September 2011 Blog Posts (50)

Throughout my career I have been privy to a number of conversations, debates, and discussions amongst educators on various educational initiatives and approaches.  During these discussions I have heard people refer to "The System" or "The District" in ways such as, "The System needs to change" or "The District ought to do something about that!"  It's as though "The…

I love using my i-pad in the classroom sooo much that I want more of them!  I know I may be a little late to this game and that many teachers who are reading this are most likely beyond what I have to report, but I am so excited that I have to report anyway!

Recently our district gave all Kindergarten and Grade One teachers an i-pad.  We were given it primarily to use with our class for a universal screening test called Dibbles.  While administering the test…

Regardless of the grade or subject, all teachers teach vocabulary, but how often do students struggle with learning the lexicon of a particular subject or with just understanding what words to use to express themselves more precisely and succinctly in speech and writing.

http://neilfinney.blogspot.com/2011/09/blogging-teacher-setting-up-your.html

There was a recent article in the Harvard Education Letter about a technique to improve the questioning skills of students.  It explained a process called the Question Formulation Technique.

The article reminded me of two conflicting issues.   First, is allowing students to lead their own learning.…

Since change is difficult, and many schools do not have the resources, nor do all teachers have the training or the confidence to incorporate technology in their classrooms, why not choose JUST FIVE Web tools or tech software resources every school must have NOW! For example, we have established that all American schools have at least one or more computers because our society entered the digital age decades ago. Education has not caught up!…

This is Anna.  My family and I met Anna during our 10 day trip to Vietnam this past August.  We were in Vietnam as part of a working vacation.  I had conducted a 2-day workshop for the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS) and also worked specifically with the Saigon South International School.  After four days in Ho Chi Minh City we flew up to the resort town of…

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In my first two weeks of school I have witnessed things that are not assessed in state mandated tests, but are nevertheless cornerstones of a good education and strong school culture; acts of compassion, unselfishness & pride.  In a series of short stories I would like to share 3 unbelievable life lessons I've been fortunate enough to be part of in only the first 2 weeks of school.  These stories are why…

The season premiere of the talk show Ellen, featured a principal from Las Vegas, Nevada. Her elementary school has a high concentration of homeless students and students qualifying for free lunch. She took it upon herself to seek donations to give out clothing, school supplies,  bedding, household supplies and pay electricity bills.

She talked about her first few days as a principal in this school. She says that she noticed students putting packets of ketchup in their pockets…

Emad Rahim is a Kaplan Instructor and a KU Village 2011 presenter.  His session is about technology: "Managing Technology-Driven Learning for Nontraditional Student." but check out his amazing story of triumph:http://bit.ly/psPNfM  Register for KUVillage here: www.kuvillage.org…