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Tag: policy

Learning, Schools and a Great Big World

Learning, Schools and a Great Big World

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For those of you who have been regular readers you know I struggle with traditional schooling and how it confines and limits learning. I have raised two children who were interested in computers, gaming, digital art, ancient languages, ancient arts and mythologies, topics not part of most school curriculum.  A good deal of their learning took place outside of traditional schooling, some times instead of it.  I know schools can’t be all things to all people, nor should they.  But…

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Everything Old is New Again

Everything Old is New Again

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I feel like I am stuck in an episode of the twilight zone doomed to repeat past mistakes. It is as if someone has put my professional life on a loop. I just can’t break out of the cyclical madness of educational programs and trends. Let’s take a walk down memory lane. There are many terms, phrases and programs that keep reappearing in education. Below are a list of some that have appeared in recent times, though likely they are…

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Degrees of Urgency: Some Thoughts

Degrees of Urgency: Some Thoughts

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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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How To Change Education…

How To Change Education…

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Welcome back to school!  Those of us in the world of formal education are now deep into the process and our summers of relaxation, professional development and planning have morphed into the daily work of teaching and learning with our students. As we begin our new school year I would like to encourage you to watch a talk by Ken Robinson on How to Change Education from the Ground Up. Many of us are dealing with changes in curriculum as we…

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Thoughts on “Teaching for Subservience”

Thoughts on “Teaching for Subservience”

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For someone who currently works in public education I find myself constantly asking why do we do what we do? Why school?  I have been fortunate enough to work in public, private and international schools.  I have seen a wide range of expectations for students, teachers and schools  from parents, school boards and governments. I recently read Doug Johnson’s post “Teaching for the Subservience” where he ponders the the question “how many schools for the governors truly exist?”  I guess…

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Beginning to Reflect

Beginning to Reflect

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I work as a technology integration specialist, an instructional coach if you will. Every year my role is different. The focus keeps changing and it takes on different dimensions. At times I am evangelist, troubleshooter, tinker, researcher, dreamer, clerk, record keeper, obstacle and teacher. As the summer begins I look back on the past year and the work I have done within my district and with educators outside the district. I am beginning to reflect on the highs and lows, strengths and weaknesses,…

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Search Engines, Social Media and Privacy

Search Engines, Social Media and Privacy

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Its been cool and damp on Cape Cod the last few days so I thought I would take the opportunity to work on material for a workshop, Web Literacy: Researching the Web for a Different Perspective, I am facilitating in July. There is a section of the workshop that covers how search engines work. This was pretty straightforward a few years back, before social media and behavioral advertising became main stream. At a basic level search engines ranked material on the…

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