A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 18, 2022

Unlike the days when there was no Internet, anyone can provide deeper context or supporting examples to supplement and piece of traditional written work. There is a nice mix of concepts including personalization, educational technology, leadership, and school culture. By evergreen I mean that the content withstands the test of time.

Leadership 534

Leadership Educational Technology Tradition Cultures 534

A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

Below I will address six specific areas that can help to create an empathetic teaching and learning culture. Remote teachers also need time, which is why having them follow a traditional school day schedule doesn't make much sense, especially when asynchronous tasks can be employed, freeing up much needed minutes or even hours.

Pedagogy 543

Pedagogy Cultures Tradition Leadership 543

A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 9, 2024

Here is the synopsis: Not Just One Way Are you an educator stuck in the traditional teaching or leadership mold, yearning for a spark to reignite your passion? Where the rigid structures of traditional education give way to flexible, student-centered learning environments.

Tradition 411

Tradition Critical Thinking Cultures Leadership 411

A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 13, 2021

A shift to remote learning and social distancing forced schools to revert back to more traditional arrangements, but new opportunities came in the form of virtual environments consisting of vibrant bitmoji classrooms, breakout rooms, purposeful use of technology, and the effective use of learning management systems.

Tutoring 532

Tutoring Pedagogy Library Cultures 532

A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 19, 2017

Thus, schools and education in general need to create a learning culture that not only inspires students, but also prepares them for success in their future. The challenge for education is to begin to embrace new modes of thinking and innovative practices that are disruptive in nature and difficult to assess using traditional metrics.

K-12 401

K-12 Pedagogy Tradition Cultures 401

A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 17, 2024

In a world of standardized tests and rigid curricula, fostering a culture of continuous, personalized growth for teachers allows them to stay abreast of current trends and effective strategies, maximize time, and become the best iteration of themselves for the learners they serve. Offer teachers a diverse menu of learning opportunities.

Professional Development 471

Professional Development Leadership Cultures Educational Technology 471

A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 4, 2022

While no one can deny that some exciting changes have taken place in schools across the globe, the reality is that traditional schooling remains firmly in place. The question we should all be asking is why traditional schooling is still perpetuated in light of what we experienced and learned during the pandemic.

Tradition 467

Tradition Cultures Teaching Education 467

A Principal's Reflections

JULY 4, 2021

Culture, in a classroom or school, is built on a strong relational foundation. Most of the class might be considered economically disadvantaged, but still, many would celebrate the holiday with turkey and other traditional goodies of the season. Without trust, there are not relationships. Without relationships, no real learning occurs.

Cultures 511

Cultures Economics Tradition Teaching 511

Sapiens

DECEMBER 3, 2024

A team of archaeologists working in Southeast Asia is pushing toward a deeper understanding of history that amplifies Indigenous and local perspectives to challenge traditional archaeological timelines. This approach to archaeological research places value on the continuous cultural and social development of humans.

History 143

History Archaeology Heritage Oral History 143

A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 27, 2020

Other pieces included topics that I traditionally cover but with new angles such as pedagogy, change leadership, and school culture. Personalized learning quickly became a focus area based on impressive outcomes from some of the schools I had been working within in an on-going and job-embedded fashion.

Pedagogy 527

Pedagogy Leadership Tradition Cultures 527

Sapiens

FEBRUARY 26, 2025

I (Mariam) grew up in a Pakistani diaspora family, where I observed roti-making as an organizing tradition of my home culture, but one that remained a gender-exclusive space for girls, mothers, and aunties. We both started our lifelong studies of roti at a young ageboth as a frequent eater and observer of the food. where I teach.

Cultures 126

Cultures History Tradition Archiving 126

A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 18, 2016

We were able to transform the learning culture of a traditional school and in the process got results while becoming an example that others emulated. Image credit: https://andrewherrick.files.wordpress.com If we are to improve learning and ultimately school-based outcomes student agency needs to be a real element of school culture.

