I am still processing my NerdCampMI, I am also looking forward to Dearborn Moodle Moot and this confluence between the paper and the digital versions of communication brings many questions to my mind. First of all, I saw an amazing presentation on graphic novels by Heather and Beth, which turned me on to Fish Girl by Donna … More What Is a Story, Anyway?
If you love books the way I do, #NerdCampMI is heaven on earth. What could be better than a bunch of teachers, librarians, and authors who get to hang out for two days and talk about books? In my life, that is as good as it gets. I always learn something great, but this year, … More One Idea and Two Books That Made My Brain Explode
Have you heard about the new collaboration between Google and ISTE to teach digital citizenship in schools? I took a look at the new game Interland and the curriculum today. There are many support materials ready to use and accessible to the average teacher. The game itself seems engaging for students. I would like to test … More Internet Awesome
Human beings are not a pile of numbers. You can measure many things, but most of them are not meaningful in the context of education. Scientific studies can now prove that literally, no one has an average brain. The industrial system for education, the rationale for standardized tests, is based on a false premise. Education must catch … More No One Is “Average”
Do you need encouragement? Try a little Kid President. I don’t care how old, how tired or how much stress you are experiencing, it is not O.K. to be boring. I will admit, this school year has been long. The circumstances are not getting easier in my district and I would hazard a guess that … More Finishing Strong
As I prepare for MACUL 17 and my presentation about digital citizenship, information literacy and exactly what that means has been occupying my mind. I was very excited when I read Joyce Valenza’s post about UNESCO’s stand on media and information literacy. This framework provides a starting point for discussion about what students need to have, … More What is Information Literacy
I am looking for input as I prepare for MACUL 2017 about what people think digital citizenship mean in our current collective environment. Is it just about safety? Does it include introducing the concept of collaborative work in a digital environment? Does it presuppose a certain set of norms? I would like you input.
For many years, the technology policy at my school was the “walled garden”. The very phrase brought to mind lonely, sad Collin Craven shut away by himself in The Secret Garden. Our children were to be locked away. It was too dangerous to allow them to be in the digital world. Don’t misunderstand, students need to … More Sharing Your Class With the World
Just as I was sitting down to force myself to write something because I am trying to be consistent with this blog and that takes effort, sometimes more effort than I think I can muster, this wonderful post arrived in my inbox. I am sure that I am not the only one who struggles to write … More Mike Lowry: How to Start Your Own Story
I really dislike having to spend my valuable class time preparing students for standardized tests. Most of the time, it just sucks the joy from the room. I have found a few tools that make it somewhat less painful. One of my favorites for making test prep less painful is Prodigy Game. Prodigy really does … More Tools for Test Prep
