1
EDITORIAL Turning ideas into action David L. Turpin, Editor-in-Chief Seattle, Wash L attie F. Coor, a past president of Arizona State University, is currently CEO of the Center for the Future of Arizona (www.ArizonaFuture. org)—an organization he likes to call a “do tank.” It is dedicated to an action agenda to improve the quality of life for all Arizonans now and for years to come. Dr Coor met with the AAO Board of Trustees on June 23, 2006, to discuss the social and economic impacts of change as it affects our educational institutions, a topic in which he has great personal experience. Dr Coor quoted Seth Godin 1 when describing the idea-driven economy: “The first 100 years of our country’s history were about who could build the biggest, most efficient farms. The second 100 years were about the race to build efficient factories. Wel- come to the third century: this one’s about ideas.” This relates to one of the most critical areas of concern for your Board of Trustees—the education of tomorrow’s orthodontists. This is also an area in which Lattie Coor has had an opportunity to learn on the job as he rose to prominence in higher education during a period of rapid change in Arizona. Taking us directly into the classroom, Dr Coor started his presentation by describing a graduate-level class he currently teaches at Arizona State. It involves an entirely different model for learning and makes use of the teaching software, Blackboard Academic Suite (Blackboard, Washington, DC). This software’s pow- erful capabilities enable institutions to improve student outcomes and enhance teaching and learning. It has become a mission-critical application at educational institutions around the world. The students are first asked to establish their own sites using the software and to begin to interact with others in the same class. Before their first face-to-face meeting with the teacher and the other students, they will have already completed sev- eral assigned searches and interacted intensively with all other students and the instructor with the Blackboard software. They will know why they are there and what they are expected to learn. “How,” you might ask, “does this have anything to do with orthodontic education?” It might not have a direct application, but the concept of change probably does. The AAO House of Delegates recently voted to take $2 million from reserves to increase funding for our orthodontic departments during the next school year. Each school must apply for and report specifically how this money is spent. I am not so naive as to believe that this money will revolutionize the teaching of orthodontics, but I do believe that some bright people in our universities will find new ways to make their teaching methods more effective. These people and their departments should be rewarded over time. This type of response could, in turn, lead to a host of other changes by schools that would solve the way educators are funded. According to Lattie Coor, medical schools learned some time ago that a wide variety of resources must be tapped to provide accumulated funding levels for maintaining the best physicians in teaching and research activities. When teaching salaries dropped below 75% of what physicians could earn in private practice, it became impossible to maintain the desired levels of good educators. The very same financial forces are in full operation in our specialty; teaching salaries are less than 50% of those in private practice. This model is not sustainable in any field of learning and must eventually be ad- dressed directly. The AAO subsidies for this school year are only a small part of the equation. Other options include limited private-practice opportunities for full- time faculty members, more half-time faculty appoint- ments with prorated benefits, increased research grants, greater sharing of clinical income, alumni support, and reductions in AAO dues and meeting registration fees. Without these changes, a long-term solution will re- main elusive. As soon as we can secure lasting financial support of about 75% of what can be earned in private practice, we will find the talent needed to teach orthodontic residents well into the 21st century. This is what I learned from Lattie F. Coor, a leader in education who knows how to turn ideas into action. REFERENCE 1. Godin S. Available at: www.fastcompany.com/magazine/37/ide- avirus.html/. Accessed July 10, 2006. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2006;130:271 0889-5406/$32.00 Copyright © 2006 by the American Association of Orthodontists. doi:10.1016/j.ajodo.2006.07.009 271

Turning ideas into action

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EDITORIAL

Turning ideas into actionDavid L. Turpin, Editor-in-Chief

Seattle, Wash

Lattie F. Coor, a past president of Arizona StateUniversity, is currently CEO of the Center forthe Future of Arizona (www.ArizonaFuture.

org)—an organization he likes to call a “do tank.” It isdedicated to an action agenda to improve the quality oflife for all Arizonans now and for years to come. DrCoor met with the AAO Board of Trustees on June 23,2006, to discuss the social and economic impacts ofchange as it affects our educational institutions, a topicin which he has great personal experience.

Dr Coor quoted Seth Godin1 when describing theidea-driven economy: “The first 100 years of ourcountry’s history were about who could build thebiggest, most efficient farms. The second 100 yearswere about the race to build efficient factories. Wel-come to the third century: this one’s about ideas.”

This relates to one of the most critical areas ofconcern for your Board of Trustees—the education oftomorrow’s orthodontists. This is also an area in whichLattie Coor has had an opportunity to learn on the jobas he rose to prominence in higher education during aperiod of rapid change in Arizona.

Taking us directly into the classroom, Dr Coorstarted his presentation by describing a graduate-levelclass he currently teaches at Arizona State. It involvesan entirely different model for learning and makes useof the teaching software, Blackboard Academic Suite(Blackboard, Washington, DC). This software’s pow-erful capabilities enable institutions to improve studentoutcomes and enhance teaching and learning. It hasbecome a mission-critical application at educationalinstitutions around the world. The students are firstasked to establish their own sites using the software andto begin to interact with others in the same class. Beforetheir first face-to-face meeting with the teacher and theother students, they will have already completed sev-eral assigned searches and interacted intensively withall other students and the instructor with the Blackboardsoftware. They will know why they are there and whatthey are expected to learn.

“How,” you might ask, “does this have anything to

Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2006;130:2710889-5406/$32.00Copyright © 2006 by the American Association of Orthodontists.

doi:10.1016/j.ajodo.2006.07.009

do with orthodontic education?” It might not have adirect application, but the concept of change probablydoes. The AAO House of Delegates recently voted totake $2 million from reserves to increase funding forour orthodontic departments during the next schoolyear. Each school must apply for and report specificallyhow this money is spent. I am not so naive as to believethat this money will revolutionize the teaching oforthodontics, but I do believe that some bright people inour universities will find new ways to make theirteaching methods more effective. These people andtheir departments should be rewarded over time. Thistype of response could, in turn, lead to a host of otherchanges by schools that would solve the way educatorsare funded. According to Lattie Coor, medical schoolslearned some time ago that a wide variety of resourcesmust be tapped to provide accumulated funding levelsfor maintaining the best physicians in teaching andresearch activities. When teaching salaries droppedbelow 75% of what physicians could earn in privatepractice, it became impossible to maintain the desiredlevels of good educators.

The very same financial forces are in full operationin our specialty; teaching salaries are less than 50% ofthose in private practice. This model is not sustainablein any field of learning and must eventually be ad-dressed directly. The AAO subsidies for this schoolyear are only a small part of the equation. Other optionsinclude limited private-practice opportunities for full-time faculty members, more half-time faculty appoint-ments with prorated benefits, increased research grants,greater sharing of clinical income, alumni support, andreductions in AAO dues and meeting registration fees.Without these changes, a long-term solution will re-main elusive.

As soon as we can secure lasting financial supportof about 75% of what can be earned in private practice,we will find the talent needed to teach orthodonticresidents well into the 21st century. This is what Ilearned from Lattie F. Coor, a leader in education whoknows how to turn ideas into action.

REFERENCE

1. Godin S. Available at: www.fastcompany.com/magazine/37/ide-

avirus.html/. Accessed July 10, 2006.

271