The Purple Pen commits itself to educational equity.
To achieve that equity, The Purple Pen aims to transform the crisis of deficit-based education into the solution of Asset-driven Learning.
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1 Crisis
Deficit
Model
Model
The Crisis of Deficit Model education
The Purple Pen aims to transform the crisis of Deficit Model education into the three solutions of Asset-driven Learning.
| Deficit-model Education | Asset-driven Learning | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | The goal is | mastery of learning. | mastery of learning. |
| Design | Design of learning focuses on | what's Broken. | what's Working. |
| Instruction | The educator | emphasizes Weakness | emphasizes Possibility |
| by focusing on | Standardized Test Scores. | the Learner's Assets: Cognitive, Social, and Emotional. |
|
| The approach to learning is | less like Real World learning: Multiple Choice. | more like Real World learning: Inquiry-based; Critical and Creative Thinking; Project-, Problem-, and Portfolio-based. | |
| Control of the learning process is | Externally Driven | Internally Driven | |
| because the learner relies on | external "Assets." | developed and emerging Internal Assets: Cognitive, Social, and Emotional. |
|
| Evaluation | Learning is evaluated by | Standardized Tests. | Multiple Formative and Summative Measures, including Performance Tasks and Standardized Tests. |
| Society | Society values | external reforms | internal transformation |
| that | highlight Past Failures. | highlights Continuing Successes. | |
| The challenge of this approach: | "During the 30+ year Deficit Model approach, what evidence suggests that it is working?" | Local Design Control, Scalability, Alignment to Standards | |
| eLearning | Educational companies | love this Model because Standardized Test Data make Dashboard Metrics Easy, i.e., “Learning” data. | The Purple Pen aims to Transform This Space. |
| Consequences | In the learner, this approach creates | a Social Dependency | Sustainable Cognitive, Social, and Emotional Skills |
| because the learner develops | a Dependency on External "Assets." | as an Independent Asset. | |
| Socioeconomic Consequence: | replicates Social Structure | provides Transcendent Skills within Social Structure | |
The Educational Solution
The Purple Pen believes that placing the student as the central asset in our educational solution creates positive outcomes for all stakeholders.
Stakeholder Model for Education
The Purple Pen believes that addressing the interests and needs of stakeholders - not shareholders - will determine the success of education. The Purple Pen commits itself to that success. To that end, The Purple Pen offers this model of education's stakeholders.
Economic Challenges
Managing a school's budget is not easy. Economic challenges continue to affect how well schools are able to accomplish their missions.
Colleges and Universities
Teaching is not easy. Teaching people to become teachers may be even harder. The Purple Pen facilitates a scalable way for colleges and universities to teach future teachers how to conceive of what teaching really is, how to design great teaching/learning, and how to implement that teaching.
Government
The Purple Pen facilitates a way for schools to engage and achieve rigorous local, state, and/or national government standards — without “teaching to the test,” a win for all.
Thriving Graduates
The Purple Pen facilitates for graduates who possess the skills necessary to their success in the 21st Century.
Thriving Democracy
Graduates better understand how to participate in our democracy.
Thriving Economy
Businesses employ graduates who are more resourceful, conscientious, and resilient.
Thriving Taxpayer ROI
With graduates engaged in our democracy and contributing high level critical thinking skills to our economy, taxpayers experience a greater return on their investment in public education.
Educational Non-Profits
The Purple Pen facilitates Educational Nonprofits' scalability by allowing them to develop curriculum relevant to their organizational missions, such as environmental not-for-profits that develop curricular units for high school biology classes. These organizations can then deploy that curriculum across the many schools they may work with, where it can be locally designed even further.
The Learner
The Purple Pen provides enormous benefit to the student by engaging his or her authentic curiosity, voice in the learning process, and capacity for growth (F = T ∇ Sτ).
Parents & Guardians
When determined by the school, The Purple Pen facilitates parent and guardian engagement in the design of the learning.
Primary Stakeholders
The four Primary Stakeholders - Parents & Guardians, Teachers, School Leaders, and Community Members - directly support the Learner. They devote themselves to the Learner's Cognitive, Social, and Emotional Learning.
Teachers
The Purple Pen engages teachers in the design, blended instruction, and assessment of this same rigorous learning — while simultaneously providing rich, in-context professional development.
Community
When determined by the school, The Purple Pen facilitates community members' and organizations' participation in the design of learning that may be relevant to community input.
School Leaders
School leaders are able to correlate The Purple Pen's performance learning data to other school data, including standardized test scores, thereby supporting students and teachers in high engagement learning while at the same time aligning learning data to required benchmarks.
Secondary Stakeholders
The four Secondary Stakeholders - Colleges & Universities, Educational Nonprofits, Business, and Government - provide guidance and support to the Student and the Primary Stakeholders.
Business
Through The Purple Pen, learners gain the skills employers so desperately seek.
