January 2012
2 posts
What if we had a 1:1 Newton Initiative?
When I started teaching in 2008, I inherited a number of tools once labeled “cutting edge” and some were even called “indispensable.” Things like the overhead projector (who could possibly teach without one?) and the laserdisc. Throw in the zip drives and floppy disks (of the 5.5 inch variety, of course… although I’ve heard tales of larger, less capable...
Perceived Value in the Classroom
Why is it that some activities have the rapt attention of your students but as soon as you switch to something else, you’ve lost them?Why is it that your monologue on SOHCAHTOA doesn’t seem to be as interesting to your students as the latest search results on Google Images or the social life of the person sitting next to them? Why do teachers text/email/talk during professional...
November 2011
2 posts
Digital Citizenship: Where Did We Go Wrong?
This is cross-posted on the EdReach Network. Also, check out the most recent EdReach Show for more on digital citizenship. Let’s be honest: In the area of digital citizenship, as educators, we are not doing our jobs. Sure, there are pockets of excellence and teachers here and there that are raising this issue, but overall, it’s just another buzz word that we read about in the...
Learning in a Vacuum
Show of hands, who is guilty of the following phrases?“Worry about yourself.” “Focus on your own work.”“Don’t bother your neighbor.” “No talking.”Naturally, there are times when these might be appropriate, but I think they are often overused. It’s as thought we’re teaching to students who are learning in a vacuum, completely...
October 2011
6 posts
When Incompetence Meets Authority
I don’t envy middlemen. They have the greatest opportunity in the world to be a game-changer. However, they have even more opportunity to get it wrong. They have two parties they have to please in any given transaction. Think about the last time you bought something from Amazon that was actually being sold by a third party. Amazon was just the middleman in that transaction. Generally...
The Importance of Finishing Well
Today is Friday. These three words typically elicit positive emotions and reactions from the people I interact with, including those that wish me a happy POETS day or TGIF. That’s our attitude, isn’t it? We can’t wait for our two-day break from the horrors of the workplace. Apparently it’s better for us to be miserable five days a week so that we REALLY enjoy our time off...
Viral Education
Have you ever seen that crazy YouTube video called “David After Dentist”? Of course you have. So have tens of millions of others. Or maybe “Charlie Bit Me”? How did these run-of-the-mill videos, typically just private moments with a family, become global sensations? They went viral.Someone uploaded the video and sent it to a few friends or family. They thought it was...
In Education, There are no Magic Beans
We live in a society completely infatuated with the notion that there should be a quick-fix for everything. Got a cough? Try this lozenge. Headache? This pill should do the trick. Sudden breakout? This cream will clear you up overnight! Need to find directions to the nearest drugstore to purchase these items? Well, there’s an app for that. Our entire way of marketing revolves around solving...
Showing Up for Work
Yesterday morning we were sent a list of students that would be invited to attend Saturday school to try and make up for days missed previously in the year. This is an interesting idea, akin to coming in to work on an evening or a weekend after being out with illness or even on vacation. After all, there’s work to be done, right?Here’s the problem: it’s based on the archaic...
hm. well *this* is interesting... typo, maybe?
September 2011
6 posts
Find Your Calling
In our minds, we all have something we would love to do professionally. Maybe we have more than one thing. For example, I love to play golf, I really enjoy drinking coffee, and I have a lot of fun giving presentations and/or public speaking. However, we also have to make a living. Drinking coffee, though enjoyable, doesn’t pay well. Well, most of the time… In our work lives, we need to...
Choosing Your Day
This morning was our bi-weekly department meeting. Well, actually, it was everyone else’s department meeting. I don’t teach one of the “Big Four” so I don’t get a department meeting. Instead, I rotate through the other subject areas and look for ways that I can contribute to the success of their subjects. This morning I attended the English/Language Arts/Reading...
Why Are We Doing This?
One of the activities for my students is to create a brochure using Microsoft Publisher. I’ll be honest: it’s not my favorite. Partly, I think, because it couldn’t be any more mundane. Sure, there are plenty of principles within this project that could be carried over to other areas of skill, but generally speaking it’s not exactly exciting to tell students that we are...
