Are You Smarter Than a Second Grader?

This year my 2nd graders completed a research project about African American Athletes using videos from History.com and a public Google Docs presentation. The students worked in self-selected pairs and picked an athlete’s name out of a ‘hat’ (it was actually a plastic beach bucket!). Over the next few weeks, they listened to the videos…

Thoughts on Teacher Appreciation Week

Across the country, many teachers are arriving to work to find banners that say “We Appreciate You,” continental breakfasts laid out in the staff lounge, and “Thank You” cards placed in their mailboxes. I’ll be honest, I’ve never really been ‘into’ Teacher Appreciation Week. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate being appreciated. What I don’t…

Why I’m Going to Stop Using the Word ‘Authentic’

Tonight’s #edchat conversation was varied, but I was particularly struck by my conversation with Steven Anderson and Lyn Hilt about the word authentic. I often hear people use the term when talking about student-centered, project-based, real world learning. All of these things, I like. However, upon closer scrutiny, I think the word authentic does not…