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…
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…
As I reflect on my day at ASCD’s conference, I will be thinking and reflecting on a lot of topics and discussions. The one that really struck me, however, I feel I must reflect on first. My last session of the day was one that I was really looking forward to. I am not one…
One of my favorite things to do while sifting through my Twitter timeline is to lurk in on other people’s conversations. That’s the nice thing about the tool itself. It’s like sitting in a big room and listening in on other people’s conversations. I often learn a lot. This week I listened in on a…
One of the struggles of teaching a “special” is meeting the needs of over 250 students a week, sometimes for one measly 45 minute period. Differentiation in this setting is hard. Today I won a simple but hugely important battle in this arena. One of my 7th graders struggles to do anything independently. She is…
One of the struggles of teaching a “special” is meeting the needs of over 250 students a week, sometimes for one measly 45 minute period. Differentiation in this setting is hard. Today I won a simple but hugely important battle in this arena. One of my 7th graders struggles to do anything independently. She is…
Before the school year started this year, I decided to try something new in my classroom. Rather than have my rules already set (which I never do anyway) or brainstorm some rules with the students and then make those the rules, I decided to have my students build a ‘Can Do Wall.’ With about 150…
Last year I attended the Magic Gardens’ Teacher Night and had a blast. If you have never visited the Magic Gardens (1020 South St in Philadelphia) then you have missed out on a Philly masterpiece. The great thing about the Gardens is that they are not only a beautiful attraction, but they also provide educational…
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…
This school year I’m not putting rules up in my computer lab. Sure, there will be lab procedures posted (walk to your seat silently, make sure your mouse and keyboard are neatly stowed), but there will be no list of rules. Instead, each class (about 8 classes will be coming through the lab over the…