How 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 they come up with to complex problems? How many of them wonder at the process of learning and growth each day? Is …
When we look out and see our community gathered: students, parents, teachers, and leaders; I hope we see folks coming together. A sea filled with diverse and essential life, unwilling to be denied. Because we are not a crowd, we are a community. Aurora Public Schools is making a comeback …
We 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 to each other for resources/advice is difficult. I tend to use this: Reach out often. Reach in daily. Three Schools On Three …
When 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 whenever they get excited or want to fully engage in an activity. I wonder if I’m carrying around blankets too Where Does Personalized Learning …
Yesterday, I spoke with a superintendent in Singapore via video conference alongside many other APS educators. He was on the other side of the world, and we were learning from him. It made me think: “When did Singapore get so close to Aurora, CO?” Creating a Learning Orientation Versus a …
We are pattern recognition machines. We look for them to avoid threats and to embrace opportunities. Sometimes, though, the single unexplainable outlier is far more informative. Why did one child struggle or excel when others did not? It tells a lot. Bringing digital citizenship into the school curriculum Digital citizenship …
When 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 all that it is okay to get excited, and you start to see the light spread from one set of eyes to the …
We 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 will lead to what happens next, like making hundreds of tiny bets on the future. What are your bets? What Personalized Learning Is …
Just 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 the fastest or with the most depth? Is it those who write the lessons/assessments or those who take them. ‘Where We Went …
I 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 a lot this week, about themselves and each other. I will be thinking of and supporting them any way I can. Google …