Maxims

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Thoughts on Disrupting Class, part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 19:06:00 +0000

I recently read the book Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns by Clayton M. Christensen, Michael B. Horn, and Curtis W. Johnson. As someone who is interested in public education and its relationship to technology, this was a must-read for me, but after reading it, I'd say that anyone interested in the future of public education should read it.

This series of blog posts will summarize the book, chapter by chapter, with my questions and comments interspersed in another color.

The lead author of Disrupting Class is a Harvard Business School professor whose research has been on disruptive technologies (e.g., the personal computer or the budget airline) in various industries. The book attempts to apply his theory of disruption to public education.

The thesis is that the disruptive technology that will rock the education world is "student-centric" learning, which the book describes as education that tailors itself to the student's unique learning style and interests. The teacher in this model shifts from being an instructor to being a coach and research librarian, helping each student identify his interests and pulling together an appropriate set of computerized lessons for him to use. The book goes on to argue that charter schools and other structures outside of mainstream schools will be a key part of ensuring this disruption is successful in transforming education.

Chapter 1: Why Schools Struggle to Teach Differently When Each Student Learns Differently

Different students have different learning styles.

A student learns best when the teaching is tailored to her particular learning style.

Schools traditionally are limited in tailoring education to students' styles: uniform classrooms, standardized textbooks, necessity to prepare students for next year's class, etc.

"The students who succeed in schools do so largely because their intelligence happens to match the dominant paradigm in use in a particular classroom--or somehow they have found ways to adapt to it."

Efforts to train teachers to teach to multiple intelligences are "noble" but are limited, both by teachers themselves (any given teacher is only strong in a limited number of styles) and by the factory-like system of the schools.

We need a student-centric model. Computer-based learning is the disruptive technology that will get us there. Why is this the only approach to student-centric learning that is considered? What about new schools that have teacher-led classrooms organized around learning style instead of around subject or perceived ability level?

Chapter 2: Making the Shift: Schools Meet Society's Needs

A "disruptive innovation" is when a new innovation shakes up an industry. The disruption is typically lower quality and less expensive than the established industry standard, which causes it to be ignored by the mainstream players in the industry while being embraced by former "non-consumers." Think of the PC in the days of the mainframe: the mainframe companies laughed at the cheap, underpowered computers, while individuals and small businesses that could never afford a mainframe embraced the new computers.

Typically, existing industry players are unable and/or unwilling to participate in the new disruptive market, because everything about the supply chain, the customer base, and so on are fundamentally different.

Disruption has been forced on the public schools over the years by changing societal expectations of what schools are supposed to deliver and how they're measured. For example, in the mid-20th century, schools were asked to expand their offerings and broaden their scope. In the late 20th century, with No Child Left Behind, they were asked to ensure proficiency by every student.

Schools have been unusually successful in adapting to disruption in a way that traditional industries typically are not. Schools have often improved along the new metrics for success, despite decades of history following an old model. However, the process is often slow and painful. Also, it's not clear that they will be able to navigate this newest disruption (computer-based, student-centric learning) without new structures. I wish the authors provided more explanation here of why the schools have been able to navigate past disruptions but aren't prepared to navigate this one.

Sarah Palin flow chart

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:40:00 +0000

Over at Daily Kos, there's a helpful flow chart to understand how Gov. Palin decided to answer questions during the debate.

An open letter to Senator Obama

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:09:00 +0000

Dear Senator Obama:

This is your chance. Leading up to the Democratic primary, you inspired us with your message of hope and change. I want to believe in it, and so do millions of other Americans. But, so far, your campaign has not delivered on your promise to end politics as usual. Now is the time to show us, through your campaign, the change that you intend to bring to Washington.

In Denver, you rejected the "politics of the past" and encouraged Americans to demand new leadership. Well, we're demanding it�of you and your campaign. We demand an end to a generic, uninspired campaign influenced by consultants and pollsters. We demand a candidate who rejects the idea that the road to victory is paved with empty promises of jobs created and taxes lowered. We demand an end to daily, fake-personal e-mails from a candidate, his wife, and his campaign manager asking us to donate money. We demand new television ads that are creative and fresh and inspiring, that make us question our belief about what a national political ad can and should be. We're ready to reject the politics of the past, but to do so, we need to see an example of the politics of the future.

The great revolutionary Mahatma Ghandi, said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." We ask you, Senator, to be the change you want to see in Washington. Let your campaign be an example to the country of what an Obama presidency would look like. I want to believe. We want to believe. This is your chance. Make us believe.