Advocacy 388

Advocacy Cultures Government Tradition 388

Anthropology.net

NOVEMBER 7, 2024

Ochre’s Role in Early Human Society Ochre, valued across cultures and eras, was more than a mere pigment; it was a cornerstone of symbolic and ceremonial life. In Eswatini, ochre remains significant in various cultural rituals, such as wedding ceremonies where brides are adorned with red ochre as a symbol of transformation and unity.

Archaeology 98

Archaeology Humanities Cultures Tradition 98

A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 2, 2014

During the early years as a high school principal I worked terribly hard to sustain practices that had been ingrained into the school learning culture. The resulting culture focused squarely on the metrics that my stakeholders held dear. If not, yet another generation of students will be lost upon graduation.

Leadership 416

Leadership Cultures Tradition High School 416

Sapiens

MARCH 11, 2025

An anthropologist plunges into the world of Patagonian heavy metal music in Argentina to explore how the genre relates to language and cultural revitalization. Mapuche shamans, or machis , play the traditional kultrun drum in 1900. I FIRST HEARD Patagonian heavy metal on a cold winter night in Esquel, Argentina.

Heritage 129

Heritage Cultures History Government 129

A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 22, 2015

We need to realize that this, along with other traditional elements associated with education, no longer prevail. These traditional pathways used to drive change typically result in resentment, undermining, and failure. The bottom line is that they are bored.

Leadership 416

Leadership Artifacts Tradition Cultures 416

A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 17, 2022

Transitioning from a traditional to a more personalized culture emphasizes equity while providing learning spaces that are more reflective of the real world. While I still firmly believe in their value, I have embraced a more nuanced lens that provides more clarity and relevance.

Leadership 419

Leadership Cultures Tradition Research 419

A Principal's Reflections

MAY 10, 2020

The lessons learned from this crisis can empower us all to chart a new path to create cultures of learning that provide kids with the competencies to succeed in a post-COVID19 world. However, we cannot forget the power of television, newspapers, radios, and other traditional sources.

Leadership 512

Leadership Education Pedagogy Cultures 512

Anthropology.net

MARCH 25, 2025

These tools, characterized by a prepared-core technique that allowed for precise flake removal, have long been studied using traditional measurements. This new study offers a different lens: analyzing the entire three-dimensional structure of the core to assess how shape is controlled across different regions and tradition.

Anthropology 96

Anthropology Archaeology Tradition Humanities 96

A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 15, 2023

Traditional classroom-based education often constrains students with fixed schedules and locations. Not all students thrive in a traditional classroom setting. Students can engage with peers and educators from diverse backgrounds, enriching their understanding of different cultures and viewpoints.

Global Perspectives 463

Global Perspectives Tradition Interactive Learning Critical Thinking 463

A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 5, 2023

Sometimes that means looking beyond traditional metrics of success to find other areas where the needle can be moved. In every classroom, I saw evidence of a vibrant culture of learning and competency-based strategies where students followed a unique path and worked at their own pace.

Junior High 474

Junior High Cultures Leadership Tradition 474

A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

Upon leaving New Milford High School a few weeks ago, I was like a proud father who watched his children grow up, mature, and experience undeniable successes that forever changed the teaching and learning culture there. The hiring process can make or break a school culture. She then got out of the way of the students.

Library 408

Library Leadership Cultures Tradition 408

A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 29, 2020

It is nearly impossible to create a culture of learning if there are elements of boredom, inactivity, and lack of relevance. Early on, I used more traditional strategies since this was a new arena for me. In order to empower people at some level, you first need to engage them.

Leadership 545

Leadership Tradition Cultures High School 545

TeachThought

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

It’s not very scalable in a classroom with one teacher and 34 students, which is where the Socrative Seminar comes in–a ‘built-for-the-classroom structure to bring learning-through-questioning’ into traditional educational spaces.

Critical Thinking 317

Critical Thinking Teaching Government Psychology 317

A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 27, 2015

This framework, based on traditional elements of education yet encouraging movement from acquisition of knowledge to application of knowledge, charts learning along the two dimensions of higher standards and student achievement. Pedagogy first, technology second when appropriate.

