Shawn Blankenship's Blog (10)

As we already know, a gap exists between what we know and what we do.  Successful educators work to narrow this gap between new ideas and implementation.  However, I believe the size of this gap does not necessarily indicate one’s success.  Some educators are terrific at executing what all they know how.   The problem is, their pedagogy is…

I make it a habit each summer to try new things and to put myself in situations in which I will inevitably grow as an educator. This summer I made a very important decision. I decided to change the way I learn. Up until this point in my career, much of my knowledge derived from the latest educational best seller or from local conferences.…

Do you create a classroom environment where engagement is the norm?  Do you get every student highly involved in focused work in which they are active learners and problem-solvers?  Are your students emotionally engaged?  Do you show warmth, caring, respect, and fairness for every student and build strong relationships?  

What will your students say about you at their 10 year reunion?  If there is any likelihood, possibility, chance, suspicion, or notion that the adjective BORING may…

QR Codes can be an excellent way of directing students to content. With a quick click of a smartphone QR Code Reader app, you can reveal a hidden code instantly and experience a popular trend in the Japanese culture. How can we use this tool in the classroom? Check out the following assignment:  I…

Never smile until Christmas!  We have all heard this so called adage. However, I believe the right classroom management strategy will allow you to smile consistently from August till May.

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My favorite part of the day had arrived! It was time to perform my daily walkthroughs. A question popped into my mind as I entered the first classroom while observing students monotonously taking a routine quiz. Is it possible to assess a student's deep understanding of a concept and their ability to apply this concept through a traditional paper-and-pencil quiz…

A few months ago, I was contacted by a colleague who needed my assistance to solve a problem.  The question was this, "How can I take a video from youtube and embed it into imovie?"  This particular problem was one I had never performed before so I immediately called my technology director expecting a quick solution.  His response was that I needed professional software and it would require the ability to write code.…