Category: Uncategorized
-
6 Ways to Become a Master Learner
Surviving as a teacher these days requires a special set of skills. I’ve written about the fact that my guidance counselor advised me not to learn how to type thinking I wouldn’t need that skill. Boy was she wrong. She had no clue what I would need to know with the advent of the internet…
-
Creativity is a Necessary Teaching Disposition
Creativity is such a fun disposition to develop. I never thought of myself as creative because I’m not terribly artistic and in my experience, most people go straight to art when you start talking about the topic. Creativity is about thinking flexibly. Many people think you are either born creative or you aren’t but there…
-
Motivation Without Grades
The second misconception that caught my eye in the opinion piece entitled Proficiency-based Overreach by Curtis Hier (the same one I referenced in this previous post) from The Burlington Free Press is that students will no longer be motivated in a proficiency-based system because there won’t be traditional grading. The first assumption that is problematic…
-
How Are You “Smart” At Math?
What does it mean to be “smart” at math? Traditionally, one who is fast at math is good at math or smart at math. If it comes easily that is considered a good thing. I recently visited several schools that are communicating a different message about math. I also attended the Creating Balance in an…
-
What All Students Should Know
Beowulf and Hemingway? I have encountered a similar conversation this year amongst many staff, in my own building as well as throughout the state, as we discuss the implications of proficiency based graduation standards. Even those in favor of radical changes are concerned about students leaving school without a foundational knowledge. If they don’t know…
-
My Teacher Told Me Not To Bother With School!
Should We Really Be Focusing on College? How would you feel if a teacher told your kids that they didn’t have to go to school to make a living or be happy? Or that they could make plenty of money without going to college? As a teacher and fervent proponent of education, this certainly makes…
-
Save Time and Empower Kids
This post is coming from a convergence of an extremely busy week filled with planning a new unit, completing my paperwork duties, administering state testing, planning for summer projects, taxes and just regular life and work on top of that. Time is probably a teachers most common enemy. Meanwhile I was reminded of a funny…
-
The purpose of grades?
Are we tapping? Our principal recently asked us to reflect on the purpose of grades. I have already done quite a bit of thinking about this topic. I have some very strong opinions about grades. I thought I already had an answer but then I realized that what he was really asking was about what…
-
A Public Thank You!
I was recently awarded a Rowland fellowship to implement a dynamic personal learning system in my school. I am so proud to have been honored by the Rowland foundation. As I stated in my application for the fellowship, I have literally been waiting for this opportunity (although I didn’t know it would look like this)…
-
How to Succeed as a DIY Learner?
Changing Mindsets About Online Courses Many people argue that Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC’s) have failed because completion rates are so low. I would argue that we are just beginning to learn how to personalize learning by using all the resources we now have in our digital lives. Many schools are formalizing this process for…