Making Connections
Every person’s set of life experiences are very different. Recognizing this in our daily interactions with kids can really go a long way in making us better teachers. One might think that celebrating these differences is about relationship building through empathy and compassion. While that is definitely true, personal experiences serve an even more important […]
Curiosity and Learning: An Explorer’s Guide
I can never walk past a set of coin-operated binoculars without dropping a coin in the slot. There is something about the novelty of what awaits on the other side of that lens that creates an undeniable sense of wonder. The gazer gets a new perspective on the world, and a new set of details […]
Producing the Future
Bees. Cows. Factories. What do all these things have in common? They make stuff. Bees make honey. Cows make milk. Factories make goods. All of these items are vital, and most are useful. Without makers, we would be in trouble. This concept is central to the Maker Movement in education which promotes the idea of […]
For Students, Sharing Is More About Getting Than Giving
Sharing a stick of gum is far from scary. Giving something you have to another person is an act that demonstrates empathy and compassion, even if it is just a stick of gum. Sharing is very important in our lives, and it helps to create a true sense of community. We share because it makes […]
Modeling by Example
How can we teach students to use technology in a responsible way? The answer to that question is tricky. Digital citizenship has so many facets. Our kids need to have the skills necessary to navigate many different aspects of the online world. Educating students about appropriate online behavior, screen time, life skills, safety, and more […]
Reflect
When I was a kid, I used to fall asleep in the car every time my family took even a short trip. I’d settle in, close my eyes, and magically end up at our destination. My mom or dad was my driver and my guide. Once I got my license, I would often have to […]
Playing Scarecrow: Getting Students to Think
The Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz taught us that, even if at times we don’t believe it, we are all capable of deep and rational thought. The irony in the Scarecrow’s story, of course, was that his deepest desire to get a brain turned out to be an unnecessary one. He was the most […]
Putting Time In Where It Counts: Active Directory and PowerShell
The Problem: Time Management Time management is a problem many IT departments face; often there is just not enough time to complete all the requests in the time they need to be completed by. This is especially true between the times of student registration and the first student day of school. The IT staff is […]
Collaboration Is a Life Well Lived
This post is about collaboration, and as I explored many different angles to find an example or analogy that illustrates what it truly means, I realized something. Explaining collaboration doesn’t require an analogy or even a deep explanation. Our daily lives and how we survive are fueled by collaboration. Each individual is deeply entwined with […]
STEM: It’s All About the HOW
As an educator, there are many different trends and words that seem to make the rounds through our world of education. The same seems to be true of “STEM” which has definitely been quite the buzz for the last 5 years or so, but is it just a trend? I’m here to say, it most […]
