Note from the Editor: While this piece by Shawn Murphy is related to business practices and targeted to managers and business leaders, the parallels to education and student learning are striking. Teachers, curricula developers, and education leaders can find plenty herein to ponder, reflect on, and apply in practice. It was originally posted at Switch and Shift and is reposted here with … Read More
The Importance of Student Voice
The following is a guest post by Mark R. Boyer, Assistant Superintendent for Learning, Singapore American School. I was recently approached by a high school student who asked, “In order for student voices to be heard, should student evaluations of teachers be mandatory and used in the teacher’s performance review? Furthermore, is there a way to make sure that student feedback is … Read More
The Student Quest: Choose 2 Matter
If you ever have a chance to meet Angela Maier, you’ll know who she is immediately.While probably not the tallest person in the room, in a hall of 5,000 she may well be the most energetic. A former teacher turned consultant, author of two books, including “Classroom Habitudes” and now Chief Instigator, Angela has amassed a global, passionate network at … Read More
America’s Promissory Note . . . Still Outstanding
In a startling article in the New York Times, columnist Charles M. Blow lays out some statistics published in a recent UNICEF report that should equally appall and inspire us. He writes, According to the report, the United States has the second highest share of children living under the relative poverty line, defined as 50 percent of each country’s median … Read More
Year At Mission Hill – Chapter 6: Like a Family
The idea of living “like a family” is explored, like other topics within the school, as a community — among faculty, students, parents, and every combination thereof. Faculty see parents as partners, and talk about trust, cooperation, and communication as building blocks of that key relationship. The footage shows interactions between parents, teachers, and students — the kind of interactions … Read More
Year at Mission Hill, Chapter 5: The Eye of the Dragon
So much of the language that we know to be valuable in education comes alive at Mission Hill. Art. Empowerment. Choice. Voice. Inspiration. Creativity. Student experts. Student teachers. Community. Every year they employ a school wide theme that aims for depth and breadth throughout the school. This year’s, “Long Ago and Far Away,” and the students share a seam of … Read More
5 Steps to Overhaul Teaching
Once again, Columbia University professor, Christopher Emdin, puts forth a rapid fire and common sense proposal for rethinking urban — and really ANY — education to ensure it is student focused, relevant, and purposefully engaging. The basis of this video: Reality pedagogy which is, “Teaching based on the reality of the student’s experience.” 5 C’s of Reality Pedagogy: The Cypher … Read More
“To This Day” Project (Amazing Video)
Shane Koyczan — spoken word poet, writer, and performer — was the first Canadian to win the National Poetry Slam in 2000. That success portended the recent virality of “To This Day,” an emotional and passionate exploration of bullying, victimhood, and the ongoing struggle to heal wounds so as to not be defined by them. One of the many beautiful … Read More
A Year at Mission Hill Chapter 1
Below is the first chapter of a remarkable video series: A Year at Mission Hill. The premise, as described on the project’s site, is simple: Ten videos. One year. A public school trying to help children learn and grow. The national conversation we need to be having. What goes into creating a powerful learning environment for children and adults? Meet … Read More
The Power of Belief – Mindset and Success
Here is a great talk by Eduardo Briceno, described on the TEDxManhattanBeach website as “The CEO of Mindset Works, an organization he co-founded with Carol Dweck, Ph.D., Lisa Blackwell, Ph.D., and others to equip people with the core beliefs and learning strategies needed for success.” Below is his talk from that event, which is both inspiring and informative. Transforming students’ … Read More
