At the 2018 MACUL Conference, I joined a conversation around the topic of grading in the classroom, and one thing that popped up in the conversation was the idea of compliance-based grading. This was a topic that I have heard and dealt…
In late April, I had the chance to attend part of Idea Week, a collaboration between the IDEA Center, on the campus of Notre Dame, and the larger Michiana region. The event brings in many national leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs to share their insight with the students of Notre Dame…
As the month of March winds down, I am wrestling with a lot of big thoughts in my heads about grading, grades, school culture, design thinking, and school climate. I am really wrestling with it. I can’t quite get it down coherently at this time. So, instead, you get some…
I am on the steering committee of an amazing, grassroots organization in the state of Michigan. The Michigan Educational Technology Specialist (METS) Group is comprised of over 600 Technology Integration Specialists and technology using teachers. The group hosts three major events for members throughout the year. In the fall, the…
It’s Valentine’s Day! A day of love. A day of chocolate. A day of flowers. A day of little candy hearts with cute sayings! A day of expressing your feelings! While love is essential for all outside of school, we can’t turn that off when we come to school. While…
While I am not one to set resolutions that the start of the year, I was able to travel to Eleuthera in the Bahamas over our winter break. We visited a beautiful place towards the north end of the island called Queen’s Bath, a formation that has been carved out…
About every quarter, a group of tech coaches and integrators meet and discuss current projects, struggles, and what is happening in our schools at the Regional Education Service Agency. One of the county consultants shared Terry Heick’s 12 Ideas That Will Break Education. The goal was to have conversations around…
As an EdTech Coach, I have a unique role within the school. Especially at the beginning of the year as we roll out devices and ensure that all students are set and ready to go. One colleague this week summed my role up as the “catch all of all things tech.”…
Full disclosure. I am a former social studies teacher. I have also taught math and engineering. I dabble in computer science with my students as well. I recently was invited to a webinar that was focused on STREAM education. Many are familiar with STEM and STEAM. But STREAM was new…
Whoa! That title is likely a little misleading! This is a reflection on a podcast that I recently listened to that discussed how we use math, data, and algorithms to make decisions that are inequitable and further seclude people in our society. It also relates to a book that I…