Granularity in Education
Do I really need another social network? Or, another way, do I really need to fine-tune my experience across a number of websites? In one model, we use one website as a one-stop-shop to care for our social “needs” online. For many, if not most, this is Facebook. When Google+ rolled out and included ”Circles,” many (including myself) praised this feature that lets us...
How Far Should We Go?
In a recent EdReach podcast (#34), the question was raised about the role of the teacher in reminding students about missing work, upcoming tests, and parent involvement. There was some interesting debate but I’m not sure that we’ve given this enough thought. The idea of an autonomous, self-reliant student seems to be the ideal, but is it realistic? But if we continually step in and...
Conjuring Creativity
Where does creativity come from? Is everyone endowed with it? Or has it been relegated to a select few? How do we define that which is “creative” compared to that which is not? More importantly, is creativity a nonrenewable resource? The implications of your answer to this final question are larger than we may realize. If creativity is relegated to a few, at least we know who to turn...
August 2011
8 posts
Please, Let Them Fail
Today, my students began creating web pages using Weebly. I’ve been a fan of this site for a while, but hadn’t worked it in to my official lesson plans (although it makes for a great G/T enrichment activity) until now. One of the main purposes was to give students a place to collect their thoughts and learned concepts into one place: an e-portfolio. Since we are not able to utilize...
The Effects of Media Fragmentation on Education...
The modern education system was developed around the idea that we needed engineers, rocket scientists, and other math/science-based careers in order to compete with a new paradigm of democracy vs communism. After all, we need to be competitive not just in the Space Race, but in weapons development (see Dwight Eisenhower’s farewell address as an example). Very good propaganda indeed as we...
The Effects of Fragmenting Media in Education...
The better part (if not all) of the 20th century in the United States was the story of technological advancement, particularly that of communication technologies.The telegraph began to give way to the telephone. AT&T rose to power and managed to get a government-backed monopoly. Television and radio followed very similar courses (for more on all of this, please check out Tim Wu’s...
The Effects of Fragmenting Media in Education...
The better part (if not all) of the 20th century in the United States was the story of technological advancement, particularly that of communication technologies.The telegraph began to give way to the telephone. AT&T rose to power and managed to get a government-backed monopoly. Television and radio followed very similar courses (for more on all of this, please check out Tim Wu’s...
What Will You Leave Behind?
Today I received an email from a first-year teacher that teaches the same subject but at a different campus in our district. She is not happy with the situation she has found herself in: - No support - No materials- No guidance- No plans Three years ago, when I took the spot I am currently in, there were filing cabinets full of activities and materials. This left me to wonder about how vastly...
What If the Wrong People Can't Get Off the Bus?
In Jim Collins’ book, “Good to Great,” one of the keys of good-to-great companies is the ability to get the right people on the bus (read: hire the right people), the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats. This is a great strategy for corporate America and requires patience and diligence. In fact, even building principals could implement this strategy...
The Hedgehog is Loose in Your Classroom!
In Jim Collins’ seminal work, “Good to Great,” he describes the characteristics of companies that went from being good companies to great ones and then sustained their greatness for at least 15 years. I highly recommend this book if you haven’t read it already, perhaps especially if you think it wouldn’t apply to you.One of the traits of these good-to-great companies...
Attendance or Engagement?
Today I attended a training with the purpose of being introduced to a piece of software that I’ve been using daily for a year now. (Let that sink in for a minute…) Because of the sheer number of people accessing the same website on the same network, it goes without saying that things were very slow. Compound slow network speed with an audience that has (mostly) been using the...
June 2011
1 post
If Jesus Taught Public School
Then Jesus took his disciples up the mountain, and gathering them about him, he taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor. "Blessed are the hungry. "Blessed are those who mourn. "Blessed are the oppressed. . . . " Then Simon Peter said, "Do we have to write this down?" And Andrew said, "Are we supposed to know this?" And James said, "I don't have papyrus with me." And Philip said,...
