Working At The Edge

Make School Different: Digital leadership & Transformation

What is school for?

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Lots of ideas to ponder in this talk from Seth Godin. My favorite: For me, this prompts a few questions. In what ways do we currently make school more like art, less like work? How can we change and make school more like art and less like work? As educators, do we need to first […]

Should you be remarkable?

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This idea from a post (How to be remarkable) on “being remarkable” has been swirling around in my mind for the past few days. Can you ‘leave your mark’ in this life, can you be remarkable, if no one is remarking about you? While it’s important to be remarkable in your own eyes, making a […]

AFT video on PISA – What does it say?

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While those wishing to put stock in the rankings of the latest PISA results may claim some bias in this video from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the arguments reinforce the idea that our public schools are a reflection of our society. Until we (policy makers specifically) more effectively address issues such as poverty […]

What’s not in a score?

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With the release of Pennsylvania’s  School Performance Profile, we continue to label schools, this time with a single score. While SPP is being touted as based on multiple measures, that’s really a bit of smoke and mirrors. Ninety percent (90%)  of the score is still based on a single testing window (PSSA/Keystone Exams) snapshot in […]

Deeper Learning MOOC – January – March 2014

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This morning while scanning my RSS feeds I discovered the Deeper Learning MOOC coming this January. I like the way deeper learning is defined: Master core academic content Think critically and solve complex problems Work collaboratively Communicate effectively Learn how to learn (e.g., self-directed learning) Academic mindsets The Deeper Learning MOOC is going to feature […]

Inquiry as part of the solution

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How much student and teacher inquiry is currently going on in our classrooms? Does the current structure of our educational system promote or stifle inquiry? Over the past semester, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a group of practicing teachers on a course (new for me), Teacher as Inquirer at Moravian College. The course […]

Digital Citizenship – A Platform for Good

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I found this great resource and wanted to share. We hear lots about how students (can) use the internet for unproductive (or just plain stupid) endeavors. Educators and parents need to be teaching children and modeling the qualities of good digital citizens, not blocking sites such as social media. A Platform for Good is a […]

Limited vision?

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I located this quote/photo on George Couros’s blog, Principal of Change. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to engage with a variety of educators on the topic of teaching and learning with technology. The above quote from Clay Shirky reminded me of the limited view so many educators have of how technology […]

Preparing kids for life after high school. Really?

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Why do videos like this one, claiming to prepare our kids for the future, always look like they were created in the 20th century? [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5WleWAMU5I&w=420&h=315] And this video explaining the common core….there isn’t very much “21st century” in these classrooms, is there? I believe you can absolutely have inquiry without technology, but when you say, […]