Guest post: Daily Insights from the Heroes in Education: Dailyedventures.com

Occasionally I host guest posts from other educators and those within Microsoft. This post I couldn’t refuse (perhaps because he’s my boss?!) Do give it a read, it is ambitious goal for 2012, a new voice in education everyday – from across the globe.

Innovating in education is tough, day-to-day work, taking many forms. Sometimes, a teacher decides to try something new, and voila! Her students connect, and lives are changed. Sometimes, it is as big as a shift in pedagogy, and the system can be transformed. Or it is as human as a student using technology to make a difference in the way his classmates treat each other, and a school is transformed.

Innovation in education is nothing less than heroic, but the heroes affecting change are just like you and me – normal people, going about their lives, deciding to try something that might be a little different. These are the everyday heroes I talk to each day at www.dailyedventures.com.

Daily Edventures is my yearlong project highlighting one educational hero each day. They talk about their passion for education, their frustrations, and their hopes for the future. But most important, they share their stories so we can all benefit, learn and be inspired.

Take Julio Fontán. His pedagogy has completely transformed the lives of students in Colombia. Or Sir John Daniel, who has devoted his life to making education accessible to everyone. Or Diana Laufenberg, a teacher in Philadelphia who believes standardization stifles innovation and works tirelessly to advocate self-directed learning. Or Colin Horak, who partnered with the freshman class president to transform a class that was known for its many fights and bullying into the most respected class in its high school. And the list goes on – 365 inspiring voices in education throughout 2012.

Each person has a unique story, but they all share a common goal: making education work for our students. I am humbled by each interview, each story. At the end of the day, we all share the same obstacles and the same solutions. I believe that the best way for us all to succeed is to collaborate –share what’s working, and what’s not. The beauty of our connected world today is that none of us has to work in a silo – we can work together to transform education.

Who would you like to hear from? Do you know someone who is making a difference in education? Go to https://www.dailyedventures.com, share, comment on the stories, nominate your own hero by email at dailyedventures@microsoft.com, and watch each day to see if they are featured.

I look forward to hearing from you, and hope you will join me each day.

Thanks,

Anthony Salcito

Vice President, Worldwide Education, Microsoft