My grandmother and mother both used figurative language more than the average person and beyond colloquialism. In this way, they were like characters penned by Mark Twain. As a child, this was humorous for me and seemed a fun way to talk. They would say things like “She is getting long in the tooth,” when … Continue reading “Everybody has two sticks.”
Category: Uncategorized
Symptoms, causes, and real problems
One challenge of leaders is to sort through symptoms and causes to find the real problems an organization faces. The community will struggle to treat the symptoms or employ the wrong solutions until it is correctly identified and remedied. This video looks at a case study from a school district to help sort through the … Continue reading Symptoms, causes, and real problems
Our students need robot insurance.
Years ago Saturday Night Live shared a brilliant commercial parody for robot insurance to protect seniors from the attacks of robots wanting their medicine for fuel. Actor Sam Waterston authoritatively warns, “You need to feel safe, and that is harder and harder to do now-a-days because robots can strike at any time.” There is enough … Continue reading Our students need robot insurance.
Are your teachers using Teacher Pay Teachers and does it matter?
There is a good chance they already are using it or something like it. Teacher Pay Teachers has been in business since 2006 and tout around 4 million users. Before that, teacher blogs offered up lesson plans that colleagues outside their district could access. Now there is a growing swell of using Open Edcuational Resources … Continue reading Are your teachers using Teacher Pay Teachers and does it matter?
Personalized learning, “You keep using that word…”
Many have pointed out how Star Trek predicts or shapes our use of technology. As our standardized test fetishization grew, computers become more accessible, and software became more complex, I worried that schools would become like the Vulcan academy. Students thrust through the standards at different paces and depth levels, while teachers become more like … Continue reading Personalized learning, “You keep using that word…”
Thinking about thinking
Metacognition saw a boost of interest in public education with the ongoing hullabaloo around growth mindset. Some good points around “thinking about thinking” were introduced, but some of the nuances were lost and some rightly criticized what was being practiced was more akin to Harold Hill’s “Think method.” Even Carol Dweck, the researcher who set the recent growth mindset … Continue reading Thinking about thinking
We really are investing in edtech
We are continuing to invest quite a bit of money and resources in edtech. Recently from Forbes: “Last year, David Bainbridge, CEO of UK-based Knowledgemotion, published an article on TechCrunch titled “Edtech is the Next Fintech.” According to Bainbridge, a new education world has begun with investments in edtech set to reach $252 billion globally … Continue reading We really are investing in edtech
Learning is our fountain of youth, with a little sweat
Life long learning seems to be another example of use-it-or-lose-it, especially when combined with exercise. We have known for a while the benefits of exercise on the brain, but the real benefit is when combined with learning. Brain researcher Aga Burzynska studied Olga Kotelko, who began track and field in her late seventies. Olga lived to … Continue reading Learning is our fountain of youth, with a little sweat
A more democratic public education
We elect officials that set policy and we elect school board members thinking of public education as democratic but it really does not provide enough autonomy for students and teachers. A more democratic education system might be the remedy for the pathology in public education rather than our current treating of the symptoms. Dr. Christopher Emdin addresses … Continue reading A more democratic public education
Indiana shares data around school choice/vouchers
With one of the largest school voucher program’s in the nation, Indiana released their annual report covering participation and payments. The Indianapolis Star offers the report touts a savings. “For example, a new calculation compares this year’s estimated $146 million cost of school vouchers — also known as choice scholarships — to the hypothetical cost … Continue reading Indiana shares data around school choice/vouchers
Coffee spoons and Youtube videos
Prufrock measured his life in coffee spoons. You can measure yours in Youtube videos. They now profess that a billion hours are watched–a day. You can also let the Atlantic help remind you of markers during your lifespan using their interactive timeline based off your birthdate.
Who is winning education?
Pearson not at a loss during a loss. Fallon said: “2016 was a challenging year for Pearson, but we remain the global leader in education, with a strong market position. Education like every other sector and sphere of life is going through this digital transformation. There is going to be a big winner in the … Continue reading Who is winning education?