Viewing: Ed News
Alternative Strategies for Assessing Learning: Larry Ferlazzo Classroom Q & A Podcast
“Whether they’re doing a portfolio or a performance task, they still want to see How do I stack up?” I had a lot of fun being interviewed for Larry Ferlazzo’s podcast about alternatives to grading and traditional assessments. The follow-up
Kids Speak Out on Student Engagement
Hey, middle school and high school teachers and parents! Can you do me a favor? I am polling thousands of kids nationwide on what engages them the most in how they learn. This is based on a survey of 500
Celebrating the Refugees Already in Our Classrooms: Memories and Advice From a Student
In June 2001, a family of four escaped from the slaughter of Nepal and made their way across the world to safety. They arrived, not in boats dragged up on shore, but in the arms of families who helped them
DIY Project Based Learning for ELA and History
’m excited to announce that my new book, DIY Project Based Learning for ELA and History has arrived and is now available for purchase. The point of the book was to break down the process of PBL into day-by-day chunks
The Full Interview with Dr. Spiros Michalakis
s part of my recent superhero PBL unit, I brought in Dr. Spiros Michalakis to talk to my students about research for their science-fiction based narratives. Spiros is a Quantum Physicist who consulted on the new Marvel movie, Ant-man. Sure,
Visual of my Edutopia post: “The Power of I Don’t Know”
recently wrote an post for Edutopia called “The Power of I Don’t Know.” It focuses on our need as teachers to release being the information authority in the room and instead to hand over the reins to the students themselves.
The Obsession with Self-Quantification and the Consequence in Education
I recently read a commentary in Time Magazine by Kathleen Parker called, Count Me Out. It was a fascinating little diatribe about our obsession with self-tracking and quantifying success. She was looking through the lens of folks who find ways
Sir Ken Robinson: live at CUE 2013
I had the privilege of seeing Sir Ken Robinson as the keynote speaker at the CUE conference earlier today. For those who may not know of whom I speak, here is his now famous TED speech on “Do Schools Kill
“Managing the Hidden Differences in Your Classroom” : Bam Radio
We must embrace our diversity if we are to emerge a country that is a leader in this global community. I would like to think that it starts in our schools. And if it starts in our schools, and is
A 1st Grader’s iPad Contract: An Acceptable Use Policy for the Home (Updated)
A few weeks ago, my parents called to tell me that my mom was getting the new iPad. They wanted to know if they could give my 6 year-old, Ben, her original one. We hadn’t been planning on getting him
The Past 3 Months of Education in a Nutshell
It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged for my own site. I’ve been finishing up my masters this semester, and blogging for my own enjoyment fell off my plate in the process. Nevertheless, here I am, back on the horse. In
The Common Core Tabloid: Truth vs. Hearsay
So much is hearsay right now about the Common Core, it feels like the educational system has become a tabloid in their interpretation of what does not even exist yet. In fact, from this level of speculation has sprouted a
New Edutopia post: The Power of Project-Based Writing in the Classroom
It seems like it’s been forever since I wrote an actual post for my beloved Tweenteacher site! But I guess it’s a happy problem as I’ve been writing here and there in the edublogosphere for these past couple of weeks.
Teaching Beyond the Bell
In celebration of The California Writing Project and Digital Learning Day, I was asked to write a post on some of what I’m doing with technology in the classroom. So I decided to write about what I’m actually doing
Tweenteacher Class on Project Based Writing
Hey all, Guess what? I’m going to be facilitating a class for Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach’s Powerful Learning Practice. The six-week course is on Project Based Writing, a strategic way to bring in authentic assessments and meaningful learning into any Language Arts
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
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
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
Carmageddon: The 405 Closure and Education
Just a few thoughts before all hell breaks loose over here in Los Angeles. First of all, I woke up this morning wondering if the closure of the 405 freeway was going to be like the staged Anthrax scare in
Tweenteacher Update
I owe my readers a mea culpa for the last month or so, and I wanted to let you in on a little of what’s been going on with me both personally and professionally. No worries, however, I’ll be back
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