Let me start by saying that my last post wasn't meant to be a venting of a previous negative experience. It was to show how those in leadership positions don't always practice true leadership behavior or skills. In part, I believe that the behavior on their part comes from an egotistical drive to be in control or a sense of insecurity that leads th...
When I'm talking about Educational Leadership here, I'm referring to those with power and control within the structure of an educational setting. Not that teachers can show true leadership; the problem is that they are often expected to abide by the directives of a principal or superintendent within school districts. My experience has been that Edu...
Before I talk about your ultimate goal, there was one more program that I enjoyed using with students, and that was Microsoft Photo Story 3 for Windows. The best way to describe the program is it's like a junior version of creating a Ken Burn's documentary. The students would use the program to create their own narrative story related to a top...
My website has been sitting here without many changes over the past few years. I decided it was time to start updating the website and changing the site's look. I was first going to keep the site up and rebuild it locally so that the site would stay active while updating. Well, the best-laid plans... There were several obstacles as I attempted to t...
In a recent webinar that I gave as a Classcraft (@classcraft) Ambassador (https://www.facebook.com/classcraftgame), I briefly mentioned how I use the Makus Valley - Volume Meter. Many activities that take place in my classroom include team/group-based activities. One of the difficulties with these types of activities is that the volume level in the...
Want to get students involved in your classroom? Looking for ways to get students to take responsibility for their actions? Are students being accountable? Bringing gaming into the classroom? This video cast talks about how you can use ClassCraft in your classroom. Whether it be students taking individual responsibility or having students being lea...
At the beginning of each school year, I will discuss their perception of social studies/history with students. Many students will state, "It's boring" or "What does it have to do with me." I will mention to them that in learning about history, we can learn something about ourselves. That the same emotions, experiences, thoughts, or dreams may not b...
Nothing is worse than attempting to bring new ideas into your classroom and not being heard when seeking assistance. The crucial part is to clearly understand what you're looking for in the first meeting, in person or by video conference. Make sure you are being heard and not just offered some cookie-cutter approach. And remember, your first meeting is free!
