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AEP Online |
Town Hall Panelists Say NCLB's Role Will Not DiminishThis year's educational publishing Summit, held June 6-8 at the Renaissance Washington, DC, Hotel, focused on the future of the industry on several fronts--education reform, technology, market trends, classroom curricula. The cornerstone of the event was the Focus Forward Town Hall Meeting, a session looking at trends that will (or should) have the most significant impact on educational publishing over the next five years. The session was moderated by former TIME For Kids President and AEP Hall of Fame member Leanna Landsmann. Panelists included: -Chester E. Finn, President of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation -Chris Grewe, Executive Vice President and Associate Publisher, KIDS DISCOVER -Nina Shokraii Rees, Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Innovation and Improvement (U.S. Dept. of Ed.) -David Shuster, Ph.D., Chief Education Officer, Explore Learning Despite their diverse backgrounds, the panelists came to similar conclusions on a number of issues. 1. No Child Left Behind - For the past five years, the Bush Administration's landmark education reform bill has had more influence on American education than any other legislation. According to the Town Hall panel, this will continue to be the case. Finn predicts that: * In the core subjects (reading, math, and science), districts, schools, and teachers will find themselves with less control over curricular content, resulting in a need for more diverse and creative materials and instructional strategies. * Because of NCLB's premium on said core subjects, magnet schools, charter schools, and after-school programs that teach art, music, history, and language will grow in popularity to supplement what's not being taught during the regular school day. 2. Technology in the classroom - The future role of educational technology has become a staple in the "trends to watch" category; however, the Town Hall panelists had some fresh ideas to offer about the resulting implications. * Shuster and Grewe both agree that technology will play a bigger role in assessment in years to come. As NCLB moves into the realm of science and history, there will be a need for new methods of testing that will assess a student's knowledge of the subject rather than their ability to read. * Shuster predicts that computer labs will eventually fade away as schools realize that just having the computers doesn't help students learn. Many districts have already begun to move toward mobile labs and one-to-one computing, and are taking back the much-needed classroom space. * Grewe and Shuster also foresee an increased use of technology in instruction, resulting in assessment tools that are embedded in the classroom curricula. This will give teachers more time to teach and students more time to learn, and alleviate the pressure associated with high stakes testing. * Rees feels the demand for teacher training and professional development materials will increase as more technology is integrated in schools. * According to Finn, there will be a gradual separation of teaching and learning from buildings we know as schools. With a growing portion of education being delivered electronically, the model of the teacher delivering lectures to students in the same room will become outdated. Eventually students may sit in rooms with an adult supervisor, but the teacher will deliver instruction from across the country, or even the globe. 3. Other trends: * The end of the "Math wars" - Because the body of meaningful scientific data in the field has expanded considerably due to NCLB standards, Grewe predicts a resolution to the argument between supporters of "new" or Chicago style math and basic math. The result will be a unified curriculum of combined "best practices." * The demise of the ten-pound textbook - Finn believes the textbook as we know it has become too bulky, too pricey, and too caught up in politics. Textbooks will never be completely obsolete, he says, but textbooks of the future will most likely begin to resemble reference books as opposed to the core of classroom curricula. * The development of programs and materials that cater to students at all levels of learning - According to Shuster, the current focus on students at remedial levels will spread to students at higher levels of learning. There will be an increasing demand for materials that address the needs of average learners and gifted and talented students. What does this mean for publishers?
Questions, ideas, or in need of more information? Please contact Stacey Pusey at 856-241-7772. |
Visit the Summit pages for speakers' Powerpoint Presentations and other follow-up information |
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2008 The Association of Educational
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