Artifacts 477

Artifacts Pedagogy Leadership Cultures 477

A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 26, 2020

At the forefront is developing and sustaining a culture that imparts purpose, meaning, relevance, ownership, and various paths that cater to both the strengths and weaknesses of all students. A more practical approach is to be more diligent as to the specific strategies that help learners master it in ways beyond just traditional means.

Pedagogy 521

Pedagogy Leadership Cultures Education Policy 521

A Principal's Reflections

MAY 2, 2021

In a short period of time, we have seen innovative companies such as Uber, Lyft, Vrbo, DoorDash, and Robinhood disrupt many traditional service areas. The “Jetsons moment” has become engrained in our lives no matter where we live or work. Disruption is here to stay, thus the need to future-proof learning.

Cultures 398

Cultures Tradition Humanities 398

A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 16, 2022

Curious leaders inspire while also breaking down traditional barriers when it comes to transforming culture. It’s not always about being right or wrong but instead seeking out ways to make the best decisions for the people you serve.

Leadership 498

Leadership Tradition Humanities Cultures 498

Anthropology.net

FEBRUARY 19, 2025

Found in different parts of Europe, these two industries have often been grouped together as “transitional industries,” implying that they might share a common technological or cultural origin. To correct this, the team organized a workshop where archaeologists directly examined artifacts from both traditions side by side.

Archaeology 98

Archaeology Artifacts Tradition Humanities 98

Teaching Anthropology

FEBRUARY 3, 2025

Nightingale College, South Dakota, US As I grade my Cultural Anthropoloy classs Emic and Etic Perspectives of Halloween essay, two things strike me: 1. As we all teach in our Introduction to Anthropology classes, the emic perspective is essential for understanding a cultural practice. Chloe Beckett, M.A., 2023, and Ouyang et al.,

Anthropology 130

Anthropology Sociology Cultures Educational Technology 130

A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 15, 2015

This is also where it is sustained to the point that it becomes an embedded component of school or district culture. It does not rely on someone being in a leadership position in a traditional sense but more so on a desire to want to change professional practice.

Artifacts 378

Artifacts Leadership Cultures Tradition 378

A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 3, 2018

As a supplement to traditional discussion strategies technology can serve as a catalyst to increase engagement by getting more learners actively involved during lessons. Our results indicate that peer discussion enhances understanding, even when none of the students in a discussion group originally knows the right answer.

Pedagogy 413

Pedagogy Tradition Research Humanities 413

A Principal's Reflections

JULY 10, 2016

Other elements embedded in school culture cloud our vision as to what is both needed and possible. Issues such as the status quo, traditions, mindset , fear, apathy, funding, infrastructure, and time seem to consistently rear their ugly heads. It’s not just advancements in technology that have to be addressed in our schools.

Global Connections 420

Global Connections Leadership Cultures Tradition 420

A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 14, 2016

Instead of enabling the status quo to dictate the learning culture of a school, critical reflection is employed to disrupt professional practice in order to grow and improve. Leaders who choose to go against the flow ask these critical questions about their school culture: How well are we meeting the needs of today’s learner?

Leadership 370

Leadership Professional Development Cultures Educational Technology 370

A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 24, 2018

As a supplement to traditional discussion strategies technology can serve as a catalyst to increase engagement by getting more people actively involved during lessons. It can also take conversations to new levels of interactivity and expression.

Tradition 374

Tradition Cultures Research Pedagogy 374

A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 9, 2020

Having kids meet at the same time for a synchronous Zoom session as they would for a traditional face-to-face class just doesn't make sense and is counterproductive, in my opinion. Flexibility Rigid schedules and expectations didn't work particularly well prior to COVID19. They sure don't facilitate an engaging learning experience for kids.

Tradition 545

Tradition Cultures Teaching Research 545

A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 3, 2024

Cultural and Social Awareness : Integrating relevant social and cultural issues into the curriculum can promote empathy, respect for diversity, and an understanding of global interconnectivity. This means utilizing a mix of traditional tests, performance tasks, technology, portfolios, student reflections, and feedback.

Critical Thinking 466

Critical Thinking Pedagogy Project-Based Learning Cultures 466