Flipping Bloom's Taxonomy

by | May 15, 2012 | Less Teacher, More Student, Passion Based Learning, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices

I think the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy is wrong. I agree that the taxonomy accurately classifies various types of cognitive thinking skills. It certainly identifies the different levels of complexity. But its organizing framework is dead wrong. Here’s what I propose. In the 21st century, we flip Bloom’s taxonomy. Rather than starting with knowledge, we start with creating, and eventually discern the knowledge that we need from it.

Life in a Inquiry Driven, Technology-Embedded, Connected Classroom: English

by | Nov 30, 2011 | Less Teacher, More Student, Passion Based Learning, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices, Web Tools That Deepen Learning

One of the most important things we can do is teach our students how to use social media wisely, and how social media can be used for social good. In grade 11 English this semester, we’ve chosen to create a social media campaign to raise awareness around modern slavery. It’s not enough for my students to learn about slavery, they need to do something with it, specifically “real world” projects that matter.

The courage to change to student-centered learning

The courage to change to student-centered learning

by | Mar 7, 2011 | Less Teacher, More Student, Voices

Changing to a student-centered, skill-based, technology embedded classroom is scary business. I think all teachers must have times when they’re faced with the decision to continue on the safe road that they know, or radically depart on a way that they believe to be better, but the specific route and outcomes are unknown. In all honesty, sometimes I’ve chosen the former, and sometimes the latter. For the last five months, I’ve consistently chosen the latter, and they have been the most challenging and fulfilling five months of my career.