Year
2017 in review
71 posts across 11 months.
December 2017
6 posts- MustThere are 2 types of ‘must’ experiences. The first is where you are forced by someone else to do something (i.e., ‘You must’). The second is where…Newsletter Archive
- TwiceWhen I taught in a middle school with only 7th and 8th graders, I realized that doing something one year made it an experiment and doing something…Newsletter Archive
- CourageWe must share our courage with others, in our schools and in our lives. The stories of when we stand up for what we believe and start (and…Newsletter Archive
- SurpriseYou can tell a lot about someone by how they deal with surprise. Do they fear it, hoping for a return to ‘normal.’ Or, do they embrace it and see…Newsletter Archive
- DecisionsSome decisions bring us closer to our goals and some take us further away from them. Reflection and time are the only two ways I know to know…Newsletter Archive
- NextIt is our job to prepare kids for what comes next. The unfortunate part is most of us can’t tell the future. Fortunately, though, the skill of…Newsletter Archive
November 2017
7 posts- UnderneathWe don’t always know what is hiding underneath a question from our students (or from our colleagues, for that matter). We can’t always see the…Newsletter Archive
- DoThere is a great deal of power in what you choose to do. Your actions show priorities and they show promises you are making to yourself and…Newsletter Archive
- ThanksGiving thanks is not a measure of someone else’s worth. It is a measure of our own. The more that we give thanks, the more that we understand just…Newsletter Archive
- BrailleSometimes you can feel the raised bumps of a message through the day. Telling you to move forward, to move faster. The divots and tiny mountains…Newsletter Archive
- The WindSometimes wind is flying directly at our faces, making it hard to see ahead. Other times it is at our backs, making everything easier to move…Newsletter Archive
- PracticeGetting behind (on Grading, on Email, etc.) is a chronic condition for many of us. So, respond to the emails you can. Grade what you must. And,…Newsletter Archive
- SafeFeeling safe at school is a right. For our kids, and for our adults. We should create that safety in all of our spaces, online and offline. And we…Newsletter Archive
October 2017
7 posts- We WILLWe CAN do a lot of things to support our students. We SHOULD do everything we can to keep our kids safe. But, what WILL we do to empower them, to…Newsletter Archive
- RememberWe should remember our educational heroes, those that came before us and taught us how to learn. Those that helped us turn light bulbs on every…Newsletter Archive
- Destination CollaborationAt this point, collaboration is not optional, not for students and certainly not for educators. But seeking it is not always easy, and it requires…Newsletter Archive
- We blanket each other in worry.Worry is sometimes helpful. It can make sure we don’t leave any one or anything behind. But, when we worry for others, we blanket them in…Newsletter Archive
- Sometimeswe have to jump in, with both feet. We need to feel the ground meet us as we land. We need to run fast while looking all around us, making sure we…Newsletter Archive
- WonderHow many of our kids walk into the classroom and wonder what they are going to build or create today? How many of them wonder at the solutions…Newsletter ArchivePersonalized Learning
- A Sea of HumanityWhen we look out and see our community gathered: students, parents, teachers, and leaders; I hope we see folks coming together. A sea filled with…Newsletter Archive
September 2017
6 posts- Reaching Out and InWe are not the only ones engaged in teaching and learning. Far from it. But, knowing when we should reach out to others and when should we reach…Newsletter Archive
- BlanketsWhen the days get cold, my kids bring out their blankets from bedrooms. They carry them around for warmth, but they tend to leave them behind…Newsletter Archive
- The Other SideYesterday, I spoke with a superintendent in Singapore via video conference alongside many other APS educators. He was on the other side of the…Newsletter Archive
- PatternsWe are pattern recognition machines. We look for them to avoid threats and to embrace opportunities. Sometimes, though, the single unexplainable…Newsletter Archive
- Their Eyes Light UpWhen a child is passionate about her learning, it isn’t a secret. In fact, it is contagious. The fire in the eyes of one learner communicates to…Newsletter Archive
- FutureWe can’t predict what will happen this year or next. However, everything we do today will make a difference. The words we say and actions we take…Newsletter Archive
August 2017
12 posts- OwnershipJust questions today: Who “owns” the learning in your school? And, how do you know? Is it those doing the most work? Is it those that are learning…Newsletter Archive
- Learning In HoustonI was in Houston for a school visit 3 weeks ago. That school is closed, along with hundreds of others. But, the kids of Houston are still learning…Newsletter Archive
- CreateI am happiest when I create. But, only when that creation is in the service of solving for an identified need or answering authentic questions.…Newsletter Archive
- WaterThere are many drinks you can use to hydrate. Some are better at it than others. But, no one will question the need for water as the core…Newsletter Archive
- Choose“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is often interpreted that you should choose a path others don’t. But, the poem states both paths were worn…Newsletter Archive
- FiniteOur time with kids is finite, but their learning is not. They learn from every moment they are in Schools, and every moment they are away. They…Newsletter Archive
- Becauseyou support a student or teacher today, they will succeed. Not if, but BECAUSE. Cognitive bias cheat sheet I keep working on my biases in an…Newsletter Archive
The space you inhabit.I don’t make my bed. I never really have, either. Growing up, I lived in the basement or in a lofted bed. No one was looking st those spaces, so I…
#ReclaimPLI was sitting in the Cultures of Thinking workshop yesterday, and I heard a lot of things that resonated with me personally as well as with our…Cultures of ThinkingPersonalized Learning- WelcomeIt is now officially the 2017-18 school year as teachers come back across the district! With a new school year comes a new website for…Newsletter ArchivePersonalized Learning
