Point #1: “The people that complain are our best customers, not our worst.” –Jackie Huba In the keynote for NACOL VSS 2007: Jackie Huba, an advertising consultant and blogger, is talking about creating learning evangelists. Her idea is that word of mouth is all powerful. The students and parents that …
This is my first time blogging from in on an airplane. My daughter, Isabelle, may be the cause of that. She is cleverly intriguing, so much so that it is difficult to be very reflective when she is saying “da da da” at you. My trip today, and the reason …
My students are amazing bloggers, but they mostly blog in class. They write about authentic topics (ones that they care about), but they don’t seem to transfer into their home life. Originally, I had envisioned a teeming community of student bloggers who are blogging about their lives, their interests, and …
So, I just got a new palm treo because I’m not quite ready to jump into the iPhone just yet (waiting for 2.0). I have been typing up ideas every once in a while on it and then revise them on the computer after transferring them via bluetooth. I’d like …
Today I drove nearly four hours (round-trip) in order to talk with 8 teachers from rural school districts in Colorado about blogging in the classroom. The meeting was in one of the most out of the way (and beautiful) places imaginable, Leadville. I tell you this not to rouse your …
This is the first in a series of posts about The Ripe Environment, my thoughts on how to create a space for educators and learners to want to become better educators and learners (although, one could argue that educators and learners are or should be the same thing). The first …
This post is cross-posted here. This is both a big moment and a small blip, a tongue-tied mixed-feeling overture. It reassures me that I have done something important, but I that can never rest on my laurels. I will never stop being passionate about learning, nor will I cease to …
Many edubloggers (only the most recent one I have found) and podcasters have noticed this phenomenon that it is terribly difficult to receive recognition for doing great work outside your most logical sphere of influence: your own school. This tendency leads to less willingness to collaborate with the teachers that …
When I try to explain to people, even the most highly educated and interested people, what I am doing in my classroom, I get two distinct reactions. 1. This is way too technical for me. It is fine if you want to try it out (and fall flat on your …
There is a new type of reputation out there. It lingers and builds long after you you have stopped caring about it. Managing it is hard. Too many elements to focus on, and too little time to maintain them all. So, you do what you can.You look for just the …