Ecology of Education

Over the course of my 11 years in the classroom I lost a lot of sleep. Over students. Over parents. Over grading papers and lesson plans. During my last years, and even now as I leave the classroom to embark on something new, I’ve been up nights pondering the brand of educator professionalization being heralded […]

Ever get the feeling that the professional development (pd) you get in your in-service days just doesn’t inspire you? Or drive your practice? You’re not along. A few envisioned something a bit different. Edcamp founders and organizers Kristen Swanson, Ann Leaness, and Christine Miles began their ASCD12 session with two things: 1. A backchannel discussion […]

I really try not to rant in blog posts. (I do most of my ranting around the house where my dog greets it with a yawn before burying his head under a blanket.) But I’m growing weary of something that I’m seeing more and more. One of the reasons I like and participate in social […]

As part of a professional development workshop on Inquiry in the Classroom (which is a part of our school’s yearlong investigation), my fellow teachers and I were (re)-introduced to the Learning Cycle model. The basic model, initially developed in 1984 by David Kolb, looks something like this: This is nothing new.  Many teachers already know […]

Science teachers stay up to date on the latest techniques and technology by going back to school.

Recently I had the opportunity to be “That Guy”.  You know the Guy: the Guy everyone loves; the guy everyone pities. The Guy who makes everyone feel better about themselves, because, let’s face it, at least they aren’t him. Who is he? He’s the Guy who finishes dead last. The Guy everyone beats. It was […]

I’ve been spending a lot of time the last two weeks looking up articles on Sage Publication’s website (by the way, you can peruse their journals for free until April 30th). I’ve been pouring through articles on a variety of topics: gifted, ADHD, alternative assessments, teacher retention, pre-service teacher education…etc. I’ve been doing this with […]