A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 24, 2023

While I firmly believe in the merits of digital learning, it comes with a caveat, which I recently shared on social media: Technology is just a tool and is definitely not a silver bullet. The more difficult mental hurdle is that using any digital tool is just another thing added to an already crazy workload.

EdTech 472

EdTech Pedagogy Teaching Research 472

A Principal's Reflections

JULY 18, 2021

Hence, the definition I created a few years back: Blended instruction is what the teacher does with technology. The key is to find strategic ways to use it as a means to improve learning, something that is emphasized in Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms.

Elementary School 545

Elementary School Tradition High School Education 545

TeachThought

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

For example, the column on the left can have words and the column on the right can have definitions. The Definition of Factual Questions: Questions with unambiguous, more or less universally accepted objective answers based on knowledge. A variation of the Matching Question has one column holding more items than the other.

Critical Thinking 308

Critical Thinking Teaching Government Psychology 308

A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 13, 2015

With this stark reality in place, changes in schools and instruction are definitely needed to better meet the needs of all learners. Be sure to check out the working definition and critical questions to consider compiled by Education Week. As the definition continues to evolve so does the potential in schools.

Pedagogy 336

Pedagogy Teaching Education 336

A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 6, 2022

When it comes to technology, less is definitely more. Fewer Tools for More Impact It’s not how much technology you use in the classroom that matters, but the degree to which students use it in a purposeful way. Too much of a good thing tends to have drawbacks, which tend to increase when not aligned with sound pedagogy.

Pedagogy 531

Pedagogy Research Education 531

A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 8, 2020

While grades might work for some students, they definitely don’t for all, especially those who: Feel ashamed by the stigma that a letter or number has (or had) on them. Don’t learn one particular way, but that is how their classes were structured.

K-12 530

K-12 Government Cultures High School 530

A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 4, 2024

Before I tackle these, let’s first start with a realistic definition that Nicki Slaugh and I shared in our book Personalize : Personalization is all students getting what they need when and where they need it to learn. The definition we developed was strategic in nature.

Professional Development 398

Professional Development Educational Technology Teaching Education 398

A Principal's Reflections

JULY 26, 2020

These are just a few of the questions being pondered, where there are no clear or definitive answers. What will be the impact of budget cuts? How will educators get the professional learning support they so desperately need? The result has been unprecedented stress on anyone associated directly, or indirectly, with education.

Pedagogy 532

Pedagogy Leadership Tradition Teaching 532

A Principal's Reflections

JULY 3, 2022

Connect to Learning and School Culture Whether it is getting information out, providing feedback, or educating your stakeholders, there needs to be a compelling why, clear how, and definitive what that leads to the message resonating with your audience.

Leadership 532

Leadership Cultures Education 532

A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 13, 2021

While these are definitely important, a rapidly changing world requires the cultivation of disruptive thinkers who have the competence to replace conventional ideas with innovative solutions to authentic problems.

Tutoring 530

Tutoring Pedagogy Library Cultures 530

A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 2, 2020

If professional learning was not emphasized, it’s definitely not too late. However, this has also been a time of considerable fluctuation and flip-flopping on opening plans in relation to COVID19 infection rates. Think about experiences that reflect the conditions where your students will be expected to learn remotely.

Pedagogy 546

Pedagogy Social Justice K-12 EdTech 546

ShortCutsTV

SEPTEMBER 24, 2024

The Thomas Theorem, created by W.I.Thomas and his wife Dorothy (The Child in America, 1928), is a simple and interesting way to introduce students to the social constructionist / Interactionist approach in Sociology, for a couple of reasons: Firstly, the Theorem – “It is not important whether or not the interpretation is correct, if we […] (..)

Sociology 98

Sociology Psychology 98

A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

Here is my definition shared in Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms that makes a distinction between instruction: Blended instruction is what the teacher does with technology. While there are many strategies to personalize, blended pedagogies represent the most practical means.

Pedagogy 489

Pedagogy Teaching Education 489

A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 22, 2020

Greg Kulowiec provides an excellent working definition: App Smashing is the process of using multiple apps to create projects or complete tasks. Content consumption does not equate to the construction of new knowledge, discourse, answering questions, solving a problem, or creating a learning artifact.

Primary Sources 478

Primary Sources Artifacts Pedagogy Leadership 478

A Principal's Reflections

MAY 8, 2022

Typically, there is no definitive right or wrong response. These types of questions naturally allow for the sharing of more information such as feelings, supporting details, attitudes, and a deeper understanding of the concepts being presented.

Teaching 452

Teaching Research Education 452

A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 10, 2021

I can definitely improve in this area, and I really didn’t think about it much until an experience with Jackson County Schools in Georgia. One way to move the needle is to seek it out from a variety of perspectives. If you are not receiving enough feedback to either spark or sustain your growth, how are you seek it out?

High School 460

High School Teaching 460

A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 8, 2023

This is a skill they will definitely need in their future! I love seeing 13- and 14-year-olds learn how to manage their time using short-term deadlines. The academic deadlines for their course are sometimes hard to conceptualize because they take weeks to accomplish. Self-regulation is a hallmark of personalized learning.

Junior High 504

Junior High Psychology High School Research 504

A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 28, 2018

Tanveer Nasser shares this perspective: Unlike science, art allows for a more subjective interpretation of ideas or concepts; that there’s no need for a singular, fixed answer or definition to understand it. It is hard to say definitively that there is one style or technique that works best when all the variables are taken into consideration.

Leadership 318

Leadership Psychology Cultures Humanities 318

A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 28, 2021

Teaching during this past year has definitely challenged me, Lauren, to view things a little bit differently and has forced me out of my comfort zone in many ways. This was a fantastic lesson that genuinely personalized the experience for all kids where they got what they needed when and where they needed it.

