Nocking the Arrow

"How great would it be if every student could be connected to every other student by a web connected device?" This was my guiding question, and quickly became my quest, as I accepted a position as technology coordinator twelve years ago. This was before smart phones, iPads, 802.11ac, and 4G networks. One-to-One learning had yet to become an educational catch phrase, and our media-rich classrooms consisted of a desktop computer, a VCR, and a 600 lumen multi-media projector. Regardless of the name, a computer for every student was going to be my trophy. It would become my legacy as "the tech guy". Years later, as we are about to distribute iPads to all of our students, I have come to realize that I was aiming at the wrong target. Today, while eating fresh at Subway , I began whining about my revelation to my friend and colleague, Keith Sorensen . Not only does he usually pay for lunch, he's also one of the few people I know that will sit and listen to my wacky m...

I'm heading home from an exciting, interesting, and rewarding conference, Schoology NEXT . I am also attempting the impossible, blogging my conference takeaways from 35,000 feet aboard Spirit Airlines flight 630 bound for Chicago. We were delayed getting out of Denver , so at least I've got time, Google Drive, and a temporary wi-fi connection, on my side. More importantly, the essential theme that percolated from the participants and presenters to the forefront of Schoology NEXT was " connect and learn ". That's a great place to start in education! First off, what a fantastic event! Kudos to Jen Robustelli and her team for organizing a conference for the ages! The organization and attention to detail helped make this a first-rate experience. Case in point, the name badges were the best I've ever seen!  Name and professional affiliation on the front, while the back contained a summary of the conference schedule along with wi-fi connecting directions. My...

"Imagine a classroom where students operated under an additive system of point earning rather than a subtractive system of losing points."   - Rob Steller Backwards grading, also called reverse grading, is a strategy where students start with zero points, or an F, then earn their advancement through demonstrated mastery of skills and learning standards. "Grades are communication, not compensation"   - Rick Wormeli The typical classroom grading system has students starting with a 100 percent average, or an "A" letter grade. Ordinarily, this average gets chiseled away with every assignment or assessment. Unless sustained perfection is realized, this is a grading system that doesn't measure or communicate student progress. This is a subtractive system that punishes the learner with ever-decreasing average scores.  Do students actually know less at the end of the grading term than at the beginning?   Daniel Pink would argue that ext...

CC image - wind farm Last Wednesday night, around 9:00, Keith Sorensen and I were heading south on I-55. We were embarking on our yearly pilgrimage to the IETC  conference in Springfield , Illinois. About ninety minutes out of Chicago , we notice dozens, maybe hundreds of blinking red lights off in a dark horizon. I asked, "Did we ever find out what those blinking lights are? They're wind turbines, right?" Keith answered, "No, there are way too many of them - keep your eyes on the road." "OK smarty-pants, what are they then?", I asked. He returned the volley, "They are signals for aircraft." "I agree, and they are mounted on wind turbines!", I snorted. "I'll betcha (because no one from the Chicago area actually says, BET YOU) five bucks that those are wind turbines on a wind farm! My parents live a stone's throw from a wind farm." Without answering, but rolling his eyes, Keith pulled out his cell ...