Houston, I think We have a (Disengagement) Problem
Is the focus on engagement off the mark?
Telling and Doing are not the same
Telling – Why not? Smoking – We all know it’s bad for your health, is linked to cancer and is the root cause of many other physical problems. Yet people continue to smoke, we continue to sell tobacco products and our youth continue to be swayed to using them. Why? In the 21st century with…
From Tech Talk to Transformation
Yesterday, as I scanned through my twitter feed, I came across this post by Lisa Noble – @nobleknits2 – about her experience with social networks and her own personal experience. It is a great example of how social media can have a powerful influence on lives. However, Lisa’s final few paragraphs at the end had me pondering.…
Do we need to rethink conventions?
I’ve been following the discussion about EdCamps over the past few months – even thinking about organizing one in our area/province. The one thing I continue to be impressed with is that the people who attend make comments like I recently went to the EdCampYEG with two fellow staff members. Well worth the 2 hr.…
Choosing to Learn – Staff PD
There have been a few discussions going on about staff PD and the need to change things and make them more relevant for teachers. So, I figured I’d share a few things that our staff decided to do to enhance our PD, a few things that we’ve “made our own” from division directives and how…
Online Bookmarking – Not an Option
As educators who use technology know, there are too many sites out there to visit and go through by oneself. We don’t have the time to do that plus do all the other things that need to get done. That’s why using an online bookmarking tool has become a must for me. Just Managing My…
A New Year’s Resolution
It’s the New Year and with it comes the usual resolutions that many people make. Like most, I’ve sat down and put together a list of things that I have resolved that need to improve or change in this upcoming year. For the most part, my goal is to change the way that I do…
Who’s responsible for school morale?
School morale – the ambiance and atmosphere that permeates a building when you enter. It’s reflected in the way the students greet one another and how teachers interact with the students, teachers and parents. It’s part of how visitors feel when they enter the building and staff feel when they exit on Friday afternoon. It…
In school outside the tech bubble
School is a multi-dimensional place where the lives of students and adults mix and mingle in a very loosely defined thing we call education. Because I am an administrator and know that some of the students in the school do, on occasion, access this blog, I am in a position that talking about anything remotely…
Why are we only partly done our year?
Tomorrow morning life will once again begin that familiar cadence as school begins for 2008. We’re almost half-way through the year but 2008 is just beginning and with it all the expectations of a new year. It seems kind of funny to be starting a new year in the middle of a school year. I…