Nov
21
2011
21
2011
Choosing a Topic for our Ted.com Speeches
I’m currently prepping my classes for another research unit, this one a blend of Memoir, Advocacy, and Speech Writing. After all, never in real life are genres categorized. They blend together; and the Common Core assessments to come ...
Nov
03
2011
03
2011
Edutopia Post: Common Core Standards and Persuasive Writing
My new post at Edutopia, "Persuasive Writing is a Key Focus in Common Core Standards," has just gone live. I'm in high hopes for this new wave of assessments because I see more authenticity and real world application. For one ...
Oct
29
2011
29
2011
The Parent Portal: The Pros and Cons of Transparent Gradebooks
The Parent Portal is now open. No, this isn’t some Dr. Who vortex waiting to suck away all parents who can't seem to drop their kids off on time. It’s the 24/7 online access to a teacher’s grade ...
Oct
23
2011
23
2011
How the Interactive Whiteboard is Really Ed Tech’s Laserdisk
I'm taking a class at Walden University right now, and a recent prompt asked us to identify a future technology. I took a moment to reflect on this country's current enthusiastic roll-out of Interactive Whiteboards, and why I feel ...
Oct
11
2011
11
2011
Free Tweenteacher Webinar: Moving Beyond the Bubble: 21st Century Assessments
On Monday, Oct 17, I will be presenting a free webinar for my publisher, Eye On Education. You can register here.
In it, I'll be sharing what I have learned about the upcoming Common Core standards and how they will ...
Oct
07
2011
07
2011
Huffington Post: “Student Tributes to Steve Jobs”
I just posted "Student Tributes to Steve Jobs" at The Huffington Post. His passing will be a "Where were you when?" moment that I felt my students needed to pause and acknowledge.
Wonka has left us with questions about his ...
Sep
24
2011
24
2011
Teaching the Executive Summary: Applying Real Life to School Life
OK, so there they are: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. They are in your audience and have their checkbooks out looking for a new cause to fund. Will it be yours?
So began my schpeel on writing an Executive ...
Sep
20
2011
20
2011
Edutopia post: 20 Ways to Model Technology
My latest post on Edutopia is not just about using technology, but about modeling it as a means to teach it. After all, students need to be immersed in an environment of usage. So don't feel bad if you don't ...
Sep
18
2011
18
2011
DARPA project con’t: Research and Questioning
As my readers may know, my students are planning for the future of the human species. This year, as I have described in an earlier post, I am dedicating much of the year to Project-Based Learning and trying to ...
Sep
06
2011
06
2011
The Power of Teaching Something You Know Nothing About
This year, I have decided to teach solely in Project-Based Writing. I’m defining Project-Based Writing as a series of constructed units built around authentic assessment, authentic audience, and authentic learning that incorporates the multiple writing genres. That ...
