Today's reads

As one who's blogged for years now, I can't recommend keeping a blog strongly enough.  Especially if you're a teacher.  Here is a link to reason how and why teachers should blog.

Don Tapscott was just speaking on how many businesses are now requiring (yes, you read that right) that their employees blog! Why? It's simple: Writing is thinking.  Why wouldn't you want your employees thinking?

Just last week our principal contacted me about helping him set up a blog.  I admire him because he wants to keep pushing forward instead of just resting on the status quo.  I can't wait to see what he does with it.

I'm also happy to see many of our elementary school teachers blogging and more than a few high school teachers and administrators have opened up blogs too.

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If you have a child (or students) heading off to college, here is a list of suggested summer reading material for you.

There are three that really interest me -

The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids.

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character.

What College Was, Is, and Should Be.

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I think it's safe to say that I'm working in (by far) the most innovative time in our school's history, here is a blog post about 10 things that keep innovation moving forward.

My favorite ideas from the list -

#2 Model What You Want to See

This is going to be big for us with the new 1:1 environment.  But it's essential.

I'd add a little twist to this one.  I'm a big fan of sending students out (metaphorically or physically) and having them come back with some new site or trick to illustrate what they have learned.

Then they can get to teach me (and the rest of the class).  The trick here, I believe, is to then take what the students have taught us, and learn how to do it.

#3 Break it Down Into Smaller Steps

This was the advice I gave my class last week when I introduced them to several sites and apps that can help them turn their students into digital creators and collaborators.

The things that the students (all four of them!) said they wanted most to use - Blogger.  So I suggested instead of creating a blog for every single one of their classes, to select just one to use it in.  Don't bite off more than you can chew.

And certainly don't try to totally overhaul everything you do.  That never works.  You'll be exhausted after a week.  Then you will fall back on doing what you've always done.  That's not exactly how innovation occurs.

#7 Share, Share, Share

I believe firmly in what the RRVWP always stressed: teachers learn best from other teachers.  And I'm looking forward to getting back to sharing our best practices during our department meetings again.  When I was in charge of running the meetings, we got away from this unfortunately.

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Here is a great use of Padlet (formerly wallwisher).  Talk about learning from other teachers.  Here is an excellent example.  And I had never thought of using Wallwisher/padlet like this.  And it's one of the tools I've used the most over the past five years.

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For an English teacher, this is a very interesting link: How High School Reading Has Changed Since 1907.

As far as the top three choices for 2012: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Crucible, and Night, they're spot on as far as our high school is concerned.  But I must add too that we also read two of the three top selections from 1904 - Julius Caesar and Macbeth.

Take that Mark Bauerlein!

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And here's another one to go with out 1:1 movement: 33 Digital Skills Every 21st Century Teacher Should Have.