Groupwork ≠ Collaboration
As educators we all make mistakes. However, one of the biggest mistakes I have made in my teaching career is assuming that just because I put my kids in groups that they are collaborating. I am passionate about preparing students for life after college and I try to keep the 21st Century skills in mind […]
Good News: You don’t have to be an expert
Recently, I was having a conversation with one of my teachers. She came to me for help moving her project up the SAMR Model from augmentation to at least modification. I gave her one example of an industry level technology tool she could use with her students. I was excited about my suggestion and assumed […]
A Strengths Based Approach to Assigning Groups
One question I get a lot: How do I assign groups? Do I randomly assign them? Do I let them pick? Do I have a homogenous mixture or heterogeneous mixture of grades? My answer is D. None of the Above. I group my students based on their strengths. In my class, my students do alot […]
Effective Online Teaching Strategies
Not that long into the pandemic, I read an article by AJ Julini titled This is Not Online or Distance Learning. In it, he calls what we are currently doing Emergency Remote Learning because it was not planned for. As we look to the future, so much is uncertain, but chances are, remote learning will […]
New Keynote Features Allow for Endless Creativity
One of my favorite things about having 1:1 iPads at my school is that there are so many opportunities for students to create. Over the course of the year, they use GarageBand to make raps about science and iMovie to produce environmental PSAs (among many other things). Now, with new Keynote features, students can even […]
New Year, New You? New Edtech Tools to Try!
The New Year can bring new resolutions both personally and professionally. If you are a classroom teacher, is one of your resolutions to try out some new technology? One of my education heroes, Jennifer Gonzalez, of Cult of Pedagogy, wrote a blog post to give us some guidance (because I must not be the only […]
What HyperDocs can do for You (and more importantly, your students)
I first learned about HyperDocs at the International Society for Technology in Education earlier this year. They were new to me, but they have been around for a little while. The HyperDoc Girls coined the term and published a book in 2016. So, what exactly is a hyperdoc? Basically, it is a hyperlinked document. Hyperlinks […]
The Importance of Formative Assessments
Formative assessments are a powerful tool that not only allows a teacher to gauge where his/her students are and aid in personalizing learning, but also allows the student to reflect on what and how they are learning. Thinking about thinking is one of the 16 Habits of Mind that help us navigate situations when we don’t […]
What’s Your Digital IQ?
In the article, How Educators Can Raise Their Digital IQ, Matthew Lynch says, Just as we strive to make advancements in other areas of our schools, educators should be working to raise their digital IQ. Setting a higher standard for teacher development in this area could have a major benefit to the students they serve. […]
Preparing for an Unknown World
When I was in school (not that long ago), my teachers prepared me for a known world. People went to school, got jobs with companies who offered insurance, worked for forty years and then retired with a pension. Today, teachers have to prepare our students for an unknown world. In the book, Inquiry and Innovation in the Classroom, […]
