Design Education for the Modern Age. We help you make better mistakes.
Continue ReadingWhat’s more, those members of the organization that many assume to be the best at learning are, in fact, not very good at it. I am talking about the well-educated, high-powered, high-commitment professionals who occupy key leadership positions in the modern corporation.
— Chris Argyris
Learning has moved online. We want to help educators and students adapt with a curated list of resources. Remote learning works when we stay open to new methods, and focus on manageable tasks.
Stanford Online High School has been successfully educating students online through an innovative virtual classroom model since 2006. For schools exploring online learning in case of temporary closures, this webpage provides free resources and considerations for effective remote teaching and learning.
All guidance is platform-agnostic, focusing on the essential steps for preparing to teach online in a short period of time. Materials here will be updated regularly, and we will be hosting informative webinars to provide more in-depth resources for implementing online pedagogy.
We must not use technology just because it is available. We must use it when, and only when, we can see how it will enable us to do the education job better.
Herbert A. Simon, Carnegie Mellon University
For effective integration of technology into a course, it’s important to first identify the desired learning outcomes and then select the technology that enables interactions to support these learning outcomes. Brown’s Instructional Technology Group maintains a Teaching with Technology website to help you discover ways to use technology in your courses. Technology can be used both inside your classroom and to design an online learning environment.
Teaching during times of potential disruption requires creative and flexible thinking about how instructors can support students in achieving essential core course learning objectives. This document offers suggestions for instructors in Stanford University’s PWR and Thinking Matters looking to continue offering a student-centered learning experience in a remote or online learning environment.
We have seen the rise and fall of coding bootcamps almost everywhere. They are built on the idea that the best jobs are in coding and everyone wants a six figure salary working for Google and the like.
You can talk to bootcamp students after graduation and see what their thoughts are, where are they working? We have found that only a small number of them get even close to achieving their goals. Why is that? Learning to do anything takes time. If you are hoping for zero to hero you need to spend a great deal of time working toward mastery of the material.
So are longer bootcamps better? That depends. For most, even spending a year or more working at mastering a skill is not enough. You will hear feedback from students, “It took at least a few years to really wrap my head around it.” We have found that the time frame for true understanding is in the neighborhood of 5 plus years.
1 The most important of these, is your motivation and desire. If you are doing this because of the money you can make, or your parents, or some other reason, you will more than likely waste time and money.
2 Are you able to take time off to complete the program? Even a few months out of the work force can be difficult for most people.
3 How much money can you afford? Are you going to go into debt to finance the course based on what you believe you will be making after you finish?
These are all important questions to consider before you make that commitment.
The goal of most accelerated programs is to make you competent so that you can spend those 5 plus years getting paid to learn.
You are buying a house that you don’t get to live in.
So in our opinion, the best way to test your interests are with shorter foundational courses, that take less time, less money, and work for your schedule. They give you a chance to see where your strengths are.
The gold rush for learning to code is still very real. You need to see if learning to be a developer is right for you.
There are many other options for working in tech including design, UX, motion, marketing, and other related fields. Find the area that best serves your strengths and goals.
We are taught to believe that if you do well in school everything will work out. You will get the job of your dreams and live happily ever after.
You should know that your personal learning goals and the goals of your school are NOT the same.
It starts innocently enough as we all have to go to school. You might have noticed it in elementary, middle, or high school, they were not teaching you the things you were curious about. There were requirements that didn’t align with what you wanted to learn.
How many of us can honestly say that all the pressure of testing in subjects that had very little meaning to us at the time, had a positive effect on our lives.
(Source: World Economic Forum )
Which of these skills are you learning or experiencing in the classroom?
How many people need to learn more and supplement their education through outside activities including personalized instruction, sports, music, clubs, and others?
Let’s become more involved in the process of our education. Not everyone is looking out for your best interests. Sometimes numbers and retention win out over quality and learning outcomes.
There is no simple path. You need to find what works for you. Do not just default to what everyone else wants for you. You need to find out what you want and pursue it.
Our belief is that there is no limit to what you can experience or create. What do you really want?