#Thankful
There is so much – where to begin… Family – without them, I could not do what I do. They have molded me into who I am. Students – they never know it, but they breathe life into me every time I am around them. Colleagues – from all of …
Gamify Your Class. Here’s Why!
gam·i·fi·ca·tion ˌɡāmifəˈkāSHən/ noun the application of typical elements of game playing (e.g., point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to other areas of activity, typically as an online marketing technique to encourage engagement with a product or service. “gamification is exciting because it promises to make the hard stuff …
Have Hope/Give Hope
I was tinkering around the house on Friday when my Mom called – “Have you heard about the terrorist attack at the soccer game in Europe?” I hadn’t…And as my wife and I watched the news that evening, I felt so many emotions running through my brain. Our second anniversary …
Thoughts While Mowing Part 2
While mowing yesterday my mind wandered – as it often does – and here are some of those thoughts. Not too many answers but more questions…. Is it possible to “quantify” a teacher’s impact on a student? Is there really a tool that can do this? For every teacher? Who …
Believe in Yourself
The pic may be hard to read but it says: “Believe in yourself and you can do it believe in yourself.” This is taped on the bedroom door of my eight year old daughter. I think that these are words to live by. Why? Well – if you don’t believe …
The Research Says: Bridge This Gap!
This week I attended the AECT conference and it was quite different from any conference that I have attended. AECT – the Association for Educational Communications and Technology – was a gathering place of graduate students and researchers from all over the world. These amazing people have been digging into …
Here is the problem…
The Discussion Board Prompt and my response. The TPAK framework is here – it is a really interesting model and is not hard to read. Dr. Penny has really had me fired up the past few weeks!! First, describe the topic or concept and explain why it is difficult for …
Dr. Who + Jack Sparrow + Leonardo da Vinci = ME!
Read this post by Steve Wheeler. Super interesting. To sum up – what twisted pair (real or fictional) has influenced your teaching? Dr. Who + Jack Sparrow + Leonardo da Vinci = ME! Why? Dr. Who is always working to save the human race. He is creative, thinking outside the …
$1 Billion
This is a quick post about some thoughts bouncing in my head… I’m not sure on the exact amount of money that our state spends on testing – what if that money went into teachers (pay raises or hiring new teachers)? What kind of change would happen in our schools? …
Your Story Is Important!
If you have not investigated YourEdustory – then you are missing out! This darn graduate work has taken its toll on my blogging this semester and this space feels strangely neglected. I have recently eeked out a couple of blogs based on some topics from class – but not written of …