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Make School More
Sometimes we try to make school simple. We try to make the process linear. We try to make it more like this… I listen. I respond. I know. I test. The learning? It’s missing. Let’s make school more....
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Filled With Light
You know what happens when you grow up never asking for help? You become an adult who thinks asking for help is a sign of weakness. I was that kid. I’d figure it out myself. I’d find a way. I’d spend...
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Sweet Dreams
It’s midnight. I should be sleeping. But instead, I’m awake. Thinking. I’m thinking about what I believe in. My biggest wish. What I wish schools were and what I know schools aren’t. Learning. It’s...
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They Change You
We think so much about what we need to do in classrooms, what is best for learning, what’s good for kids. We have conversations, collaborations, and thinking. But that point where the thoughts and...
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Stay Connected
I’m still amazed at the sunsets in Texas. The colorful hues that glow and shine in the lake around the corner from our house have been the subject of many photos I’ve taken since I’ve been living...
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This is Now
I really don’t usually write poems as blog posts. But on a long car ride today, I wrote these words on the back of a grocery list. Sometimes people ask me if I think about school and learning...
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Join in the fun this weekend at ASCD14!
This weekend I’m super excited to attend ASCD’s 69th Annual Conference and Exhibit Show. I can’t wait to hear Dan Pink, author of one of my all time books on motivation, Drive. And then? There’s...
View ArticleWhat Is Free Play and Why Does It Matter?
For all the study given to the subject of why children play, we still don’t know all the reasons or motivations, but we do know play is important to the development of healthy children and strong...
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ASCD Day 1: The Opportunity to Learn
You know what the really great thing about a good conference is? The people. Learning, sharing, reflecting, and inspiring each other. It was all definitely in the air today at ASCD in Los Angeles. I...
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ASCD Day 2: Inspired
This morning I heard Dr. Russ Quaglia speak about student voice, aspirations, and the common sense we could be using to change our schools. His words were filled with the fire and passion that is...
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ASCD Day 2 Recap: Ten Random Thoughts
I have conference brain. The good kind. Where you head is so full of ideas it’s like that junk drawer you shove closed with your hip, that gets jammed because it has a Sharpie lodges in just the...
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Owning Fear
Last night, on my flight back from ASCD, I read, took notes, and drew in my sketchbook. I replayed conversations I’ve had in the past few days and the kids I’ve learned from over the past 11 years....
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Inspiring Creativity with 10 Resources
In the age of budget cutbacks in education, there is one thing that is completely free… creativity. There are resources available online that will inspire kids to think, dream, write, create, design,...
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Twas the Night Before Space Camp
Many months ago, I posted an invitation here, “So you wanna go to Space Camp?” and through the power of social media, it happened. Thanks to some awesome teachers who wrote me and agreed to join me in...
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Gratitude
Look around. Not just seeing with your eyes, but really seeing what’s around you. People. Amazing people. Kids. Great, filled with life, kids. Learning. Opportunities everywhere. Sun shining....
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Leading & Learning
When I went to ASCD last week, I picked up, “Evocative Coaching.” It was one of those books, you know, that you pick up and can’t put down. I read on the flight home and continued to read all...
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Genuine Moments
A dinner we play a game called “Highs and Lows.” We take turns saying our worst moment of the day, followed by the best. The game always reminds me how different our perspectives are from our...
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The Kind That Changes the World
The one. When you think back on your years in education do you have a particular student or situation that pops into your mind? Mine is easy. It was a kid that everyone had given up on. A kid that...
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Making Makes Learning
There’s a movement sweeping the country. Making. People are going crazy for building, designing, tinkering, and upcycling in creative ways. People are using old things to solve new problems. People are...
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