The Characteristics Of A Good School. The Characteristics Of A Good School by Terry Heick For professional development around this idea or others you read about on TeachThought, contact us. When a society changes, so then must its tools. Definitions of purpose and quality must also be revised continuously. What should a school “do”? This really starts at the human level, but that’s a broader issue. When technology changes, it impacts the kinds of things we want and need. When these “things” are forced in with little adjustment elsewhere, the authenticity of everything dies. The Purpose Of School In An Era Of Change What should schools teach, and how? How schools are designed and what students learn–and why–must be reviewed, scrutinized, and refined as closely and with as much enthusiasm as we do the gas mileage of our cars, the downloads speeds of our phones and tablets, or the operating systems of our watches. Less is more is one way to look at it, but that’s not new–power standards have been around for years.
12 Rules Of Great Teaching - 12 Rules Of Great Teaching by Terry Heick Recently, I’ve been thinking of the universal truths in teaching. Students should be first. Don’t always start planning with a standard. Questions matter more than answers. Trust is a currency of a human classroom. So I thought I’d gather twelve of them to start with. 1. This is how great things are built. 2. Learning models, for example, are the new teaching strategy. Traditionally, teachers focus on “strategies” to “teach.” But the modern approach should have as much to do with what students access, when, how, and why as it does with “what students do in the lesson.” 3.
Your students, first and foremost. 4. If you can’t make them curious, teach something else. Taskmasters seek compliance. 5. Teaching is a craft. Not only does this keep things fresh for students, but it keeps you sharp and relevant as an educator as this big world keeps on turning. 6. Know that it’s okay to think technology-first. 7.
Technology. 8. When explaining, less is more. 9. Elementary School Math Games for Touchscreen Computers and Interactive Whiteboards. On the Woodlands Junior School's games website you will links to hundreds of games appropriate for use by elementary school students. The games are divided into three categories; maths, literacy, and science. Each category is further divided by topics specific to each subject. In the video below you will see me demonstrating two mathematics games appropriate for K-2 students. Those games are Give the Dog a Bone and Shark Numbers. In addition to the mathematics games Woodlands Resources includes sections for science and literacy games. The first couple of science games links that I clicked led to pages that had been moved so I'm not sure how often the science section is updated.
The literacy section features games that use British English so teachers of American students may not find them all that useful. 12 Good Tools for Creating End-of-Year Review Activities. How To Solve The Biggest Problems With Project-Based Learning. Project-based learning is an excellent way to advance education and get things done, but only if it’s used the right way. It’s commonly seen for class projects, but there are so many other ways to use it. Many of those ways can be very meaningful from a societal standpoint. The key to making it meaningful and getting things done is Solution Fluency. Having the right fluency means not just a skill set, but a mindset, as well. When you’re working on any kind of project, that project is designed to solve a problem (i.e. to provide a solution to something). Fortunately, Solution Fluency can teach you how to think critically, so you can look at several different perspectives and visualize all the possibilities.
It’s Not About a “Quick Fix” Too many people look for a band-aid type of solution to their problems, both in the classroom and in the corporate world. The 6Ds Process There are six parts to Solution Fluency—Define, Discover, Dream, Design, Deliver, and Debrief. Problem Solved! 7 Ways School Leaders Can Use Teacher Observations More Effectively. 7 Ways School Leaders Can Use Observations More Effectively by Paul Moss Whilst observations are certainly not the whole picture of a teacher’s skill, they can provide excellent opportunities for teachers to reflect on their practice. If my last article How Your Teacher Observation Can Help You Grow convinced teachers of the benefits of observations, the onus is now placed on school leaders to provide the necessary conditions for such a culture to survive, and thrive.
The key word here is culture. The atmosphere or mood of a school is imperative if teachers are to embrace observation. 7 Ways School Leaders Can Use Teacher Observations More Effectively Justify observations – most teachers are afraid of being observed, and feel they are unrepresentative of their skill. Even the word observation has an Orwellian connotation. The pressure is completely removed. Provide ample opportunities to reflect – if teachers are given time to reflect, it will become part of their routine. 7 Survival Skills For Modern Teachers And Students. Walk into a school, airport, shopping mall, or even a church and the image is always the same, teens and tweens have their heads down, ear buds on, and a mobile device in their hand. This generation is commonly referred to as Generation Z and they are coming of age with a new set of rules, expectations, and mannerisms. Born between 1995 and 2009, the oldest of this generation is coming of age this year and headed off towards adulthood.
What can they expect of their future work experiences? What will employers expect of them? What can educators continue to do? Does Gen Z Learn Differently? There is plenty of research and articles circulating around out there about how this generation learns and what the future workforce will hold for them. The Pluses Come With Minuses, Too. But just as technology has provided this generation with many strong technical attributes it has also produced its share of negative traits.
In just a few years there will be five generations in the workforce. Turning 32 Years Into 6 Simple Takeaways. Teacher Advice? A Teacher Reflects Back On 32 Years And Offers 6 Simple Nuggets Of Advice by Sharon Davison, Kindergartenlife Blog Our first entry from our Diverse Teacher Voices program comes from Sharon Davison, a Kindergarten teacher from Vermont who responded to the “Dear First Year Me” prompt.
For Sharon, there is some increased significance–or rather, there’s significance for each one of us as readers. Sharon has taught for 32 years–and here she is, from 1983 to today, still tweeting, still blogging, still connecting, still serving. Dear First Year Me, So you have decided to share your energy, strength, perseverance and courage to become a teacher! 1. You will be able to make a difference for many if you have empathy and perseverance. Through your modeling of caring, your students and their families will become engaged. 2.
Celebrate the learning that is happening inside and outside of your classrooms. 3. Remember as a teacher you have lots of opportunities to learn and interact. 4. Prek_research - EdTechSandyK _ on Diigo. 6 Questions Educators Should Ask IT Directors. Contributed by Rita Oates If you’re like many classroom teachers, sometimes it may seem like the only time you talk to your IT staff is when something is going wrong. The projector isn’t working, the Internet is down, your kids are locked out of their tablets. While most IT professionals are at the top of their game in crisis mode, it can be helpful to talk to your IT folks BEFORE there’s an issue, not only so you can anticipate and prevent potential problems but also to get to know their friendly faces—and deep expertise. Here are six questions we think all teachers should ask their IT staff. 1. 2. If the IT director doesn’t have a list posted, suggest the questions you would like to see answered to help you and your students successfully use your technology. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Susquehanna Township School District in Pennsylvania wanted to build a more secure, flexible centralized network that would allow for BYOD access and deliver virtual desktops. 8 Top Tips for Highly Effective PD | Edutopia.