Imagine an environment where students become researchers and writers and teachers become guides and helpers; providing tutelage for students who work on a major thesis of mutual interest.
Here is a great little story about a high school in Indiana that has developed a program for inquisitive students who want to read, write and research but [...]
Entries from March 31st, 2009
Students who want to learn
March 31st, 2009 1 Comment
Tags: education · fun · joy of learning · motivation · Net Generation · stsudents who want to learn · student motivation · Students · teachers
Are you trained or educated?
March 31st, 2009 15 Comments
Each semester we bring to campus Masters and Doctoral applicants who are trying to get into the University of Wyoming’s graduate programs in Educational Leadership. During our assessment/interview day my colleague Dr. Heather Duncan noted how often the word “training” came up during the conversations.
This prompted a discussion about whether adults should be “trained” or “educated.” The [...]
Tags: education · in service · professional development · training
When do we get to “practice education?”
March 30th, 2009 No Comments
The other day a friend of mine said, “It pays to get at least two or three opinions when it comes to working on a medical issue with your doctor.” To which I nodded and said, “I hear you!”
It then struck me. When do we get to “practice education” the way doctors “practice medicene?”
The medical [...]
Tags: educators · practicing education · respect
Professional Learning Communities
March 29th, 2009 2 Comments
Many of you work in schools that are using some variation of a Professional Learning Community (PLC). In many cases teachers have been thrown into these situations without the training and experience in working with other adults. When this happens the term PLC loses its professional learning and gets watered down to the point that [...]
The day I knew special education students belonged
March 26th, 2009 1 Comment
Walt’ s excellent essay titled “The Best Student” got me thinking about one of those defining moments in our careers, where something changes us forever. This story is about the day I knew that special education students were not the only ones benefiting from being included.
The Setting
It was the fall of 1984. I had just moved [...]
Tags: inclusion · LRE · special education · special needs students
Thoughts from Austria
March 24th, 2009 1 Comment
Here are a few things I think about as I ponder the remarkable history and culture from Europe as we toured the birthplace of Mozart today in Salzburg, Austria.
1. Could America be going down the wrong road with it’s emphasis on accountability to specific tests that do NOT address, history, culture and the arts? The sense [...]
Blogging live from Austria
March 24th, 2009 1 Comment
I am sitting in Salzburg, Austria looking out the window at the snow covered Alps. Today we toured Mozart’s birthplace and walked the streets of Salzburg. The sense of history overwhelms me. Seeing buildings that are 400 - 800 years old makes you realize how young America really is.
I saw a t-shirt this afternoon that [...]
Who is the best student?
March 22nd, 2009 6 Comments
The Best Student
By Walt Sutterlin
When I found the note, carefully tucked into a pile of papers that had been turned in for grading, I was a little perplexed. I hadn’t assigned an essay or a pen-pal letter, but there was a full, hand-written page from a student I enjoyed very much. As I read it, [...]
Tags: student motivation · Students · teachers
Courageous Leadership
March 21st, 2009 No Comments
Thank you for making us part of your day and week!! Bookmark us and make our blog part of your daily Internet rounds. Don’t forget you can subscribe by email on the sidebar or you can choose to subscribe to the RSS feed. You can also follow me on twitter by clicking on the follow me button. [...]
Tags: administrators · Alan Blankstein · courageous leadership · educational leaderhsip · Leadership · school improvement · Students · teachers
Standardized Testing for Dummies
March 20th, 2009 No Comments
Has anyone ever interviewed high school students after they took a series of standardized tests? Did you ever get any of them to admit that they often play “connect the dots” to see what type of cool pictures they can generate within the given time allotments?
Here is a tongue-in-cheek theory for you to consider. Maybe THIS is why [...]
Tags: bubblesheets · education · Humor · NCLB · satire · standardized testing
