Over the last few years, I’ve come to realize that my greatest duty as a teacher in any capacity is to create the conditions that enable relevant (or at the very least meaningful) and engaging learning and work. These words possess a distinct and critical meaning, too. This conclusion led me to another important discovery: I need to become very critical of my own practices and processes as well as those that are imposed upon…
“Meaning, like beauty, lies both within and outside us. The same experience might be more meaningful for some students than others because of differences in their interests, personal experiences, readiness, and existing relationship with the teacher and with what is being taught. That said, as learners, we all derive greater meaning from experiences that are engaging, relevant, and authentic.” “Meaningfulness relates to but is not the same as relevance. It concerns the extent to which…
We crossed this bridge in Connecticut on Sunday night, landing once again at the Trinity Conference Center for our annual retreat. This is where my year ends and begins. What will your legacy be? This was the question that greeted me upon arrival my very first year, and it’s the one I return to now. I’m wrestling with some questions right now. They’ve kept me quiet here and everywhere online this summer, and this is…
Been thinking on the question I posed at the end of this post. I’m beginning to wonder if some of the more critical “21st Century Skills” that we need to foster in our kids and in ourselves include the ability to assess and effectively respond to the stress created by some of these realities….what would you add? Overwhelming choice and opportunity–because we are bombarded by options, whether it is brands of ketchup on a supermarket…
Lots of kids in my world closing their Facebook accounts in recent weeks. I find this interesting, and I’ve been asking a lot of questions from different populations of former Facebook users. Their responses have been enlightening. Here is what I’ve been told…… In fact, many of them don’t love it. They just know they are supposed to. If they don’t have an account, they are pressured into having one by their peers and sometimes,…
Internet filtering is a reality wherever I work. I’m sure it will remain so for some time to come, and in most cases, for good reason. I’m fortunate to work in places where many of the tools that I prefer to use are open, including Google tools and YouTube and even Facebook. When things are blocked, all of the administrators that I work with are happy to open sites up in order to facilitate great…
Sending positive energy to all of you administering and taking the New York State English Language Arts Assessments this week! Here’s a little treat to reward your efforts. I know many Amy VanDerwater fans. Did you know that she is blogging? Take a peek at how she is celebrating National Poetry Month. Beautiful stuff here!
I bought some new books to devour this week. And I’ve added a new blog to my reader, too. I’m thinking….I like the way Claudia thinks. You can follow her on Twitter too.
I’m not wild about Interactive White Boards. My reasons are fairly simple– we don’t expect young people and teachers to identify their real learning and creative purposes often or early enough, and I question how IWBs facilitate this well. I feel it’s important to begin most learning there, and I have a hunch that when we overlook this, we increase the chances of integrating technology in ways that don’t serve any one very well. So…
I’ve used this video to begin conversations with writers about the development of great ideas in writing. It could also serve as an interesting example of metaphor. I’m sure that every teacher could come up with a different approach for using it. Videos like these can be used in a multitude of contexts and for various purposes. Sometimes, I find myself reconnecting to the videos I’ve bookmarked in some pretty unexpected ways. A couple of…