In this special edition of Future of Learning Top Reads, I'm sharing LinkedIn updates and tweets from three people I admire and from whom I try to learn as much as possible.

As MIT has shown (first article linked here), the more diverse your network, the more creative your thinking.

 Who are you following, and how do they stretch your thinking?

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Why does this matter to the future of learning? Jeff Selingo is the former editor-in-chief of the Chronicle of Higher Education and author of There Is Life After College, a book that should be required reading for every educator and parent. In this LinkedIn update, he is putting his finger on a leading indicator (canary in the coalmine?) for higher education: a merger between a struggling school and a thriving school. As demographics, endlessly rising tuitions, income inequality, and uncertain ROI for college degrees continue to impact enrollment, we may see more mergers and acquisitions. The introduction of exponential technologies (immersive tech, AI, and more) will create further chaos. At Basecamp, we predict the same challenges for expensive independent schools. In the future, schools that thrive must begin envisioning a new business model now by taking into account all of the above... and more.

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Why does this matter to the future of learning? Educators would do well to pay attention to industry leaders when they talk about learning. One way to paraphrase Nadella (who is himself quoting another source) is that the foundation for the most impactful learning is a growth mindset. While the concept of growth mindset is now widely known in education circles, the practice of it by educators lags. As my friend and former colleague Patrick Sillup often says, "A teacher cannot design and deliver an experience for students that the teacher hasn't had yet himself." Every school leader should design opportunities for faculty and staff to practice growth mindset. In the future that is already here, schools that thrive will have growth mindset cultures.

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Why does this matter to the future of learning? It should be self evident that Charlottesville is essential curriculum. Whether "your kids" are your biological children or the students in your care, you have an obligation to engage them in an exploration of the facts and the implications of what happened a few weeks ago. I follow Jane Martinez Dowling, the Director of Programs for KIPP, because she understands the intersection of learning and civil rights--which has re-emerged as one of the most important social justice issues of our time. You cannot be a thriving school if you do not embrace your moral, ethical, and professional obligation to form students for active citizenship.

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