An Extraordinary GiftI’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about the structures that support us and those that hold us back. Something that has been helping this…holacracyLearningorg structureProductivity
July 2017
6 posts
Assessment and Data PuppiesI attended an assessment literacy session put on my by the Colorado Department of Education. Among other things, it let me dive into my beliefs…
The Great UnsubscribeFor the past 5 years, I have used a tool called Unroll.me in order to take all of my subscription-based emails and “roll them into” a single…LearningProductivityunsubscribe- In the background…Often, I find myself gravitating toward a song or style of music as the backdrop for a season of my work. I will put that song on as I think…InspirationMusic
My Try At Bullet JournalsI’ve recently been thinking a lot about my first two years of teaching and the lesson planning notebooks I used. This was the last time I used a…Apple PencilBujoBullet JournalsProductivity
I almost bought a house.As we continue to build out this year, I would like to draw upon our own experiences for both strength and inspiration. With that in mind, I’d…GrowthLearningStoriesThinking
June 2017
1 post- RechargeI plug in my phone every night. It is a habit that I don’t even think about any more. I have to think far more about my own batteries that need…Newsletter Archive
May 2017
7 posts- TransformationI’ve been thinking a lot recently about what has the power to transform learning. The only response that always rings true is, ‘People.’ We have…Newsletter Archive
- Breaking the MoldAs we accelerate toward the end of the year, there are lots of opportunities to reflect. We still have to grab a hold of those opportunities,…Newsletter Archive
- We CareWe take student learning seriously, and we care deeply for getting it right. This care is manifest in every conversation I have with a principal…Newsletter Archive
- They are who we thought they were.Technology is not pedagogically agnostic. It was made by people, for a purpose. We just have to make sure that we are choosing the technology that…Newsletter Archive
- The Stories We Tell OurselvesWhat do you mean by personalized learning? Helpful resources… While I think the resources shared here are truly wonderful, the broader point is…Newsletter ArchivePersonalized Learning
- Stories of Self, of Us, of NowLots of amazing things happen when we reflect upon our history and find the whole story of how we got to this very moment. What are you reflecting…Newsletter ArchivePersonalized Learning
April 2017
8 posts- Micro-credentials GaloreCan Micro-credentials Create More Meaningful Professional Development For Teachers? I feel like listening to educators is probably a good way to…Newsletter Archive
- And, Away We Go!I find that we all need something a little different in order to support our learning. What types of resources help you to learn better (or…Newsletter ArchivePersonalized Learning
- No Waiting NecessaryWhy Believing in Your Students Matters Our expectations for students matter. I like the way research and personal experience are woven together.…Newsletter ArchivePersonalized Learning
- Words WorkHow I Present Some great advice for both student and adult presentations from the always on point, Dan Meyer. The Digital Day in the Life of a…Newsletter ArchivePersonalized Learning
- For real this time.Making equity a first principle of personalized learning Great frame for how Personalized Learning is and should be about equity for kids. The new…Newsletter Archive
- Essential QuestionsThe educators at EdCamp Revolution want you to know the revolution will not be standardized It is always a good idea to look at which voices are…Newsletter Archive
- There’s more where that came from.Skill Checklists for Google Certified Educator Level 1 and 2 Wonderful resource to check off your own skills for becoming a Google Certified…Newsletter Archive
- It’s a Learner’s world out there. We’re just personalizing it.Fast Drawing for Everyone Demonstrating your learning visually shouldn’t be so hard, and with this Google experiment it doesn’t have to be. Check…Personalized Learning
February 2017
5 posts- Youtube Magic: How John Spencer makes “Creative Videos for Educators”I will interview John Spencer about his approach to creating videos for teachers and leaders around the world, and how he is creating a community…
- Samsung Chromebook Plus and Asus Flip C302 Touch-based Chromebook Initial Thoughts ReviewIn this quick review of these two new chromebooks, I take a look at what it is like to have access to the Google Play store within a Chromebook…
- New Asus Chromebook Flip C302C: Google Play Store (beta) ExperienceIn this deeper dive into the Asus Chromebook C302C (this is what it says on the chromebook itself, even though most of the reviews call it the…
- Acer Chromebook R11: Antutu Benchmark and First LookIn this mini-review, I take a look at the Acer Chromebook R11 and how it fairs in the Antutu benchmark in comparison to Android phones and…
January 2017
6 posts- #whoisAPS: Why don’t our students have more access to books and reading?Program Director for Library Services in APS, Jan Novak, asks important questions about literacy and access to classroom resources. She also dives…#WHOISaps
- #whoisAPS: What are the missing pieces from our district?Carrie M Rubida, Ed Tech Coach for our early learners in Aurora Public Schools, tackles the ways in which she is continually challenging herself…#WHOISaps
- #WhoisAPS: How do you build a system that addresses every student’s needs?Charles Dukes, program director for PWR in Aurora Public Schools, delves into how students can better identify their needs, create a plan to solve…#WHOISaps
- #WhoisAPS: How can we show and grow our passion for students?Daniel P Sandoval, a leader for Postsecondary Workforce Readiness in APS, digs into what tools he needs for impacting learning for kids as well as…#WHOISaps
- #WhoisAPS: How can we engage our families in the conversation about learning?David West, a leader in counseling services in Aurora Public Schools, dives into the ways that we can best support the whole child within our…#WHOISaps
- #whoisAPS: How can we best support teachers and students?Jennifer Gutierrez, leader of ESS in Aurora Public Schools, asks how we can better have an impact with district-level work with teachers and…#WHOISaps