Hi WOL Friends,
What do you know about the world of Learning - and how it began? I know a little bit about that - but the person who knows everything about it was one of our guests this week, Dr. Patrick Crawford! He has been in education now for 50 years, supporting and innovating in ways that make sure students get what they need. And, he never gets tired of it.
He and Dr. Christine Davis, who you all have met before, joined me to talk not only about the evolution of the World of Learning - but also the mission and vision behind Blended Schools, the Parent Idea - where the WOL started.
You can find his weekly wanderings on Education Leadership by clicking here (this entry highlights the quiet leadership of Dr. Chris Davis).
I hoped to dive into the origins of the World of Learning Institute - and we did, but we learned much more. What we didn’t realize is how much pioneering and innovation it took to create the Blended Schools Network. And, that Dr. Crawford and his friends have the innate gift of innovating. It is still happening.
I was surprised to learn that the World of Learning started when Dr. Crawford was the Superintendent at Fannet Metal School District. That was 1994 - and before that - as a new Principal he convinced his Superintendent to get him a laptop - talk about an early adopter!! More like an innovator and a pioneer. I can see a movie, book, or documentary film in the future!
And, Dr. Crafowrd is so much more than a lone cowboy. When he learned about distance education the first thing he did was to call his friends. You all know what they say about surrounding yourself with people who will challenge you and keep you honest - well Dr. Hervey Hann, Dr. Duff Rearick, and Dr. Jay Scott joined Dr. Crawford in the vision to make courses available to students that they otherwise would not have. (See their influence on Quakertown SD - where Tom Murray was leading innovation in 2013 in this video - look for the BSN logo on the learners’ computers).
As he inspired Chris Davis and me in this episode - Chris, who was an early Blended Schools Network Employee, reminded him that they also introduced languages through the Language Institute. What we found was that Dr. Crawford was the Superintendent at Bedford SD - Bedford Springs was going to re-open and the chef they hired was looking at schools for his children. He was from Germany - and wanted his children to have the opportunity to study his native language. And just like today, when someone has a need, Dr. Crawford figured out how to work with his Network (now a young BSN) to offer German in Bedford. (See our current World Language offerings HERE).
The collaboration and sharing were the bedrock of the Blended Schools Network. Born to help folks provide professional learning - so that a blended model, with a classroom teacher AND a virtual component, would allow small and rural districts to offer courses that their students would otherwise not have access to. This idea was greeted with much enthusiasm by many of us. And as a young administrator myself in the early 2000’s I jumped on board. (Dr. Butler did not buy right in - listen in for that part of the story - quite amusing - as he is a huge fan now). The idea of building capacity with teachers was baked into the philosophy of BSN where districts trained their teachers - and everyone contributed. We didn’t buy the courses, BSN - with amazing professional learning from people like Chris Davis, supported teachers learning to work in the virtual environment, themselves.
Today, we see the remnants of BSN in the World of Learning. Many of us have experienced and seen what great virtual experiences look like - as well as some not-so-great experiences. COVID renewed some of the doubts about introducing technology as a primary method of delivery - and also stretched the technology and all of our capabilities. And professional learning is still at the core of what we do. Chris quietly inspires us to keep learning - see her project, JoltEDU, and its growing catalog of professional learning.
We ended the episode promising to come back and talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI). Dr. Crawford, being the pioneer that he is, sees the possibility in again leveraging the good to find ways to make both teaching and learning more user-friendly. Looking to the horizon as he has often done. Are you thinking about AI?
Stay tuned as he, Dr. Davis and Dr. Butler join us to talk about what’s next.
Thanks for joining us on our walk down memory lane…. And stay tuned for our journey to the future of education at the World of Learning and IU8.
As always, if you can’t find a teacher or just want to talk about what is possible - reach out!
Onward and Upward,
Pat
Looking Over the Horizon - With Dr. Pat Crawford