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What Does Reasoning Mind Do?
Reasoning Mind (RM) provides online math and science courses based on proven curricula for middle and high school students. Independent evaluation confirms that RM's products lead to extraordinary gains in students' knowledge. But RM is much more than just a collection of efficient distance learning courses. Reasoning Mind aims to revolutionize education in America. The key to this goal lies in the groundbreaking concept of the Reasoning Mind Learning Community (RMLC) , a powerful framework that brings together and unites the best educational practices. The RMLC is the answer to some of the most pressing and difficult problems of effective learning. The RMLC ensures that:
By providing an open data structure and universal standards, RM eliminates the unnecessary duplication of infrastructure costs while maintaining competition between providers. Thus, contributors can concentrate on educational content and pedagogy, while still retaining full control over their efforts. Common research tools in a shared environment will allow meaningful comparisons - it will finally be possible to definitively answer questions about which teaching methods work best for different kinds of learners. This coordinated work of hundreds of organizations, educators, and teachers will bring enormous benefits to students - the ability to use a pedagogy that is both proven and personalized to their needs. The RMLC will do for learning what the Internet did for information exchange. Through the RMLC in conjunction with the company's excellent curricula, Reasoning Mind hopes to provide a truly good education to every child in the nation and eventually all over the world. What Makes Reasoning Mind Different? Reasoning Mind is unique because:
What Will Reasoning Mind Do in the Future? We will change the way the world learns. Reasoning Mind is already developing the next version of the Reasoning Mind Learning Community, scheduled for deployment in 2005. The community is scalable to hundreds of thousands of students, and has an unprecedented scope and flexibility. This system is not just a learning environment - it is an enormously extensive platform, uniting Reasoning Mind's programs with programs offered by others. As such, Reasoning Mind is not simply a single education company - it's an entirely new way of teaching and learning, a new and infinitely more dynamic and powerful learning community. What Will Reasoning Mind's Online Community Eventually Be Like? Practically every student in the nation and millions of students from other countries works in the Reasoning Mind system, studying a variety of subjects, from math to foreign languages to art. For every subject and each student, the system selects the best pedagogical method from dozens of different methods created by educational experts. When the system determines additional help is needed, students tutor their peers in lower grades. College students, educated adults and retired professionals provide tutoring where this is not enough. To spark students' interests in knowledge and creative work, guest lecturers from academia, the arts scene and the business world address groups of students and host seminars on various topics. The system places students into teams, competing in solving problems, performing research, reviewing each other's literary work, or performing online concerts. Students themselves love the system. Every child finds something that stimulates him or her and evokes active participation. For those that most value material gain, a point-based system of rewards is in place, encouraging their study. For students who seek knowledge, nothing offers more. Finally, for students seeking to help others, the system's tutoring capabilities provide countless opportunities to teach. The RM system provides the option of a first-rate education to every student with access to a computer in the world. Logical and creative thought is developed, along with the ability and desire to work in collaboration and for the good of society. A generation of much-needed knowledge workers is raised - a generation that is global in its perceptions, having been taught in a truly international environment, and capable of creative and non-standard thought. In America, the problems with secondary education are solved. Above all the system is a long-awaited aide for teachers, since it gives them the tools to address the individual needs of every single student; teachers who previously were forced to work with overly large classes are now able to single out students and give them the one-on-one attention that they need. Moreover, teachers are able to set up collaborative learning environments for their classes, allowing their students to interact with each other in productive ways; teachers also use the system for professional development, taking classes on the newest ways to teach various topics. At last, the teaching profession is given the respect it deserves as the single most important profession in today's society. Why is Reasoning Mind Non-Profit? Improving our K-12 educational system is a monumental task. As such, it cannot be accomplished by any single company or organization. However, this task can be solved if individuals with the same goals as RM unite around common educational principles. The concept of the RMLC offers a powerful open platform, making this sort of cooperation possible. The need to develop and to make such a platform available to all interested parties has determined RM's form of operation as a non-profit organization. This form allows RM to focus on its main and only goal - to help students learn and achieve by radically improving our instructional practices. This defines our entire philosophy. Specifically,
Can This Really Work? An independently validated pilot project demonstrated that Reasoning Mind's concepts are highly effective. Moreover, RM's business plan shows that the company's business model is solid and viable. The nation's children are in dire need of help; through a joint effort, the dream of a truly good education for every child in America can finally become a reality. Reasoning Mind has a clear vision for a solution to this vital problem. This document in PDF format is available for download on our Publications page. |
