Three Continua
Following the discussion of the “7 Disciplines for Strengthening Instruction,” the next key idea in the change process is the development of the characteristics that must guide the change effort.
The Three Continua capture three distinct yet interrelated dimensions around which schools and districts should be organized and operated so that the improvement efforts can create necessary "energy" for change, generate leadership throughout the system and produce new knowledge for solving novel improvement problems. Working in these new ways requires that schools and districts move from being reactive, compliant and isolated to ones that have great focus and purpose, where all educators are highly engaged and where collaboration is the norm. Go to Framework and Approach to read more about Harvard’s Change Leadership Group and the framework for the group’s “Ecology of Change.”
Knowledge Works Foundation
The KnowledgeWorks Foundation (KWF) is committed to furthering universal access to high-quality educational opportunities for individuals to achieve success and for the betterment of society. It is the mission of the foundation to increase the number and diversity of people who value and access education by creating and improving educational opportunity from pre-kindergarten through high school and post-high school institutions and through community organizations.
One of the key initiatives of the KWF has been the preparation, in conjunction with the Institute for the Future (IFTF), of the “Map of Future Forces Affecting Education.” The map was commissioned because KWF believes that excellent education is critical to our future. At the heart of the map are the fundamental values of public education:
- high expectations
- high quality
- public engagement in public education
- equal opportunity for all, especially those who have been denied opportunity in the past
In addition to these fundamental values, the map focuses on the need for educational strategies to be more proactive and to pay more attention to how the world is changing. The hope is that the map will inspire educators to take advantage of the possibilities opened by trends affecting families, communities, markets, institutions, educators, learning, tools and practices.
For more information about the free map and the series of workshops, navigational tools and resources that complement it, please go to Map of Future Forces Affecting Education.
Smithsonian Gateway for Educators
The Smithsonian’s gateway to more than 1,200 free educational resources - Smithsonian Education - Educators - now includes a feature that aligns those resources to standards of learning in every state. By simply entering the name of the state into the search engine, teachers can find lesson plans, virtual exhibitions, photographs, artworks and databases of research information that apply to their curriculum. The Smithsonian will regularly update both the resource bank and the state-standards correlations on the Web site.
Summer PD Opportunities
Summer is upon us, and we will try to keep our “ISN PD Opportunities” page up to date with all of the professional learning opportunities available this summer. Please go to ISN PD Opportunities to find information on “Creating and Sustaining 21st Century Learning Communities” as well as “Building Academic Vocabulary with Debra Pickering.”
Quotable Quotes
“We do whatever it takes to close the gap. If it means we have to feed them, then we’ll feed them. If it means we have to get them home after school, we’ll do that. . .Whatever it takes.”
Clara Sale-Davis
Principal of Freeport Intermediate School