We started our study of the Cold War last week with a video called “Pretty Much the Cold War.” Imagine Napoleon Dynamite narrating Dr. Strangelove and you get the picture.
After watching the video, students chose three Cold War topics to research and interrelate in a student-designed project.
What I love about student choice is that teachers [...]
After describing our soundtrack projects in my last post, I got to thinking about my soundtrack for teaching right now. How do I feel? Which songs speak to me about school these days?
Here’s a playlist. The lyrics are pretty safe, but be sure to “preview” the songs before playing’em at work.
Eric Lindell, “Give It Time”
When [...]
It doesn’t surprise me that iPods are popular, or that I like them as much as my students do. Our iPods are our 1:1 music devices, customizable reflections of our interests and emotions. They are our 1:1 identity, expression, and need-fulfillment devices. When we need to feel big, we find big music. [...]
My wife got a new bike last week, so we brought out the tricycle for our little girl, and I dusted off my circa 1991 Lance Mountain Powell Peralta skateboard for our son.
Without over-sharing, I’m amazed at how my son is learning skateboarding. Every time he falls, he gets back up. He picks [...]
This past week I rediscovered the UVA Young Writers Workshop. I’ve been looking around for out-of-school learning opportunities that could replace parts of the traditional school day to bring more authentic work into schools without diluting the power or appeal of the programs. Too Quixotic?
Margo Figgins, an associate professor with the university’s Curry School [...]
Scary Thoughts
Schools wound kids and adults. Our answer: more of the same.
Executive power over schools is expanding without checks and balances from teachers, parents, or students. Democracy is virtually extinct within schools outside of civics and government standards. It’s not impossible that scripted instruction and instructional designs from virtual and F2F content providers will [...]
Last night we hosted our first Expo Night. Our students did a great job of self-selecting quality work to share with their parents. We’ve been open for a year and a half. I think it’s taken that long to re-engage students with the kind of pride and effort they put into sharing their [...]
Chad teaches humanities at a charter school and blogs on reforming classroom practice and democratic education.
