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Educators have always needed to master the understanding of at least two fields of endeavor to be successful. First, they needed to master their content field. They are required to be experts of content. Second, they needed to master the field of education with a clear understanding of the latest and greatest methodology and pedagogy available. The 21st Century has now further complicated the teaching profession by requiring an additional third area of mastery, digital literacy.

It requires an understanding of the connected culture in order to reap the full benefits of collaboration.

Collaboration in the past was limited at best, due to the costly restraints of time and space. Districts needed to pay for travel and provide time away from the job, which limited the amount of collaboration possible. This excluded a great number of educators who could not be replaced if absent from the classroom.

Technology has provided us with the ability to communicate, curate, collaborate, and (most importantly) create with any number of educators, globally, at any time, and at very little cost.

victims of its dated mindset: if it was good enough for me, it's good enough for the kids. The idea of collaboration requires a mindset of believing there is room to learn and grow. It is also a belief that we are smarter collectively than individually.

Since education is often focused on memorization and reporting of information, some people wonder if having all this information will change the skills our children need to learn. It is a wake up call to teachers and educators that we need to teach not only in the present, but prepare students for the future.

The fundamental shift that Sir Ken is talking about is more similar to discovery based education. Just like google which allows its employees to use 20% of their time to pursue any pet project, I think the education system should have 20% time free time for kids to to pursue any idea or vision or dream maybe within school or outside the school. This is one way to balance the rigid structure of the current learning against total flexible system where its easy for kids to be lost without learning some valuable knowledge. So the main question is should we allow 20-25% of time as free time to pursue their dream ? I think it is yes

The iPad however, provides an alternative method by providing a lower cost of entry, while allowing for student-centered instruction where students are able to both create content and access information anywhere, anytime.  The key for revolutionizing education is having educators who embrace this technology to change how they teach to create a learning environment where students, not teachers, are the focus of the instruction.   

“Yeah it does all that and it’s a phone!”  Amidst a cacophony of reverent Oooh’s and Ahh’s, I unknowingly witnessed the birth of the Smart-Phone and the death knell of the PDA.  I bring this up because I recently was approached by someone who told me that our school should get rid of all PC’s and give everyone iPads.

but the tablet format could lead to changes in education.

When we complain about students using social media or technology irresponsibly can we really blame them if they've never been taught how to responsibly use these tools for learning? 

“single best idea for reforming K-12 education”.

Root cause: factory model of management

The goal needs to shift from one of making a system that teaches children a curriculum more efficiently to one of making the system more effective by inspiring lifelong learning in students, so that they are able to have full and productive lives in a rapidly shifting economy.