Jim Stewart Allen is a standup comedian from Tacoma, Washington. He has also been a substitute teacher for the past three years and loves it. As a part of our Why Would Anyone Want to Become a Teacher? series, we asked Jim a few questions to try to figure out why he does what he … Continue reading Why Would Anyone Want to Become a Teacher – My Interview with a Substitute Teacher
3 “Super Factors” of Effective Instructional Coaching
Many schools are developing instructional coaching programs with the intention of improving the quality of instruction in the classroom. One effect of this growing phenomenon is that improving K-12 teaching and learning is no longer solely the responsibility of the principal, but is distributed across a host of leaders (Neumerski, 2013). The purpose of this … Continue reading 3 “Super Factors” of Effective Instructional Coaching
What Students Think of Their Teachers Matters
As the great Dr. Rita Pierson said in her TED talk, "Kids don't learn from people they don't like." This idea is easy for anyone to support with their own anecdotal evidence. When you look back at your school years, with whom did you learn the most? Can you still remember their names? For me, … Continue reading What Students Think of Their Teachers Matters
Learner-Centered Experiences Through the Lens of Technology
In this post, I would like to focus once again on learner-centered experiences. When I'm browsing Twitter, I often come across exciting visuals that end up having an impact on my practice. One such infographic that I came across recently was "10 Characteristics of Learner-Centered Experiences" by Katie Martin. Be sure to check it out … Continue reading Learner-Centered Experiences Through the Lens of Technology
Stop Letting Students Think They’re Right When They’re Wrong!
When I began writing this blog post, I planned to list examples of ways that we can get students explaining their thinking in the classroom, whether that is through writing, drawing or oral expression. I jotted down a few ideas I’ve used in my own class, and then decided to do a little research. I … Continue reading Stop Letting Students Think They’re Right When They’re Wrong!
Does Hands-up Damage Classrooms?
https://youtu.be/J25d9aC1GZA?t=5m20s I recently watched BBC's Classroom Experiment with Dylan William (YouTube video above). While the program is interesting on so many levels, I was especially drawn to William's first intervention that effectively bans hand-raising from the classrooms he works with, and replaces the practice with popsicle sticks. You can also read more about it in, … Continue reading Does Hands-up Damage Classrooms?
Top Barriers for Not Using Tech in The Classroom
Something became clear to me at AISA Conference 2017 when keynote speaker, Dr. Sonny Magana, asked the educators in the audience to raise their hands if they felt content about the state of educational technology in their schools. For a brief moment a room full of educators from a variety of schools, backgrounds, and teaching positions was … Continue reading Top Barriers for Not Using Tech in The Classroom
My Learning Tale
Just a few weeks ago, EducationRickshaw hit its 100th post milestone with the article After 100 Years of the Same Teaching Model It’s Time to Throw Out the Playbook. While we didn't think it was a very controversial post when we wrote it, it spawned a huge Twitter war across multiple threads that you can join … Continue reading My Learning Tale
How Can 13+ Social Media be Leveraged for Elementary Students?
I've always instinctively felt that educators are missing out on a goldmine of learning opportunities by avoiding or banning social media use in the classroom. Do a quick Google search and you'll find a large variety of opinions on social media in the classroom, ranging from "It's cool, but how to use it?" to "It … Continue reading How Can 13+ Social Media be Leveraged for Elementary Students?
10 Year Olds Ask You to Play Their Games for #HourofCode
The #HourofCode is a special time that is meant to demystify the skill of coding for all ages of learners. In previous years, my students have created a Caine's Arcade-style event for the community where the frames of the arcade machines were made out of cardboard and the screens were the students' iPads. You can … Continue reading 10 Year Olds Ask You to Play Their Games for #HourofCode
