We Always Care about Kids at Testing Time

by | Mar 26, 2012 | Less Teacher, More Student, Making The Shift, Student Life, Voices

I’m thinking more than ever about my kids, who they are as whole children, and what the real worth of the schooling they receive might be. I’m wondering why we educators, both administration and faculty, don’t send these same kind of notes home all year long. Why aren’t sleep and nutrition and stress reduction equally important the other 171 days of the school year?

Pocket-Based Learning: My Cellphone Classroom

by | Mar 9, 2012 | Less Teacher, More Student, Making The Shift, Passion Based Learning, Student Life, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices

I am a proponent of BYOD (bring your own device) learning. I very rarely travel anywhere without my iPhone or iPad, and I can’t really blame my students if they do the same. I see the “addiction” students have to their cell phones as an opportunity to engage in learning since I view cell phones as another teaching tool, not a distraction. The technology is in their pockets. It’s a learning resource. Let’s use it!

I'm Not Surprised that Older Teachers Experiment More with Technology

by | Mar 7, 2012 | Less Teacher, More Student, Making The Shift, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices

Without the advantage of lots of experience, newer teachers struggle with curriculum pacing, instructional and behavior management, and knowing how to keep ever-increasing numbers of students learning in small classroom spaces. Experienced teachers have these basics mastered and are ready to tackle the challenges of experimenting with all kinds of new instructional tools…including new technology.

Digital Portfolios for Primary Students!

by | Feb 27, 2012 | Creating Global Classrooms, Less Teacher, More Student, Making The Shift, Uncategorized, Voices

I have been using my students’ blogs as digital portfolios for several years. By the end of the school year, they reflect each child’s learning in many subject areas from the first weeks of school until the last. In addition to showing the development of our writing skills, we make podcasts of our reading fluency at different points in the school year, and use webtools to show our learning in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies and health.

Dig Deep with Project-Based Learning

by | Feb 23, 2012 | Less Teacher, More Student, Passion Based Learning, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices

Project Based Learning was never something I spent too much time pondering. Just another way to assess learning, right? Well, I didn’t quite “get it.” Turns out PBL is not simply a culminating project at the end of a unit. It’s the learning experience that takes place throughout the project process. If you want to see your K-12 students’ eyes light up with excitement and watch them approach learning with more enthusiasm than ever before, PBL/Inquiry-Based Learning is for you. I encourage you to read on…

My Students Put Their 21st Century Skills to the Test

by | Feb 20, 2012 | Less Teacher, More Student, Making The Shift, Passion Based Learning, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices

This exciting and demanding opportunity for my students to serve as ejournalists at Canada’s National Rural Congress is the “exam” I’ve been preparing them for. I think this is the future of education: authentic tasks; embedded, mobile, BYOD technology. What students can memorize and spew back on a Biology or English final has no ability to tell me how they will perform in a high pressure situation like this. But I think they’re up for the task.