AMTRAK Re-imagined

Designer Cameron Booth created this design of the AMTRAK’s rail network in the style of a subway map.  This is unique for a number of reasons.  First, no one has conceptualized AMTRAK’s network in quite this way before.  Also, even AMTRAK’s current service map does not include all rail stations and route information  nationwide.  Finally, if you have ever tried to travel on AMTRAK, you can now see why it takes an incredibly long time to get nowhere near your destination, unless you’re traveling between Boston and Atlanta.  Read the full story @ GOOD Design.

School of ONE

Are Hybrid Schools the Answer?  The Following text is by Liz Dwyer of Good:

Talk to any teacher—veteran or neophyte—and she’ll tell you that one of the most challenging things is teaching students who are at different levels. Imagine the effort and skill required to teach a fourth grade class where a few kids read are struggling with Dr. Seuss, a few are zipping through the last Harry Potter book, and everyone else is somewhere in between.

Of course, savvy teachers already know to use technology to either push kids or provide extra help, but what if tech tools could be used to provide a completely customizable education experience throughout the entire school day?

A few innovative campuses—currently called “hybrid schools” because teachers and technology work together—are cropping up across the country. The latest issue of Education Next spotlights some of the great innovations happening at these hybrid schools and New York City’s School of One, which operates on three public middle school campuses, really stands out. It even uses a computer program that has an algorithm that figures out exactly how to teach specific skills to individual kids.

In the video above, Joel Rose, the leader of School of One, explains their methodology. It’s impressive to see the amount of technology they have at their disposal as well as the personalization the programs provide. Of course, the model does raise a few questions. Is it scalable to the entire public school system? And in an era of budget cuts, can districts even afford the technology investment?