Every day, 6,000 kids drop out of school, according to  Lisa Gillis of Integrated Educational Strategies.  88% of those kids who drop out of school actually had passing grades.  Still, 1/3 of the kids admitted to U.S. universities need mathematics and literacy remediation, which is a huge cost in many ways.

She explains how blended learning and digital tools are part of the solution to these societal problems.  The technology isn’t just about learning, but it also helps people fit in who otherwise would be outcast; it is about integrating tools that make learning interesting and applying data, so that teachers can personalize learning plans on a per student basis.

Gillis points out that communications can erase geographic barriers and leverage highly qualified teachers; this can have a major impact on children from rural areas.  She asks the question why are we turning off the Internet at school?  She points out that today’s students are digital natives that we are asking to speak another language when at school.

Eric Simons talks about his journey from disinterested student to founder of a start-up, called Class-Connect.  He points out that his company want to help teachers teach.  He says that, “You learn through content.”  What they are trying to do is helping teachers get great content.  He talks about helping teachers discover, organize, collaborate and share content.  Watch the above video to get a sneak peek of their product that will be launching next week.

Watch to the end to see an example of the term that Gillis and Simons use called, Flip Classroom.