Written by contributing blogger, Christine Martin.If you haven't had the experience of hearing one of Ken Robinson's talks, you're in for a treat. In this recent TED talk, he eloquently deconstructs the American education system while offering light at the end of the tunnel. Oh, and he's super funny, too. My favorite part is this (I'm paraphrasing): Education is not a mechanical sysyem; it's a human system and there are conditions in which people thrive. This has to do with the culture of the school and culture is organic. With organic systems, if conditions are right, life is inevitable. You take an area, a school, a district, you change the conditions: give people a different sense of possibility, a broader...

Written by contributing blogger, Christine Martin.  It is very evident that education has changed with the development and growth of the internet. With the access to innovative technology, the way we learn has expanded considerably.  This also applies in addressing the educational divide found in third world countries. Having more opportunity to using computers, laptops, tablets, e-readers, and mobile phones, Third World students and communities have a chance to narrow this divide.  Online Computers.com has recently published a comprehensive article on the impact of using tech tools in third world countries. Regarding the spread of computers, it states: Computers provide students with the best that educational technology has to offer. Laptops and PCs enabled with Internet connections, content, and software...

Written by contributing blogger, Christine Martin. There is a buzz about shifting paradigms regarding the education model as we know it. A fascinating publication called the Forecast 3.0, Recombinant Education: Regenerating the Learning Ecosystem , delves into the various foreseeable opportunities and challenges that come up with this topic. One is the role of technology. Undoubtedly, the digital explosion is a key player in influencing transformation across spectrums: society, economy, culture, etc. Let’s take music as highlighted in the Forecast. For example, (there are) integrated platforms such as iTunes, Google+, and Facebook with artist information, concert databases, and mobile apps to transform passive listeners (us) into active music participants who share, create, remix, and produce music.Just as technology has expanded,...