We had two great committee meetings today, both having to do with different aspects of education.
First, in Higher Education Appropriations we had the privilege to hear from Clayton Christensen, author of “The Innovative University” and other books that challenge the status quo by disruptive techniques. He believes in the realm of higher education those disruptions are:
1. On-line learning.
2. Modular pieces of higher education that can fit seamlessly with other pieces.
3. Removing the boundaries between K-12 and post-secondary education.
4. Finding a common way to frame the issues surrounding higher education. In other words, let’s speak a common language.
Clayton Christensen is the brother of our own Carlton Christensen, Salt Lake City Councilman, who represents the area of Rose Park that I represent in the legislature. Judging from the two of them, they must have had a great Mom.
A photo of Clayton in committee:
And now, if you’d like a reading assignment…..today’s homework assignment is to read “The Innovative University” and share your thoughts with the class.
And speaking of higher ed, today was “Research on the Hill” day where students from the University of Utah and Utah State University came with posters to present their research on a variety of subjects. It was quite a thrill to connect with a USU student, Kira Anjewierden of Bountiful. Her research, in conjunction with fellow USU student Sarah Pope of Sandy, centered on the influence of physical activity on eating disorder risk and emotion regulation in female college athletes.
It was an interesting study, but even more impressive was their ability to discuss the design of the study, statistical analysis and their conclusions. There were probably 30-40 students from each University and the research topics ranged from microgravity, literacy, linguistic patterns, and organic carbon in beaver ponds. Truly, an impressive bunch of students and Sen. Todd Weiler and I were pretty wowed.
The afternoon brought a House Education Standing committee where we had standing room only due to the fact that there were probably 50 students from the American Preparatory Academy visiting. They are one of the strongest charter schools in the state, with several campuses serving different cities, and really exemplify the why and how charters can be so successful in providing choice for parents and students.
During the Education Committee we discussed State-wide Adaptive testing, a great tool for educators that allows a test to adapt the questions on a test to the ability of the test taker. Test results are available immediately, allowing for lesson plan creation that addresses the specific needs of the students. This bill passed out unanimously. There is a significant fiscal note, however, and we will have to see how that gets dealt with as we continue to put the budget together. The other bill we heard was dealing with the UEN, the Utah Education Network, the entity that provides curriculum, student inter actives, professional development, and educational tools to K-12, higher ed, and adult ed across the state, free of charge. It is a tremendously important program to the education community as a whole in our state and this bill creates a board for governance and accountability for the UEN.
