August 15, 2013
After taking my final morning commute, I sat down at my computer one last time with the daunting task of putting words to my DC experience. This morning’s rare but refreshing cool breeze was a faint reminder of home, almost as if it intended to make today’s finality more vivid. The California sun was soon […]
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August 9, 2013
This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with my home district’s Congresswoman, Lois Capps, in my first ever encounter with a federal politician. I was prepared to be rushed in and out of her office just to shake her hand and get a quick picture taken, knowing the endless demand and limited supply […]
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August 6, 2013
I shoved my annotated, well-used copy of Pedagogy of the Oppressed into my book bag as class ended and I approached my professor, Dr. Carrillo. I told Dr. Carrillo, an education professor, that I had finalized my summer plans: I would be interning with The Center for Education Reform in Washington, DC. I joked that […]
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August 1, 2013
CER Intern Callie Wendell looks back on her experience as an intern in Washington, DC, recalling what she has learned about education policy, and how it will affect her future endeavors.
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July 30, 2013
Last Wednesday the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) had a Google hangout discussion with leaders in the for-profit education field, in which they discussed the central question of “can you be for-profit and for students?” It was an interesting question, to say the least, and AEI scholar Frederick Hess and Michael Horn of the Clayton Christensen […]
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July 24, 2013
“What are you doing this summer in DC?” I reply, of course, that I am working at a long-standing pioneer organization in the education reform movement. More often than not the answer is met with a blank stare of confusion. “Well it’s an advocacy group that has been around for twenty years that provides information, […]
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July 24, 2013
I have been in Washington D.C. for 6 weeks now and I cannot believe the immense amount of opportunities I have had while here through the program I am with, The Fund for American Studies (TFAS), personal connections and of course, through CER. TFAS is an organization that gives students from around the world the […]
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July 17, 2013
Today a few fellow interns and I ventured out to the Capitol for the Congressional E-Learning Caucus Briefing on K-12 Competency-Based Education. Originally I had thought that the speakers planned to center their panel discussion on virtual learning programs to share information about technology’s potential role in the classroom. But virtual learning ended up being […]
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July 17, 2013
Before attending the iNACOL e-Learning Caucus held on Tuesday, I have to admit that my thoughts on virtual learning were utterly wrong. The truth is, when I thought of anything regarding “online schools,” I imagined a child sitting alone at home in their pajamas, wading their way through curriculum with only the companionship of a […]
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July 17, 2013
The moderator, Susan Patrick, provided an excellent explanation of competency-based learning and technology’s potential to enhance individual educational outcomes. Patrick described a common dilemma in classrooms: students understand concepts and materials at different paces. But this reality is not reflected in traditional classrooms, where students move through curriculum in packs. The student who quickly understands […]
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