I always enjoy when great journalists step into our world of education technology and take a look around. So it is with Rebecca Mead’s profile of Brooklyn’s Altschool in the upcoming issue of The New Yorker this week. Mead hits all the high points of our entire editorial calendar in just a few thousand words—from devices in the classroom to debates over standards to data-driven personalized learning. The first read had me scratching my head a bit with what seemed like “no duh” descriptions, however well written: “When I visited a mixed classroom for second and third graders, most of the children were sunk into their laptops. All were engaged in bespoke activities that had been assigned to them through a “playlist”—software that displays a series of digital “cards” containing instructions for a task to be completed. Sometimes it was an online task.” Woah, really? Upon reflection though, I realize that so much of the stuff we have covered for years is still new to the “outside” world. I recommend a reading. I may even read the hardcopy version! —Kevin Hogan, Content Director
