Jim McLaughlin's Blog

No matter the truth! The important is the possibility! To create something new through the intersection of ideas can be an interesting challenge if the intention is indeed to find relevant items in the ideas of others and not just a confrontation. When we try to be creative and innovate, that is when we want… Read more

Let’s stop believing that standardized tests, factual coverage, a focus on discrete skills, traditional multiple choice end of course tests, a teach-test-move on mentality, even AP courses, can prepare most students for this new age we are now living in. This new era, with its qualitatively different dimensions — information overload, instant search engines, cheap… Read more

An expert on children and computing, Dr. Seymour Papert is a mathematician and one of the early pioneers of Artificial Intelligence. He is a distinguished professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of major books on children and learning. Here he describes learning environments in which children collaborate around meaningful projects and powerful… Read more

Which is more important for today’s students, critical thinking or creative thinking? It’s a trick question. I may as well ask which is more important, breathing out or breathing in? “Whichever one I need to do right now” is one good answer to this last question. Another is “Neither—since I need both to stay alive.”… Read more

Executives set value propositions for their products — the target market segments, the benefits they provide, and their prices. It’s why a target customer should buy the product. But value propositions go beyond just products. Your personal value proposition (PVP) is at the heart of your career strategy. It’s the foundation for everything in a… Read more