Recently I mashed a world history unit on 19th century industry with student discussions on the history of change in education. A TED Talk illustrating Sir Ken Robinson’s reflections on transforming education away from standardized practice prompted student discussion and agreement on the need for time spent on creativity and artistic expression in all classes. However, the […]
Common Core Standards
Summer Selfies – Understanding Infographics
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Each summer our school offers flex time for professional development. Most faculty seize this opportunity to meet, work in teams, document our hours for the day and submit our accomplishment which substitute for an In Service […]
Student Motivation Starts With Zombies!
Incentives inspire learning because incentives drive choices. I learn this every time I buy a Starbucks coffee and receive a free app or song download. My app can guide me by GPS to any coffee shop where I use free wifi and earn stars that eventually gain me a free coffee. This has me wondering […]
"Reform" Is Not a Dirty Word; Neither is "Union"
Last week I attended the 2013 National Summit on Education Reform. This is the nationwide conference put on by Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education. It was a rather last minute, unexpected opportunity, as I wouldn’t normally find myself amongst 850 state legislators, corporate curriculum companies, and all manner of other “reformers.” So it […]
Say No to Boredom! Dynamic Incorporation of Nonfiction Into the Classroom
You learn on your feet Not in your seat! ~Dr. Jean Feldman Although Dr. Jean is a well-known preschool and kindergarten teacher, author, researcher, and presenter, most often her advice can be modified and applied to older students as well. Whether you are teaching to the Common Core State Standards or not, there […]
The State of Education: Montana
By Peggy Cordell Two state educational issues in Montana are receiving some attention these days. The first is an issue of equity in school funding. Our bicameral legislature has struggled to find a fair funding formula between large (urban) and small (rural) school districts. Through the years, legislative school funding measures have passed and lawsuits […]
I Like the Idea of the Common Core Standards, But…
“The Common Core standards are not evil; however, the implementation and everything afterward is questionable.”These were the words of a teacher in training I led about one of the founding tenets of the common core standards, text complexity. As soon as this fellow educator said those words, the discussion changed from text complexity, to how […]
Common Core Should Share Common Language
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] A visitor walking into a school encounters the school’s mission statement on a banner or etched on a plaque, or painted on to the wall. The mission statement defines the school’s […]