May 2011
15 posts
How to Empower Your Teachers
In Part Two of my discussion on school leadership, I raised the question: What do you do with teachers that are used to the status quo? What happens when teachers are all-too-comfortable with how things have always been? What about those teachers who are used to being managed and won’t know what to do with empowerment? These questions have ripple effects into the classroom. Instead of...
Students (AND Teachers) Need Leadership [Part 2]
Yesterday, I presented two choices for running a classroom. The scenario was that of a teacher deemed ineffective by their peer(s) with the explanation that they had “zero classroom management skills.” My proposal, ultimately, was for the teacher to create an environment in their classroom where they aren’t in control (leveraging a hands-off approach with which they seem to...
Students (AND Teachers) Need Leadership
The other day, I overheard a conversation about another teacher’s shortcomings. Their chief complaint was that they had “zero classroom management skills.” This made me wonder what they meant. The “duh” answer is that they meant to imply that this teacher’s students simply run around the room, cause chaos, and don’t get anything done. Another part of me...
Testing Has Ruined Education
Summative assessment (that is, determining how much information/knowledge was retained) has completely ruined the public school system. No, not the concept of summative assessment. Not even tests themselves. In fact, tests are one of the most important and powerful tools an educator can use, when used appropriately. But as it is currently being implemented, “assessment” has completely...
The Goose or The Golden Egg
Yesterday, I discussed three types of people at work. Today I look at two variations of the third type: The Goose and The Golden Egg The Golden Egg had a great idea. He monetized, marketed, sold, and distributed this idea. He was in high demand because of his idea and was able to land a couple of big positions based on the demand his idea generated. Then the market changed and The Golden Egg was...
So You Want a Job... In This Economy?
As we near the end of a school year and a fiscal year (for those running their fiscal year beginning July 1, at least), the topic of budgets and staffing is rather important. Schools are really feeling the crunch this year, particularly in Texas where the Governor has created a financial mess for schools, despite a clear, direct warning.Politics aside, we are faced with the real question about who...
Technology Should Fit Your Content, Not Content to...
This issue came up in a dialogue at EdCamp Plano over the weekend. The role of technology should always be that of a support. It should be transparent. You don’t teach a tool for the sake of learning that tool.One educator shared how a lesson on how to use a wiki failed miserably. Why? There wasn’t an intrinsic purpose. For her students, it was like teaching them how to use a PSP...
How Come We Aren't Watching a Movie?
“Mr. Garner, all of my other classes are just watching movies. Why do you make us do work?””All of your other classes? Math? Language Arts? Science? Social Studies?” “Yes. All of them.”“And what is the teacher asking you to do? Just sit there and be entertained?” “Well, no. We have to take notes and then write about it or do a worksheet.”...
Please Be Consistent
Think back to when you were in school. Ever had a teacher you didn’t like? (rhetorical question…) I remember one in particular that I didn’t like, but I respected her. She was consistent. She treated each person according to their current behavior, effort, and performance. She had no favorites and each person was on a level playing field. The benefit to this was that you knew...
The War Between Art and Science
In today’s world, we have two things that seem to be at odds with one another. On on side, we have something very structured, rigorous, and verifiable. We can work through a specified Method that will help us to provide quantitative, measured data. Did it work or not? Yes or no. Pass or fail. Compare this to something that by its very nature is subjective. It has given us idioms such as...
Process versus Results?
In a given classroom, you are likely to see one of two mentalities toward the educational process. The first, which is most prevalent, focuses on the process. Popularized in math classrooms to make sure students understand how they got to the correct answer, this view believes that while answers are important, it’s more important that there is a structured, reliable way to get to the...
A Plea for Students: Fight The Resistance
I want to talk to you about your brain. You see, you actually have two brains. One brain is where your genius lives. This brain wants to create, come up with new ideas, and learn new things. It loves to do amazing things. You have used this brain at least once in your life. Think about that time you lied to your parents and they found out. What did you say to them so that you wouldn’t get in...
What Does it Mean to be Productive?
My students are working on a project that requires the use of what is frequently referred to as “productivity software.” In our case, they have their choice of Microsoft Office or OpenOffice. These tools allow students to create flyers, brochures, budgets, letters, databases, presentations, and more. This has left me with the question: what does it mean to be productive? Further, why...
