This year I have had the exciting adventure of teaching my Technology class in our K-2 classrooms using a netbook cart. I have been teaching in a lab for over 3 years, but I had never taught using laptops and I had never taught using a cart before or teaching in a classroom rather than…
As many of you may know, tomorrow is the National Day on Writing. I feel compelled to write this post mostly because I have been writing consistently for almost 20 years and it is part of who I am. Tucked away in my hallway closet upstairs, wrapped in a plastic bag, are the scribblings, musings,…
This post was originally posted at The Co-operative Catalyst on Tuesday, October 12th This past Tuesday, I stopped at City Hall on my way home to meet some of the protesters at #occupyphilly and to spread the word about #occupyedu. What I found was a small city, a microcosm of a community. Tents filled up…
Before the school year started this year, I decided to try something new in my classroom. Rather than have my rules already set (which I never do anyway) or brainstorm some rules with the students and then make those the rules, I decided to have my students build a ‘Can Do Wall.’ With about 150…
I am excited to announce that myself and nine other teachers across the country are finalists for a $10,000 classroom grant from GOOD through the Great American Teach Off competition. I am not so excited that one of the people I am competing against is a member of my online learning network. I am not,…
Despite leaving the Philadelphia School District for a charter school in 2010 (a direct result of the Renaissance School Initiative), I have been watching the developments and news in the District very closely. I have read harsh, aggressive comments about charter schools, neighborhood schools, parents and teachers along with name-calling and exaggerations in comment areas…
Last year I attended the Magic Gardens’ Teacher Night and had a blast. If you have never visited the Magic Gardens (1020 South St in Philadelphia) then you have missed out on a Philly masterpiece. The great thing about the Gardens is that they are not only a beautiful attraction, but they also provide educational…
I’ve been thinking more and more about how little time I spend on Twitter as I used to. Sure, I check in now and again and have it running in the background sometimes, but it’s nothing like my first year, where I hung on every tweet and wondered about what I was missing when I…
Tonight’s #edchat conversation was varied, but I was particularly struck by my conversation with Steven Anderson and Lyn Hilt about the word authentic. I often hear people use the term when talking about student-centered, project-based, real world learning. All of these things, I like. However, upon closer scrutiny, I think the word authentic does not…
OK, I’ll admit it. I’m not always the best listener. During conversations with others I have to remind myself to sit back and listen before I jump in. Often, I get so excited about an idea in my head that I can’t wait to get out that I can be impatient. As I’ve gotten older,…