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 …
So, the whole pitch idea and citizen-artist project a moving along okay. We’ve started with lots of interactive-notebook-like visualizations of concepts and terms related to citizenship and some initial analysis of Jacob Lawrence’s life and work. I think maybe this project will take longer than I thought and become more episodic. For example, every Friday …
Our impromptu two week vacation at the beginning of February did little for our teamwork. It seems like we need to be together to practice cooperating. Or, really, do we? If we had a social network (or better used our existing Edmodo network) or virtual day set up, couldn’t student teams compete with one another …
What’s the goal of differentiation? Mastery of a curriculum? Inquiry-based life-long learning? Relationship building? Can we ask the question another way: what is school? Is it 1:1 learning? Is it 1:1 curriculum? Is it 1:1 access to “the best of what’s been thought and said?” Is it the 1:1:1:1:1… replication of workers or citizens? We …
To continue last year’s goal-setting and teamwork practice with New Super Mario Bros Wii, this year we’re going to mash up Mario Kart and cycling teams. Last year we used a lives-lost-per-level ratio to determine which teams of players were most efficient at preserving one another’s lives. Teams with more fluent players were sometimes at …
I am heartsick waiting for a national educational vision, leader, professional organization, and administration that can think outside the bubble and break the 8 1/2 x 11″ margins of school learning. In response to Michelle Rhee’s new studentsfirts.org initiative, I’d like to offer the following convictions: My mission is to defend the safety, dignity, independence, …
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. When we need …
The best thing I ever did for my teaching was to stop teaching. Before I get into that, here’s a quick to-do list for next year. Organize better for self-directed learning. I shifted my work with students into a more democratic, self-directed space midway through the year in an attempt to improve our relationships, to …
My brain itches. I’m hitting the wall separating what I saw and what I see. I need to pull an Inception and start dreaming the wall and walking on it instead of familiar ground. I’m looping with our school’s inaugural class for the third straight year. I feel a desperate need to get it right. …