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Category: Learning

Making the Most of the New Year

Making the Most of the New Year

A new year means a time for reflection and a new start, as educators we get two every year.  We start fresh each school year and get a boost mid-way through with the start of a new calendar year.  I take the winter break to reflect on how the year is going and what type of course corrections need to be made.  How will I make the most of the second half of the school year? How will I make…

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A Teacher’s Thoughts on Testing

A Teacher’s Thoughts on Testing

A colleague of mine shared with me An Open Letter to American From a Public School Teacher, by Michael Mau.  It is a really is a good read and gets you thinking. I know many educators who are questioning why they are still in education. The classroom educational experience has undergone many changes in the last couple of decades and teachers feel they are being pulled in conflicting directions increase personalized learning and creativity and increase standardized testing.  Not that…

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Degrees of Urgency: Some Thoughts

Degrees of Urgency: Some Thoughts

The state recently released “a report to the people of Massachusetts from the Massachusetts department of higher education Oct  2014” It is a pretty lengthy read on why we need more graduates particularly in the STEM fields of nursing and computer science.  The background context is colleges are underfunded.  There was much discussion on how to get graduation rates up and in less then 6 years.  The report was also looking at ways to keep students in state schools and…

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Education vs Regurgitation

Education vs Regurgitation

As a brand new teacher I believed I could go thorough my scripted lesson plan, and point like a conductor to select students who I could guide through to the desired out comes.  I believe that if they played along, paid attention and did the work I provided they would all learn and be successful on the tests. If we all just followed the lesson all would be well. But…. there was always the fidgety kids in the back who…

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Supporting Complex Change

Supporting Complex Change

Integrating technology, project based learning, personalized instruction, etc all require a change in a teacher’s pedagogical practice.  That is a pretty complex change as there is nothing simple about people, teaching and learning.  The teachers I support are my ‘students’. I need to know what is not working or missing to help them achieve success as they continually fine tune and perfect their craft.  Over the years I have used Knoster’s thoughts on managing complex change. There are various versions…

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Thinking about Professional Development

Thinking about Professional Development

Summer is a time for relaxation and renewal for educators.  It is the season where we recharge the batteries, reflect on our success and failure and rethink what we will do next year.  During this “down time” many educators participated in curriculum writing and professional development.  Tim Holt recently shared his thoughts on professional development are we preparing cooks or chefs? They echo some of my thinking. I dislike the term “training”  I am often asked if I will be…

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Promise, Potential, Achievement

Promise, Potential, Achievement

First let’s set the context Take a moment…. Watch Hank Green – The Myth of Greatness and John Green – Deserving If you have time read John Green: Teenager, Aged 36 to give some perspective to what you just watched.  It’s a bit long, it begins as a book review but then goes back to the history of John and Hank and how they got to where they are now. It is a story of hard work, persistence, hope and…

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