A synopsis of a portion of Milton Chen's Education Nation: Six Leading Edges of Innovation.

1. The Curriculum Edge
 Refers to the reorganization of what is taught and
how learning is assessed.
 Chen describes that learning today is “siloed;”
(2010, p. 35) rather than integrated and taught
together.
 “These subject matter silos prevent students from
seeing the relevance of courses and concepts”
(Chen, 2010, p.35-36)

2. Problem Based Learning (PBL)
 As defined by the Buck Institute “Students go
through an extended process of inquiry in
response to a complex question, problem or
challenge” (Chen, 2010, p. 36).
 Allows for curriculum integration and for student
inquiry.
 The defined borders of subject areas are taken
down and the curriculum is opened and defined
by the problem and solutions discovered by the
students.

3. Research on the Benefits of
Problem Based Learning
Asummary published on Edutopia by Barron and
Darling-Hammond, found that:
 Students learn more when actively engaged in
solving real world problems.
 This engagement impacts student achievement
more than any other factor.
 Students need direction in how to learn.
 Cooperative learning in conjunction with problem
based learning is highly effective.
 Teacher development is needed to effectively
implement this as an effective mode of curriculum
design.

4. Implementation of PBL
 Should not be used in addition to the curriculum
as it is being taught now, but as a replacement to
the traditional teaching methods.
 This can be difficult to accomplish in the testing
driven culture in which schools function today.
 Can be used to motivate nontraditional students
into completing high school.

5. Global Learning
 Student access through the
internet allows for collaboration
across the world, thus connecting students
and their experiences.
 National Geographic Society and the Asia
Society are two influential organizations that
provide global learning resources and
professional development
 There is a prominent focus on language
education, particularly Chinese and Arabic.

6. The Language of Images
 Films and the Motion Picture industry have a great
impact on students and there is little reflection of
that in the curriculum today.
 Lack of multimedia curriculum and fluent teachers in
which to teach it.
 Students that are interested in the entertainment
industry have no path in which to learn more in
schools today.
 The “Story of Movies” was provided to schools as an
interdisciplinary curriculum kit by the Film Foundation
and particularly focuses on three principles: Film is a
language, Film is a cultural document, and Film is a
collaborative art.

7. The Heart and Mind Connection
 Curriculum must also address how students feel in
addition to what they are taught. Chen describes this
as a student’s “learning attitude” (2010, p. 79)
 In order for students to be successful and receptive to
learning, how they feel about themselves and their
environment must be taken in to account.
 A student who has a poor attitude may be seen as a
student that does not want to learn. In order to
effectively teach this student, the emotional well being
will need to be addressed as well, particularly the
interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence of students.
 This is accomplished through Social and Emotional
Learning (SEL). This programs are geared to addressing
the emotional needs of students in addition to curricular
needs.

8. Assessment
 Chen describes the learning environment as a
classroom stool, each leg representing an
essential part: Curriculum, Teaching and
Assessment. For the stool to be balanced,
each area must be structurally sound.
 Typically, assessment in today’s classroom
focuses on what is taught. Chen states this as
“Neither teachers nor students want to waste
their time on teaching and learning beyond
what they are assessed on” (2010, p. 76).
 Other countries around the world are focusing
on performance based assessment tools in
which students are challenged to perform
tasks to show learning.