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Mother Theresa, Hitler, Ghandi, and bin Laden
Within each of us lies something that, if we let it, will change the world. We have seen its effects large-scale in the form of important names in history. Osama bin Laden, Mother Theresa, Joseph Stalin, Martin Luther King, Jr., Adolf Hitler, Alexander the Great, Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, William Shakespeare, and Jesus of Nazareth all have/had it in common. You and I have the beginnings of it, but...
The Importance of Infrastructure
As of the time of this posting, there are nine days remaining in my graduate program. This means, of course, that I have turned into a zombie who sits crouched in front of a computer screen (or three) and stacks of books frantically trying to write coherently. I am grateful, naturally, that my current un-dead state coincides with my bi-annual self-directed learning project at work. Thus, this...
April 2011
3 posts
Give Up Control
It is widely known that most teenagers are just savvy enough to be dangerous when it comes to technology. No, they instinctively don’t know where to find double-spacing in a Word document, nor are they born with an innate knowledge of how to hack a firewall. But they figure it out pretty quick. This is what we’re up against as educators: students who learn what is necessary for the...
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Bridging the Gap: Approaching 10 Years Since...
For my graduate Internship class, we have to write a Comprehensive Final Paper. The following is my (current) opening and position statement. Thoughts/comments/revisions/suggestions appreciated! “What do you want to be when you grow up?” We’re all quite familiar with that question. It starts around the time we hit kindergarten (where every child responds with some sort of service...
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So, No Child Left Behind Walks into a Bar
Yes, hello. I’d like to apply for a job. Do you have any openings? I was thinking something like “form filler.” No, not “data entry” per se. I’m thinking more along the lines of… well, I’m not sure. Can I start with my skills and abilities? Great, thank you. I’m really good at math, science, social studies, and language arts. Be...
March 2011
7 posts
The Digital Divide According to 14 Year Olds
digital access poll results.pdf Download this file Over the past two days, I gave my 8th grade Technology Applications students a writing assignment. The prompt was as follows: “In class, we discussed the 9 elements of digital citizenship. The first element was called ‘Digital Access’ and dealt with the availability or ‘access’ that various people have with...
Where are All the Practitioners?
TED talks. ISTE. FETC. TCEA. CUE. ASCD. Top Ten Most Influential lists. Magazines. Books. Consulting firms. College professors. It seems everyone knows the solution to fixing education. There are a lot of big thinkers out there and the power of the inter webs have made their voices loud. We watch their videos, listen to their podcasts, attend their conference sessions, and we nod right along....
Beta Education
One of the greatest shifts we’re seeing with the proliferation of ebooks and digital content deals with the currency and accuracy of information. A major critique of Wikipedia, for example, is that it contains inaccurate information because it is updated by regular folks like you or I. My answer? Change the information. Besides, you do realize that the...
Assessment Must Match Instruction... Not the Other...
This week, all of my 8th graders are taking the state-mandated, locally-developed technology proficiency exam. The results (pass/fail) are reported back to the state. No, I don’t know why they want those results, especially since they just eliminated the required technology class from high school graduation requirements. The test itself is an assessment of everything students have learned...
The Importance of Learning from Children
A friend recently recommended “The Fifth Discipline” to me, saying that it has incredible implications on education. While I haven’t read it yet, think the following quote, taken from the inside cover, has convinced me: “Our prevailing system of management has destroyed our people. People are born with intrinsic motivation, self-respect, dignity, curiosity to learn, joy in...
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Stop Doing Work That Doesn't Matter
“I’d say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work.” Why does the movie Office Space seem to resonate with so many of us? Simple: purpose. If you tell me to a dig a ditch and then fill it in again, with no defined purpose or goal, eventually even money will lose its luster. There is a drive, a conviction inside that doesn’t sit...
Challenging "Work Smarter, Not Harder"
There is a pervasive myth going around about educational technology. I’ve even said it myself and, in some cases, it can be true. But this is the exception and not the rule. Tell me if you’ve heard this one: technology makes your job easier and allows you to “work smarter, not harder.” Clearly, the originator of this gem never used a Microsoft product, never attempted to...