As I dig deeper into Disrupting Class, I’m finding more ideas resonating. This one in particular speaks to the dominant categorization of schools…geography. We place students together mostly because of where they live, not what type of learner they are. This is convenient and cost effective. The same is true for Professional Development. What the web enables is customized, personalized learning.

Christensen talks about the tool of separation, that is the ability to break away from the norm and create new and innovative structures. Charter schools are an example of this. Not that they totally get it right but the challenge facing public education remains the battle of what is and isn’t the right way to reform. This battle, unfortunately, will rage on and likely never resolve itself. What we need are pockets of separation that identify specific niches in learning and truly move to a more individualized approach. Schools that do not feel the constraints of their organizations and the pull they have on meeting rigid, one-size-fits-all-standards.