Pedagogy 546

Pedagogy Elementary School Critical Thinking Cultures 546

A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 18, 2015

Increase collaboration : Just as social media has given rise to new definitions of community, digital tools are transforming community and the give-and-take between students and teachers. Understanding how they are impacting teaching and learning will help guide your consideration of which tools are useful and how to best implement them.

Teaching 419

Teaching Artifacts Critical Thinking Educational Technology 419

A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 18, 2019

Inclusive learning and providing for students and families from different backgrounds is something that the Buncee and the Microsoft team are definitely passionate about, making this integration a natural fit. I've also had students experience difficulty with reading on certain colored backgrounds, so this is a definite plus.

Interactive Learning 385

Interactive Learning Critical Thinking Leadership High School 385

A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 11, 2021

There were definitely excellent practices taking place in classrooms across the globe. I will even go out on a limb and state that what I have seen the past couple of months is significantly better at scale than what was observed prior to COVID-19's emergence. Now don't get me wrong. However, they were more isolated than widespread.

Library 446

Library Pedagogy Education EdTech 446

A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 24, 2016

Professional learning definitely matters and effective planning and implementation is key. Professional development is not effective unless it causes teachers to improve their instruction or causes administrators to become better school leaders.”

Professional Development 401

Professional Development Leadership Research Teaching 401

A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 25, 2020

Mostly miss as there is a definite need for practical strategies in the areas of remote, hybrid, and blended learning facilitated in practical ways. Choice in professional learning Forcing educators to engage in one-size-fits-all professional development at this time will tend to be hit or miss depending on the person.

Leadership 529

Leadership Pedagogy Professional Development Tradition 529

A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 6, 2020

I suggest only three rotations to begin, but you can definitely add more if you are working with a more extended block of time. The entire premise of the model presented above is to make the best use of available time during a class period where a teacher is managing both face-to-face and remote learners.

Middle School 546

Middle School High School Education Pedagogy 546

A Principal's Reflections

MAY 5, 2019

My point though is that there is definitely room for growth in terms of validating all the talk with substance. Video It is hard to imagine a more robust digital asset than images, but video definitely takes the cake. A one-minute video equates to well over one million written words.

Archiving 353

Archiving Artifacts Leadership Pedagogy 353

TeachThought

JUNE 10, 2024

Definition of Constructivism Constructivism is an educational theory in which learners actively construct their own understanding and knowledge through experiences and reflection on those experiences. The Difference Between Constructivism And Constructionism Constructivism is–more or less–the same thing.

Artifacts 320

Artifacts Psychology Project-Based Learning Interactive Learning 320

A Principal's Reflections

JULY 29, 2018

On the contrary, it a definitive sign of strength. There were also may other teacher leaders, as well as members of my admin team, who were not only wicked smart but also leveraged the professional relationship they had with me to guide me in a better direction at times. Depending on others for guidance and wisdom is not a sign of weakness.

Leadership 420

Leadership Library Cultures Education 420

A Principal's Reflections

MAY 10, 2020

I must say that the definition and description above align seamlessly with the environment we are currently experiencing. It requires a dynamic combination of mindset, behaviors, and skills that are employed to change and/or enhance school culture through the assistance of technology.

Leadership 510

Leadership Education Pedagogy Cultures 510

A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 15, 2020

Going forward, I will definitely be integrating more choice boards and station rotation into my workshops. The iteration that you see was updated and tweaked numerous times thanks to the feedback I received from the Corinth School District, Jill Bromenschenkel, and my wife.

Pedagogy 431

Pedagogy K-12 EdTech Elementary School 431

A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 19, 2020

This definitely applies now. In Digital Leadership I recommend that all leaders consider using a multi-faceted approach that blends both digital and non-digital strategies to get the required information and updates to all stakeholders. Take a risk and make yourself vulnerable by delivering light-hearted messages using Snapchat and TikTok.

Leadership 452

Leadership Pedagogy Cultures High School 452

A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 17, 2021

These models were never meant for K-12 education, and there is no definitive playbook available as things seem to be in a constant state of flux during the pandemic. In either case, I commend them for seeking out assistance for staff to ease concerns and ensure sound pedagogical practices are in place.

Pedagogy 387

Pedagogy Education K-12 Tradition 387

A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 21, 2015

The definition above provided clarity, but it was still missing some integral components in order to make the concepts of branding more applicable to the education world. Brands are designed to stand out and ultimately influence the consumer in a fashion that builds trust in the product.

Leadership 414

Leadership High School Tradition Cultures 414

A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 6, 2019

As you reflect on the two definitions above, what pathway would you prefer? Here is the main difference between the two: Feedback - information about reactions to a product, a person's performance of a task, etc., used as a basis for improvement.

Elementary School 341

Elementary School Cultures Education Leadership 341

A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 9, 2016

Most of our time was still dedicated to outdoor play, but time was definitely allocated to playing video games on these technological wonders. When not off on our adventures in the deep woods, we would be riding bikes, playing with the dog, swimming in the pool, shooting hoops, or getting into some kind of trouble.

Research 420

Research 420

A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 24, 2019

Why is conflict so pervasive in most organizations, to the extent that some organizations are dysfunctional by any definition? Discord is all around us. And conflict in organizations is nothing new. And yet employees tolerate the conditions. This has to do with the concept of dissonance.

Leadership 428

Leadership Cultures Teaching Research 428

A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 10, 2018

Reflection in Teacher Education: Towards Definition and Implementation. With these positive outcomes, reflective learning should become the new normal. Hatton, N., & & Smith, D. The University of Sydney: School of Teaching and Curriculum Studies.

Pedagogy 400

Pedagogy Lesson Plan Critical Thinking Research 400