A few months ago bloggers argued about a parent who complained that the Common Core had needlessly complicated subtraction. The controversial techniques involve deconstructing “hard” numbers into “easy” numbers and working on the parts to get the answer. Most the teachers commented that
Read MoreLast week, I had the incredible privilege of hosting Representative Jonathan Larkin (District 30) at my school for the first annual Take Your Legislator to School Day (TYLTS). TYLTS Day originated under the leadership of Bobbie O’Boyle (Arizona Education Foundation)
Read MoreToday, a student resentfully announced in class that there was no grade in the gradebook for an essay he wrote. A month ago. I couldn’t argue. It has been sitting in the “Speedgrader” of my digital classroom for several weeks.
Read MoreRuPaul tells us to work it. Britney sings that we better work if we want something. However, Tim Gunn says it best. “Make it work.” He tells all his designers to take their tools, fabrics, and various odds and ends
Read MoreSandy wrote a great post offering some push-back about the statement teachers make that “your experience as a student doesn’t make you an expert on teaching and learning.” It was the kind of post I needed to read, because I
Read MoreJoey is a junior and, already, failing four classes. We have seen this many times before. The debate always sounds the same: "Joey is lazy." "Wait–maybe Joey is unmotivated" "What's the difference?"
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Everybody knows that she’s creative. Everybody knows that she’s got the ideas. Everybody knows. Well, at least the 28 miniature people that surround her know. And, sometimes some colleagues. Sometimes, some parents. But, rarely, policy makers. Rarely, leaders that define her
Read More"Being a patient's not like being a doctor, though, is it? A doctor has to know what's wrong with people. A patient sits there and waits for the doctor to put it right." That line, spoken by a character in A
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