Viewing: curriculum design
Pencils to 3D-Printers: A New Kind of Language Arts Class
“The printers have been ordered. Fingers crossed. Here we go…..” This was the email I received two weeks ago from my principal who is working with me to develop a whole new kind of Language Arts class. The plan
Making, Writing, & Leaving My Wheelhouse: How This Relates to ELD Students (UPDATED)
I first began blogging to reflect on what I was learning during my summer with the Writing Project. After each day, I returned home, head spinning, needing to simply process. Finally, my husband said, “Why don’t you try starting one
Why I’m Jealous of Teach For America or Collaboration on the Can
I don’t mean to whine, but I’m feeling neglected. For all my questions about the eventual impact on education with TFA, I find myself a little pouty that they get all this professional development and I don’t.
When you Can’t Talk, You Can Still Teach
So in my semi-annual tradition, I’ve already lost my voice. Now, I’m not talking about still whispering here. I’m talking about a totally stripped, honk-when-I-try-to-produce-sound lost voice. It happens to me 2-3 times a year and I’m starting to think
Student-Designed Schools
This year, my 8th graders all produced a multi-genre project during 4th Quarter that focused on possible careers of their choice. But I went a step further with my 8th grade Honors class. They not only had to research a
Twitter as Think Aloud
I was reading through my Digg headlines this weekend, and I happened on this article of the top 10 most extraordinary Twitter updates. I also did some digging (no pun intended) and found articles that range in claiming that there
Spontaneous Public Displays of Art
I can’t wait to show my 8th Grade Honors class this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq6b9bMBXpg. It’s a great display of the act of spreading the arts publicly and on a huge scale. My students have been working all year on their
Where the Wild Things Are: Part II
So I recited the book and showed the movie trailer to the students on my Interactive Whiteboard, just as I mused about in my last post. From there, I read an old version of the “Three Little Pigs” and asked
Movie Trailer Review: Where the Wild Things Are
Yes, it’s true. I’m reviewing a movie review. But when you watch it, you’ll understand why. Spike Jonze of “Being John Malkovich” fame (amongst other image-rich movies and videos) is directing a movie version of the Maurice Sendak classic, Where
Teaching Secrets: Finding a Job That You Love
Know a teacher who got a pink slip? Maybe my newest post at Teacher Magazine can help. Click here for the article. It’s Step 1 of my Top Secret New Teacher Handbook. Hope it creates some shortcuts, a machete even,
Finding Your Own Theme in Life
I have an article in the new March/April issue of Imagine Magazine, put out by Johns Hopkins. It’s a beautiful magazine, whose audience is gifted middle schoolers. It’s always a pleasure to write for a middle school audience. I can
The “Sweet Spot” in Interactive Whiteboards courtesy of Robert Marzano
CUE scored Marzano. As he began his keynote presentation on Friday at the 2009 Computer Using Educators conference, Robert Marzano confessed that he had been slow on the tech bandwagon, only recently researching enough to see what all the
CUE Conference: Podcasting with 70 Middle Schoolers – RU Crazy?
So here’s my Keynote presentation for all of you who wanted to flip through it for some reminders. To open up my handouts, click here. Hope you all enjoyed the session, and feel free to drop me a line
Top 10: How to Take Control of Your Teaching
How can you take control of your teaching, both literally and internally? Read my Top 10 list that advises a teacher on how to get what you need in this demanding job of ours, how to survive it, and how to love it.
DARPA to create metacognitively aware robots
The Register reports that DARPA (Defense Advance Research Projects Agency) is currently researching how to create robots that are “like some self-aware computer systems capable of “meta-reasoning” and “introspection…” Their goal is to “Provide machines with an ability to reason
The Death of Teacher Conferences or I Can’t Believe I Miss My Canvas Bag
So, CATE (the California Association of Teachers of English) just came to an end. The hotel was lovely. All ran smoothly. We were greeted with smiles aplenty, and everything ran on time. Sheridan Blau, Kelly Gallagher, Carol Booth Olson, Taylor
“I Statements” in Expository Writing
This weekend I’m presenting at the CATE conference in Santa Clara, CA. It’s a session on developing high level, critical-thinking commentary in expository writing. My feeling is that great commentary is the Voice in Expository, it is the Show, Not
Starting from scratch in teacher training
I recently heard Judy Willis (of “syn-naps” fame) speak at a conference. In her pre-teaching life, she was a neurologist and she brings her knowledge to the classroom and to her lectures. (See my recently published article in Teacher Magazine, “My
Is EdTech changing how students think or is it addressing the changes in student thinking?
Science Daily is reporting that there has been a shift in how students are thinking as a result of their use of technology. They believe it possibly lowers critical thinking skills and analysis. Additionally, they wonder just how much schools
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Here’s why test scores shouldn’t be the only criteria…
By heather on February 18, 2009
OK, so my first period’s “Advanced” group went up 40% between their 1st district assessment and their 2nd. Another period went up 37%. Even my Honors class went from 81% Advanced to 97% Advanced, with only 1 student found in