For years, I’ve been telling my students I don’t grade for effort. “It doesn’t matter how hard you work,” I’d say, “if the end result isn’t up to speed.” This I would say this after my long discussions with them about the journey–and the process–and the learning–being what mattered in my class. I mean, I’ve…
All posts in June 2010
Tool Geek? No, Learning Geek….
A recent chat with @snbeach, @baldy7, @datruss and Rob from NH on a PLP info session has me thinking. I mentioned that I got “into all this” (never sure how to categorize these huge shifts in thinking and learning anymore) because I loved playing with “tools.” Tony said that wasn’t the case for him. But I…
Managing Stuff
Organization is not my strength. I’m a big picture person. As much as that sounds like an excuse, it’s not. I recognize my flaw. And I’ve spent my entire life coming up with plans to cope with my tendency to start something, move over to something else, and then discover what I really want to…
On the train
I’ve spent a lot of time on the train lately going back and forth between Virginia and Rhode Island, where my family lives. The eight-hour ride provides much time to think. About life. About work. About how hungry I am. On this trip, I’ve been thinking about my blog. When I first started blogging, I…
Curiosity killed the …..
What makes a person curious? I wonder about this constantly. I especially think about this when I’m teaching as it seems curious children are more successful. And if that’s true, what does that mean in the classroom? This article and the research it pulls from have challenged my thinking (or at least given me pause).…