Sincerely,
Maxim Weinstein
Medford, Massachusetts

Who lacks experience now?

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:33:00 +0000

So let me get this straight. John McCain says that Barack Obama lacks the experience necessary to lead the country because he hasn't served in the military and has only served one term as a senator. He then picks as his running mate someone who has never been in the military, has no national political experience, and has only served half a term as governor of a state with a population about the size of Boston?

I guess he's just desperate to get votes from the Christian right, who love Gov. Palin because of her fundamentalist religious views.

Urban farming

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:35:00 +0000

Clive Thompson at Wired magazine makes a good case for why we should bring back victory gardens, even if we live in the city:

These days, we're fighting different battles. Developing nations are facing wrenching shortages of staples like rice. Here at home, we're struggling with a wave of obesity, fueled by too much crappy fast food and too little fresh produce, particularly in poorer areas. Our globalized food stream poses environmental hazards, too: The blueberries I had for lunch came from halfway around the world, in the process burning tons of CO₂.

Urban farming tackles all three issues. It could relieve strain on the worldwide food supply, potentially driving down prices. The influx of fresh vegetables would help combat obesity. And when you "shop" for dinner ingredients in and around your home, the carbon footprint nearly disappears. Screw the 100-mile diet � consuming only what's grown within your immediate foodshed � this is the 100-yard diet.

Believing in reality

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:28:00 +0000

"Just think about this: In four months, we will have an administration that actually believes in science!" --Mark Warner, former governor of Virginia, at the Democratic National Convention

As reported by Wired's Threat Level blog.

Screwed by Diebold

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:12:00 +0000

This is what happens when you choose a company focused more on profits than on security to design voting machines for public elections:

Love the Internet? Vote for Obama.

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:11:00 +0000

David Weinberger explains the fundamental difference between John McCain's technology policy and Barack Obama's. His conclusion:

The two candidates� visions of the Internet could not be clearer. We can have a national LAN* designed first and foremost to benefit business, and delivered to passive consumers for whom the Net is a type of cable TV. Or, we can have an Internet that is of the people, by the people, for the people.

Editor's note: a LAN is a "local area network," typically used within and controlled by a single company or other organization.

Scary hot dogs

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 00:45:00 +0000

A hat tip to Bill Harris, who linked to this little gem of a "top 5" list: Five Hot Dogs That Will Kill You. Mmmm... breakfast hot dog.

Earn more or spend less?

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:35:00 +0000

Our financial planner, Tom Fisher, has a great blog post up about whether it makes more sense to strive to earn more or to work on spending less. The conclusion, as one might expect, is "it depends," but the more important message is that this is something that can be thought of and analyzed rationally:

In my opinion, most people never stop to figure out what they have to give up in order to earn more money. Often, we just find a way to make more (take a second job, work more hours, look for a new job, etc.) instead of actually figuring out how that will affect our lives. Our brains are not very good at connecting soft questions � like getting what we want � with quantitative ones. Surely it�s better, though, to do this kind of analysis first and better understand the consequences of the choices that we�re making for our lives.

He also provides a simple example of the type of analysis that someone can do to figure out the trade-offs for himself.

Raising political money, geek style

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:14:00 +0000

What happens when a computer geek decides to run for state rep. (in Kansas) against a right-wing incumbent and needs to find a lot of donors? Apparently, something like this.

Evernote

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:03:00 +0000

I'm trying out Evernote, a hybrid desktop/online note taking product whose new and improved version just came out of beta testing. It seems like a good product, though I already have one significant gripe. One of the key features is that you can take a photo of something like a whiteboard or a page of notes and send it to Evernote, and the software will scan it for text, making it searchable. Very cool. Except that, while it becomes searchable, you never get direct access to the text, so there's no way to copy and paste, edit, etc. This is a key feature in most OCR software, and has been a feature of Microsoft's OneNote (which does much of what Evernote does, minus the killer synchronization between computers/web) for a long time. C'mon, Evernote, get with the program!

14 Questions for McCain & Obama

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:06:00 +0000

The group at Sciencedebate 2008 put together a set of 14 community-generated questions for McCain and Obama regarding their views on science and technology policy. As an Obama supporter, I'm planning to e-mail the Obama campaign to encourage it to respond publicly to these questions. I hope more people will do the same with their candidate of choice, or with both for those who are undecided.

