,500 future scientists, engineers and ecologists throughout North Carolina are gathering in Raleigh for the North Carolina Science Olympiad (www.sciencenc.com).  These students represent over 150 schools throughout the state and have been selected from a larger pool of 7,000 students who competed at the local and regional level.  From ecology to electric vehicles, the students will compete in a hands-on, competitive set of events judged on results, scientific methods and engagement.  In addition to being a tangible demonstration of North Carolina’s leadership in STEM education, it is also a fun, engaging event which draws leaders from the government, education and non-profit sectors.

NCSO Executive Director, Jason Painter, joins me to discuss the Science Olympiad’s past, present and future.

SCHMEDLEN: Hello, Jason, thank you very much for taking the time.  How was the North Carolina Science Olympiad started?

PAINTER: The North Carolina Science Olympiad was started before my time. In fact, it has been around in various forms for 25 years now. I am standing on the shoulders of giants before me that used to do what I do for free.  They’d load up everything in a pick-up truck and go from school to school telling teachers about Olympiad.  Before long, it grew to a point where 3 or 4 individuals were spending all their free time running the North Carolina Science Olympiad.  Their grassroots effort produced what we have today in North Carolina.  They were assisted by the National Organization as we both grew together, and we are celebrating our 25th Anniversary.

SCHMEDLEN: What type of projects and competitions will be featured at the NSCO?

PAINTER: Engaging science: The NCSO boast 46 different events covering every area of science.  Students can build robots, airplanes, and bridges or solve mystery crimes in our Forensics event.  We also blast rockets that must protect a raw egg and save the planet by investigating alternative forms of energy.  Students can compete in engineering events as well as laboratory-based events.  Any area of science a student may be interested in can be found in the Science Olympiad.

SCHMEDLEN: Are there any competitive scholarships available?

PAINTER: Yes!  North Carolina State University offers a $2500 scholarship for every gold medal winner at the State Competition.  Since there are 46 events and two members on each team per event, that is close to 100 scholarship being awarded to students that choose to come to NC State for their college degree.

SCHMEDLEN: Will NCSO be encouraging the use of any social media to keep the public up to date during the event?

PAINTER: Yes.  We are encouraging participants to be involved in the new media. We hope they will twitter about their experience during the tournament and upload pics from the day. We want all participants to use the HASH/METATAG “NCSO2009” whenever they post anything via a social media tool.

SCHMEDLEN: Why is the Olympiad important to North Carolina?

PAINTER: It is important because most of these students will be getting jobs in technologies that haven’t event been created yet.  Our students need to learnhow to critically think, problem solve, and learn how to go about answering tough questions.  The Olympiad is unique in that it make students think on their feet, defend their work, and solve problems that they otherwise never would have thought about.  For example, how can we build a fan blade out of paper to generate the most energy from the wind?  This may seem simple, but most students go through school only having to memorize and regurgitate information.  In Olympiad, students must understand and apply what they know.

SCHMEDLEN: Do you see STEM education helping enhance 21st century skills like collaboration, contextualization or “life skills?”

PAINTER: Absolutely!  However, “school science” must change to meet the demands of these 21st century skills.  STEM education will fail if it doesn’t adapt to 21st century knowledge, technology, and skill sets.  Students must do science and be involved in the culture of science through collaboration to give them a contextual understanding of these life skills.  Without this, students will be far behind their counterparts in other parts of the world.

SCHMEDLEN: What does the future hold for the competition?

PAINTER: The future is bright.  More and more schools, teachers, parents, and stakeholders are seeing the impact of Olympiad on students.  I got an e-mail last week from a parent of a student that participated in our summer camps this past summer.  I think this e-mail describes well the value of Olympiad and why our future looks promising.

“Sorry I’m writing to you so late in the year.  I wanted you to know that Ethan had an incredible experience at your camp last year.  He was always interested in science, but wasn’t a “star student”.  Through your camp he was able to transfer his “lego” skills to solving other problems.  He won 1st place in one event!  With this boast of confidence, I am happy to say he has had an outstanding year in science.  Making straight A’s and usually making A+s.  Ethan is a smart kid, but he has to work hard for his grades.  He really put forth the effort and enjoyed science this year.  I have Science Olympiad to thank for his new confidence and passion.”

SCHMEDLEN: Jason, thank you, and good luck this weekend!