For Education, Education-as-a-Service (EaaS)
Imagine that
either alone or with invited Design Team members, a Teacher is able to design customized Learning Maps for individualized student learning. This time-saving Design Process offers the ability to
- establish time parameters for the Learning Map
- set desired levels of student critical and creative thinking
- backward map the Learning Map's desired end
- align to specific state standards
- establish social and emotional learning
- integrate with the teacher's/school's/district's own content
- integrate with the school's native Learning Management System (LMS)
Or, imagine that the Teacher chooses an already-designed Learning Map from within The Purple Pen's thriving community of teachers/professors and learners — and customizes that Learning Map to her/his/their own needs!
Imagine that
the Teacher teaches and the Learner learns via the step-by-step Learning Map — either in the classroom only, via some form of blended learning, or exclusively via virtual learning. Through The Purple Pen, the Teaching and Learning process includes
- asset-driven student learning
- customized lesson plans for each step in the Learning Map
- high engagement performance task student learning
- learning activities established at desired levels of critical and/or creative thinking
- the ability to establish small or large group learning
- standards-based and/or time-based pacing controls
Imagine that
if desired the Learner is able to evaluate his/her own performance task before the Educator evaluates the performance task, whatever that designed performance task (or test) is.
Within the Student, this self-evaluation builds
- intrinsic expectations within the Learner
- social/emotional understanding that the evaluation of one’s work is best understood within the context of dialogue with the Teacher
- a sense of shared power and control of the learning process.
The Corporate Learning Solution
The Purple Pen believes that placing the employee learner as the central asset in our corporate learning solution creates positive outcomes for all stakeholders.
Stakeholder Model for Corporate Learning
Market Challenges
Secondary Stakeholders
The four Secondary Stakeholders - the Customer, Shareholders, Community, and Government - own a secondary stake in the learning of the Employee Learner.
Customer
Primary Stakeholders
The four Primary Stakeholders - the Employee Learner’s Dependents, Team Leader, Management, and Ownership - directly support the Employee Learner. They devote themselves to the Employee Learner's Cognitive, Social, and Emotional Learning.
The Employee Learner’s Dependents
If stakeholding has any validity, then the family should be numbered among the stakeholders.
Team Leader
The Employee Learner
Adaptive Employees
Learning ROI
Holistic Approach to Learning
For Corporate Learning, Education-as-a-Service (EaaS)
Imagine that
either alone or with invited Learning Design Team members - like a member of the talent development team, the Corporate Learner designs the competency-based Learning Project. The result of this design process is called the Learning Map. Personalized Learning Maps within the parameters of the corporation's talent development team!
Or, imagine that the Corporate Learner chooses an already-designed, competency-based Learning Map from within The Purple Pen's thriving community of Learning Map designers and learners — and customizes that Learning Map to her/his/their own needs!
Imagine that
the Corporate Learner learns via the designed/selected, competency-based Learning Map. Personalized, curiosity-driven learning within the talent development team's learning goals for the employee!
Imagine that
the Corporate Learner evaluates the competency-based learning — by herself/himself/themselves, with the talent development team, and/or by inviting others to the evaluation process. Additionally, imagine that select partner colleges/universities/organizations offer accreditation/certification for that evaluated learning!
The Personal Development Solution
The Purple Pen believes that placing the Independent Learner as the central asset in our personal development solution creates positive outcomes for all stakeholders.
Stakeholder Model for Personal Development
The Purple Pen believes that addressing the needs and interests of the Independent Learner and his or her stakeholders will determine the success of education. The Purple Pen commits itself to that success. To that end, The Purple Pen offers this model of personal development’s stakeholders.
Secondary Stakeholders
The four Secondary Stakeholders - Possible Colleges & Universities, Democracy, Business, and Government - provide inspiration, guidance, and support to the Independent Learner and the Primary Stakeholders.
Influencers: Curiosity, Preparation, etc.
Job Market: Evolving, Unsteady, 1099s. etc.
Possible Colleges & Universities
High-Tech or High-Touch? Online Learning and Independent Higher Education
Primary Stakeholders
The four Primary Stakeholders - Parents & Guardians, Dependents, Learning Community, and the Community itself - directly support the Independent Learner. They devote themselves to the Independent Learner's Cognitive, Social, and Emotional Learning.
Parents & Guardians
Failure to Launch Syndrome: What does it mean to launch successfully?
Learning Community
Cohorts: A New Generation of Diverse Non-Traditional Learners
The Independent Learner
Business
The Purple Pen bases its Personal Development in Competencies: "Why Companies Want Competency-Based Education"
Pride in Learning
Control of Learning
Thriving Skillset
For Personal Development, Education-as-a-Service (EaaS)
Imagine that
either alone or with invited Design Team members, the Independent Learner designs the Learning Project from beginning to end. The result of this design process is called the Learning Map. With accreditation through selected partner colleges/universities/organizations.
Or, imagine that the Independent Learner chooses an already-designed Learning Map from within The Purple Pen's thriving community of teachers/professors and learners — and customizes that Learning Map to her/his/their own needs!
Imagine that
the Independent Learner learns from via the designed/selected Learning Map. Personalized, curiosity-driven learning with accreditation through selected partner colleges/universities/organizations!
Imagine that
the Independent Learner evaluates the learning, either independently and/or by inviting others to the evaluation process. And, imagine that select partner colleges/universities/organizations offer accreditation/certification for that evaluated learning!