“Why must I learn this?” is a common question asked by students. I’m never fully convinced that I answer this to the satisfaction of the class but I do try to provide both guiding questions and reasons for our global studies in a Modern World History course. Â It shocked me to discover a generation of […]
Whitney Kaulbach
I teach High school and middle school students World History, AP World History, Reading Instruction, and Literacy Specialist.
Posted inEducational Apps, School Improvement, Social Studies, Technology
Generating Work Flow in 1:1 iPad Classroom
I’m finishing this first full quarter with the 1:1 iPad classroom but apps do not hold attention spans this time of year. With April, love springs to life in all of its awkward forms. Attention spans are diverted towards prom invitations and long looks out windows; lacrosse, melting snows on the softball diamond hold great appeal. Thus […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Technology
Teachers Lead In-Service… Unthinkable Possibilities!
The unthinkable happened. Our faculty provided expertise for a recent In-service. Incentive to turn the reigns over to in-house professionals result from either our successful embrace of the PLC model or because the budget is frozen. Whatever the reason, the opportunity to explore the Ed Camp model of professional collaboration is a turning point in […]
Posted inSocial Studies
Revolutionary Thinking- Pay-Based Grading
There are two studies that have survived the test in my classroom: 1) All students can relate to the reasons for revolution and the need to rebel, and 2) All students like the challenge of a good game. Thus, March Madness is an opportune time of year to combine the two. Students have engaged in […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, School Improvement, Social Studies, Technology
The Absent Educator in a 1:1 iGen Classroom
Every once in a while, I have to take a sick day as a result of my own human frailty. A foot surgery scheduled for April was suddenly bumped up to last week, leaving me three days to prepare. As an educator, I hate missing school and I despise writing sub plans. Even with the […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Uncategorized
Vermont Town Meeting: Holding Education Hostage
This is the story of how direct democracy in Vermont engages with the needs of education. A March 6, headline in the Burlington Free Press dominated social media: “It’s Official: 2014 is a Bad Year for School Budgets.”  Reporter Molly Walsh, the supposed eyes and ears of education in Vermont, portends towards dramatic  enthusiasm at […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Social Studies, Technology
Week 5/6: iPad Rollout- Differentiation
Living in Vermont means making amends for educational productivity when a perfect snowstorm blankets the state. Students and teachers embrace the cold powder while it lasts. We ski, we snowboard, we play hard. No wonder Vermont supplies a proportionate number of Olympians. At school we gained one actual snow day and then a week of […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Technology
Week 4, 1:1 iPad Rollout – Digital Learning Day
Did you know about Digital Learning Day nationwide? I stepped up my enthusiasm for digital learning by telling students to SMASH APPS! and tweeted class totals (#dlday). Smashing immediately connotes images of destruction but according to my Twitter community it simply means using more than one app to create something digital. My students had opportunities […]