Igniting Awe in Learning

High School Student's FB this morning On #CAEdChat Sunday night, we discussed ways to "pimp" our lessons so that students walk in the door jazzed to learn. Dave Burgess, author of Teach Like a Pirate , shared that he always asks, " Here's my lesson...now how can I make this come ALIVE?! How can I create an EXPERIENCE?"   So often, I see teachers who drag the technology out of the cupboard and expect the students to start the ticker tape parade.  But students are bored, just like the high school student who posted the above FB pic this morning from his class.  Technology is not a ticker tape parade for them. But learning should be! As student Alex Bockert explained during #CAEdChat, " Don't start with all the actual work/research to be done - start with why this project will rock." So how will you make learning rock today?

I came across this posting on a school's Facebook page the other day. Am I the only one who is sad by this photo, and the accompanying caption? I don't see a single engaged student in this photo. On the contrary, I see a lot of body language that denotes the complete opposite of engagement. What message does this post send to students, parents, community members? What message does it send to you?

The shift to Common Core has not only caused a change in curriculum and instructional strategies, but it’s also impacted every department in our school district. Funding has changed; assessments have changed; technology needs have changed; report cards have changed… and the list goes on and on. As we navigate these changes, I am looking for ways to provide positive leadership that encourage and inspire, instead of cause fear and apprehension. Here are a few links I found that inspire me to keep going! Why Leaders Matter  – Key in this article is the reminder that district leadership is moving from “protectors of the status quo to change agents.” We can’t rest on what “has always been done” or “worked for us before.” We are navigating new, and sometimes murky, waters. How we do so sets the culture for the entire district. What Makes an Innovative School District Leader?  – This video from a school district in Canada, and the article attached, hammers home the notion...