How was I to know what a significant impact an old sofa would have on learning? A few weeks ago I saw a tweet proposing that a few comfy pieces of furniture in a classroom had cured habitual tardiness. I then found several blog posts that explained how student behavior had dramatically improved with the introduction and strategic placement of comfortable furniture and soft lighting. Well, if a comfy couch modifies behavior, and helps improve learning in the classroom, could it do the same in an office? The answer, based upon just a few days of empirical evidence, is yes. As school technology coordinator, I have committed myself to support professional development this year using two avenues, individual or small group training sessions, and crowd-sourced, social media interactions. The problem with option one was, even though the office door is always open, very few individuals would step in, sit down, and discuss instructional technologies with me. I could take my show on the road,...
Ruminations about lifelong learning.