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Let me first start by saying that the Flipgrid professional learning community is made up of the most vibrant, encouraging, committed, and wonderfully weird educators that I have had the pleasure to meet. They alone are what thriving thanks almost solely to the efforts of teachers who have found the platform invaluable. It's a group that … Continue reading What’s Fresh With Flipgrid
Why Should I Talk About It? Recently there has been an uproar about equity in educational opportunities for students in New York City. In fact, I got into a heated debate with several teachers just the other day on the topic. It began with our new chancellor first taking action by saying he’ll keep 25% … Continue reading Integrating Schools in NYC and the Implications Beyond
On June 7th I had the opportunity to be part of an incredibly motivating professional development experience at the 2018 EDxED Conference (originally organized by educator Jennifer Gunn). It's called that because it's an opportunity for educators to share their ideas and practices with other educators (those who know the drill) and pick up tips in … Continue reading 25 Lessons Learned From EDxED
For more information, you can view the original post on BreakoutEDU. Overview Right now I'm drawing on the many Breakouts I've already facilitated for students and staff to prepare a large Breakout EDU adventure that involves gamified quests in time to present it at ISTE. I realized as I piece it together that Breakout EDU has made … Continue reading What’s New With Breakout EDU
So let's begin with the basic premise that there is no one perfect lesson plan or format. That's simply because there are a variety of different needs across subjects, ages, and ability levels. The best lessons are personalized for the needs of your students, so some cookie cutter lesson is bound to be shortsighted. In fact, many of the … Continue reading Creating The Perfect Lesson Plan: 10 Steps & 8 Essential Elements
You can view the related Office 365 vs. G Suite Smackdown as well. Event Overview New York City schools do things a little differently than most places. Due to the sheer size and complexity of needs, there is no overriding educational technology solution that’s chosen to work across the board. Yes, there is a citywide Office … Continue reading The Big 3 In the Classroom: Apple, Google, & Microsoft
Personal History of Learning For a large portion of my life, I wanted to be anything but a teacher. I still functioned in teacher-like roles (children's theatre, coaching a company team, etc.), but I ignored that in my blind aversion towards education. I ran away from teaching for many years. Part of it was I … Continue reading What Makes a Good Teacher – 20 Keys to Effective Instruction
Part of becoming a great teacher is getting a decent job in the first place. There have been a wake of major strikes in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and elsewhere that only seem to be spreading. This raises the question of why anyone might desire to be an underpaid teacher working in poor conditions without appropriate … Continue reading Creating The Perfect Résumé & Doing It Creatively
20 Takeaways From the 1st Annual NYSCATE Digital Leadership Conference I had the opportunity to attend the 1st Annual Digital Leadership Conference sponsored by NYSCATE and the Educational Administrators Association. There were sessions led by Thomas Murray, author of Learning Transformed, Jason Green, the author of Blended Learning In Action; as well as notable administrators and educational … Continue reading Innovative Leadership
I remember taking an online course about 21st-century learning about a decade ago about when MySpace started fading, so 21st-century. So it's been spoken of in numerous courses, books, and diatribes, so what could I possibly add (other than my sparkling wit and charm, he said sardonically). I suppose I just wanted to add my … Continue reading The Future of Education: The 7Cs, 3 Rs, & 3 Ms of 21st-Century Learning