Posts by Guest Author
Why is Math So Important?
To quote the futurist Alvin Toffler, “The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but, rather those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” A solid foundation in mathematics and science develops and hones the skills of posing hypotheses, designing experiments and controls, analyzing data, recognizing patterns, seeking evidence, conclusions and proof, solving problems and seeking absolutes, while being open to new information.
A New Year’s Resolution We Can All Achieve: Failure
As you begin thinking about your New Year’s resolutions, I encourage you to consider taking up failure as chief among them. Don’t always play it safe. Expect to fail and know that with each successive failure you get better at the very thing you’re trying to innovate.
Staying Connected to Fulton’s Teachers: One District’s Approach to Boost Teacher Morale
School superintendent Robert Avossa is on a quest to visit all 100 Fulton County schools within a year. He’s already been to 70, traversing a 75 mile swath of metro Atlanta, Georgia. His Staying Connected visits, held before or after school, are voluntary, but teachers flock to them.
An Elementary Edcamp- An Unconference for Students
So how do you get started? I would get familiar with the edcamp model or even attend one (not required) to fully see one in action. See how the session board is setup, how sessions go and who partakes, maybe even you. This will help you share with your students. It did for me. Then if you are using Google Apps in Education, I would post a spreadsheet with a link for them to fill out the sessions.
6 Ways Common Core Math Standards Will Affect Your Child’s Education
Even outside of education circles, many people have heard of the Common Core State Standards for education. These standards represent a shift in philosophy towards higher standards for students. However, this shift in thinking brings a number of changes to the mathematics education that your child will receive.
Lemonade Day: Tapping Into Student’s Potential
Detroit Public School System has historically been plagued by low attendance and high dropout rates, but on Lemonade Day 2013, DPS reported its’ highest-ever attendance: 98%, representing 52,000 students. This participation rate reveals our program’s power to engage disaffected students and families across an entire public school system. Igniting entrepreneurship in kids promotes active authorship of their own lives and sets the basis for future success.
Have Students Create Apps? Yes, They Can!
I suggest that teachers should all give the app a download and take a look regardless of what grade you teach. It may provide you with some inspiration for your own app, or idea to pursue with YOUR students this year. Brad Wilson and Steve Keinath deserve a lot of credit for what they are doing with students.
The Future of Learning—Digital, Mobile, Real-Time
The latest results from Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow and an advisor to DreamBox, and her Speak Up 2012 National Research Project and Project Tomorrow survey of 364,233 participants, shows the upward spiral of tech use, even by the very young.
The Benefits of Blogging as a Learning Tool, Part 2
Here are a few other key benefits of student blogging as a tool for learning in higher ed.
One Family’s Holiday Gift: A Love of Mathematics
Math is deep, and I can appreciate that not everyone, even people who love math, want to jump into the deep end on Christmas Eve. I’ve never been a person accustomed to small talk though, so a conversation about place value on Christmas Eve seems like as good a topic as any.