Internet public health

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:38:00 +0000

Over on my Harvard blog, I�ve started a series of posts about my foray into the field of public health and how it relates to the malware world. If you�re interested, please read along and post your thoughts in the comments.

Deportees

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:38:00 +0000

Every time I listen to the Woody Guthrie song "Plane Wreck at Los Gatos," I think how sad it is that, nearly 50 years after he wrote it, the lyrics are still relevant.

Some of us are illegal, and some are not wanted,
Our work contract's out and we have to move on;
Six hundred miles to that Mexican border,
They chase us like outlaws, like rustlers, like thieves.

Video: I'm Voting Republican

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:26:00 +0000

Bush vs. McCain - the video challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:13:00 +0000

The Democratic Diamond of Unity

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 14:12:00 +0000

My friend Jon, author of Our Karl Rove, has a good post up about the fallout from the Democratic primary and what it means for supporters of both Obama and Clinton going into the general election.

The key take-away is to acknowledge that if you strongly support either candidate, you're experiencing planned animosity towards the opponent. The sooner Democrats step back and understand that this is planned and not personal (and "see the diamond"), the sooner the Democrats can coalesce around the presumptive Democratic nominee.

The "diamond" is a metaphor for the separation that occurs between candidates during the primary and the desired convergence on behalf of party unity that occurs as the general election nears.

Coke Zero

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:32:00 +0000

A few years ago, when I started trying to lose weight, I realized that cutting juice, soda, and other caloric drinks out of my diet was key. Unfortunately, I found that water, seltzer, and the flavored varieties of each were unsatisfying to me. So, I turned to diet soda. Now, despite a long-held prejudice against diet soft drinks, I found that there are many that taste good: Fresca (yes, it's diet), Diet Barq's root beer, Diet 7-Up, Diet Mountain Dew, etc. The weak link, though, was diet cola. Coke has been one of my favorite soda throughout adulthood, and I couldn't bear to drink Diet Coke, which, as my wife says, "tastes like carbonated battery acid."

But then came Coke Zero, and angels sang, and sunlight filled the sky. The ingredients list for Coke Zero looks pretty much identical to that of Diet Coke, right down to the aspartame sweetener. Yet Coke Zero actually tastes like Coke. While a true side by side test reveals a difference (esp. the way the sugared variety coats your tongue with the feel of sugar), Coke Zero is a true substitute for Coke for those who don't want to (or can't) drink sugar.

Now, if they'd just come out with Caffeine Free Coke Zero for the evenings...

Books = Money

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:52:00 +0000

This past weekend, the Friends of the Medford Public Library held their spring book & bake sale. Remarkably, this sale and its fall counterpart, which rely on donated books and volunteer help, raise $15,000 to $20,000 per year for the Friends, in spite of most items being priced between $0.50 and $1.25. Pretty darn impressive if you ask me.

What's wrong with hats?

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:47:00 +0000

I'm a big fan of Wired columnist Lore Sjoberg, and his current entry is a typically entertaining (especially for geeks) look at warnings that should be included on movies:

"WARNING: Indiana Jones is a fictional character. His movies are all set decades ago. He is more physically attractive than 98 percent of humanity. These are all reasons you should not attempt to dress like him."

For the record, though, I've been wearing an Indiana Jones-like hat since before I even knew about the new Indiana Jones movie, and I look darn good in that hat, if I do say so myself.

Birthday weekend on the Vineyard

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:11:00 +0000

We're spending a couple nights at The Madison Inn in Oak Bluffs, a town on Martha's Vineyard. Cute place, cute town, though not everything's open for the season yet. Tomorrow, we'll explore Vineyard Haven and some other parts of the island. For now, it's nice to not have to think about dishes, my to do list, etc.

Epicurious.com won't delete my account

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:53:00 +0000

A few months back, I created an account on Epicurious.com to test out the Facebook Beacon advertising feature that was in the news. After playing with it a bit, I decided I really didn't want an Epicurious account, so I e-mailed their customer service department asking them to remove my account. No response. So, I contacted them again. No response. I e-mailed their parent company's customer service. No response again. It's now been several months, and I haven't so much as gotten a response, and the account is still active. I've since noticed in their privacy policy that they make no commitment to remove accounts upon request. Talk about terrible business practice. They may have my e-mail address, but they'll never be getting my business (or my ad views).

Daylight savings tricks

noreply@blogger.com (Maxim) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:03:00 +0000

Another one of life's little "a-ha" moments: when you realize that the reason your Palm has been reminding you of things an hour late all week is because of the time change five days earlier.