Education Week - September 25, 2013 - 28

28 EDUCATION WEEK
n
SEPTEMBER 25, 2013 www.edweek.org
n
the author describes to build
students’ belief in their ability
to learn.
LETTERS to
the EDITOR
Teaching: It’s More Than
The Sum of Its Parts
To the Editor:
“‘Growth Mindset’ Gaining
Traction as Ed. Strategy” (Sept.
11, 2013) is a very good article.
However, it is disturbing that
it needs to be written. It is sad
that it is research that may be
providing the impetus for some
teachers (and parents) to use
the common-sense strategies
I became a teacher because
I believed in the capacity of
all human beings to learn and
in my own capacity to create
learning environments for
students that could enhance
that capacity. This is a
commonly held belief among
educators.
It seems that today a cottage
industry has developed to point
out the obvious. Something
isn’t quite right. Do teachers
ever have time to develop their
own philosophy of teaching
and learning and to reflect on
their practice? Of course, they
may do this in an occasional
structured setting or during
a required professionaldevelopment
day, but I wonder
if teachers themselves often lack
confidence in their instincts if
not reaffirmed by research and
the latest trends.
We have dissected the art of
teaching and learning into so
many parts that the whole has
been lost and with it the heart
for teaching that so many people
naturally have.
Gillian B. Thorne
Executive Director, Office of
Early College Programs
Director, UConn Early College
Experience Program
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Conn.
COMMENTARY POLICY
Education Week takes
no editorial positions,
but publishes opinion
essays and letters from
outside contributors in its
Commentary section.
For information about
submitting an essay or
letter for review, visit
www.edweek.org/go/
guidelines.
Jared Boggess
A Pathway for
The Future of
Education
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32
ronments where educators adapt
regularly to meet the needs of
students. Policymakers must
eliminate these barriers so educators
have room to innovate.
In addition to policy changes,
we must prepare our education
workforce to excel in competencybased
environments. Preservice
and in-service educator-preparation
programs must work
together to build capacity for
this shift and provide ongoing
support. Colleges of education
and alternative-certification programs
can play a significant role
in this transformation. They can
overhaul their systems to ensure
graduates have the knowledge
and experience to create and
implement highly personalized
pathways for every student.
Finally, a competency education
system will require the
development of new student assessments,
data systems, learning-management
systems, and
instructional tools. The marketplace
has begun to respond, but
shortages of supply and demand
make it difficult to take these
models to scale.
Despite an explosion of new
startup ventures and investors
focused on competency education,
the supply of high-quality
tools remains limited. Demand
is also a challenge as shrinking
education budgets make it difficult
for educators to purchase the
tools and training to bring their
vision to life. Governments, businesses,
and communities must
identify creative funding strategies
to support this transformation
at scale.
While the list of challenges
seems long, it should not deter
us from the path of success. The
business community has capitalized
on the shift to radical personalization
and now reaps the
rewards. We must do the same in
education. n
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Education Week - September 25, 2013

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