"Basically, you change the structure of a classroom so that kids move at their own pace." "You can accelerate the pace of student learning with this strategy," he says. This model is gaining traction at universities and colleges, under the term "flipped classrooms."Īccording to Ethan Gray, Director of the Cities for Education Entrepreneurship Trust, Venture is an example of an emerging trend in the education world toward blended learning. The term "blended learning" can take numerous forms, but as a definition, it means a combination of classroom education, online learning, and mobile technology.įor example, a student might watch a teacher's lecture online from home, and then participate in group activities in school, using mobile devices. "It's a very specific vision, and the results are pretty incredible." "The model for Venture was so aligned with where I knew we could take education," Muse says. The school won awards-and expanded into other cities in the Bay Area-but it was Bacal who nabbed a prize: Muse himself, who will be Chief Learning Officer and Head of School at Venture Academy. It's a system that worked well in Oakland, California, where innovative math and special education teacher Kerry Muse proved that his school, KIPP Bridge, could turn high-poverty urban youth into top achievers. Bacal notes that ownership for learning is in the hands of the kids, not the teacher. "We're very excited about changing those numbers."īacal worked to put together a charter school that would establish a strong blended learning model, which not only brings more technology to students, but also changes the system to a more student-centric approach. That can torpedo their chances of getting to college. Of the 50,000 school-aged children in Minneapolis, over half are from households that struggle financially, Bacal notes. Paul-he wanted innovation, particularly for children coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. As a longtime educational leader in the state-he founded Hiawatha Leadership Academy in south Minneapolis and co-founded Twin Cities Academy in St. That type of gradual (sometimes glacial) change wasn't good enough for Bacal. Often, these pilot projects take time to roll out, particularly since they can run into funding issues. Many school districts across the state and across the country have been attempting to tweak instruction to accommodate new learning styles.įor some districts, that means more team-based projects, or more use of tools like iPads for video presentations. "When you bring this to economically disadvantaged students, it gets even better." "When you combine personalized, student-directed learning with high-quality digital content and tools, you get a very powerful education model," Bacal says. "But we haven't changed how schools work to take advantage of that."Īlthough many schools utilize technology and some have Apple One-to-One programs (in which every student gets a laptop or tablet), Venture wants to take education to a whole different level, remaking the foundation of instruction so that it aligns with 21st century life, including more focus on entrepreneurship. "Technology has had such an impact in every area of life, and there's more information available online now than was available to the President only 30 years ago," he says. Mn charter school venture academy full#As founder and Chief Entrepreneurship Officer of new charter school Venture Academy, he's helping to bring blended learning to the Twin Cities in full force. But at school, they often revert to paper-based learning, with decades-old textbooks and waves of quizzes and tests. At home, they use devices like smartphones and iPads to communicate with friends, play games, and research homework answers. These days, kids are living in two different worlds, says Jon Bacal.
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