Hey! Go join Jim Burke’s new social network on ning!
Many of the conversations that are taking place there have been taking place within the face-to-face communities that I’m a part of as well. So what are you waiting for? Head over there now. Meet some new people, get some new ideas, and share what you’re up [...]
Many thanks to Susan Waters for the creation of this wiki, which has FINALLY enabled me to explain to my husband precisely what a personal learning network might be and why anyone would want to establish one. By relying on five specific tools: blogs, Twitter, Ning, RSS, and social bookmarks, professional development is no longer something “provided” to [...]
Taking on the role of an instructional coach has been the most challenging and the most rewarding professional decision I’ve made over the last seventeen years. Although I still provide stand-alone workshops and value them for specific purposes, I’ve realized that asking teachers to embrace change without providing them necessary support is often a waste of valuable resources.
As [...]
That’s what the research process is truly about, wouldn’t you agree? So much of what we hope to teach can begin with what kids are passionate about, and many of the teachers I work with know from experience that when new learning journeys are fueled by passionate inquiry the rewards are great.
How do we help kids define and begin [...]
There is so much to be said for the beginner who is willing to share. Over the last month, various teachers have asked me to help them take their first steps toward blogging, using wikis, building a personal learning network on Twitter, annotating the findings from their formative assesment processes, and using the 6+1 Traits of Writing. Each [...]
Several weeks ago, I posted a reflection of a demo lesson that I had recently completed. This lesson coached students in their ability to identify main idea and supporting details, and one of my professional goals was to model the process of formative assessment that I am encouraging the teachers that I am working with [...]
Studio kids and teachers have been spending the last several weeks writing presents for those who mean the most to them, and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s get-together at Daemen College. Some will be participating in peer review, others will be peer-editing and revising, and all of us are excited about being interviewed by [...]
My daughter Laura has invited her younger sister Nina to team up with her in helping to make a difference during the holidays again this year. I will selfishly admit that I have been eagerly awaiting this second challenge since LAST year, because our family has an incredibly good time keeping up with all of the [...]