Conformity

I was just watching the movie Mona Lisa Smile.  If you have not seen the movie, it deals with the teacher Katherine Watson who comes to Wellesley.  She is independent and full of feminism in the 1950’s world of housewives, cinched waists, and pot roast dinners.  What struck me about this movie (this is probably [...]

Making it worthwhile

I have only had a job at this high school since January. Honestly when I took the job I told my husband I was going to take it easy. I had planned on staying home with the baby, but I was “coming out of retirement” because it looked like a good way to [...]

Could it be???

Cell phones for learning?  Text messaging for engagement?  YES.  http://polleverywhere.com/
Thanks to Steve Dembo for creating this great list of uses.  My favorite is using the above link, Poll Everywhere.  As long as you are only getting 30 responses per poll and only 1000 per month, your account is free!!
Do you think this would be an [...]

Fired Up!

Wesley Fryer has written an inspirational post called Looking Beyond Coercion, Tests, and Seat Time.
He describes an experience where he saw a teacher (during that dreaded last week of school) showing a video to her kids while she sat at her desk to do paper work.  First, let me say that in the teachers [...]

Playing catch up

As teachers we often find ourselves working under adverse conditions and under pressures that we never thought we would have to survive.  Budget cuts mean less teachers, mediocre salaries, larger classes, fewer materials, and more. Morale goes down, tempers flare, and people retire early or leave the professional altogether.  So how do we as “technovangelists” [...]

Professional Development… the good news and the bad news

Can you remember a good experience you had with professional development?
What about a bad experience?  Often we can easily remember the bad experiences, but have a hard time thinking of good ones.  That should change with all of the options and opportunities out there.
My experiences?
Good-  21st Century Learning Initiative Fellowship with the Alabama Best Practices [...]

Call for Proposals

This year’s K12 Online Conference is shaping up to be the best one ever. Of course, I am a fan of Sheryl Nussbaum Beach, so I know whatever she puts her hand in will be good. I am just so fired up about the strands for this year. The theme for the [...]

This conversation needs to happen…

This conversation needs to happen in every school across the world.
Vicki Davis has a post about a discussion that occurred in their Digiteen Project 
Ninth graders talked with fourth graders about digital citizenship.  They discussed everything from Webkins to chat rooms to addictive behaviors.  I love that this allows the older kids to not just [...]

Family Discussion

My husband is a math teacher and coach. Let me correct that. He was a mathematics major in college (not math education, mind you).
I am an English teacher and technology enthusiast. Let me correct that. I majored in Language Arts education which makes me much more hippy and warm/fuzzy than your basic [...]

Beauty School Dropout

Eavesdropping 101
Well, today I had to stay home from school. My one-year old had a sinus infection and had been running a fever last night (24 hours fever free daycare rule, you know). So we got up at the usual time and saw dad and brother off to school. I caught up [...]