If we always think within the frame of the known, we never get outside the frame. This holds for classrooms as well as organizations. Teachers, don't stop reading just because the word 'strategy' appears; you are strategic leaders! I was editing a chapter for my book and wanted to share this bit, prompted by school [...]
On a warm Christmas morning, my first thought is to count my blessings, thank my wide circle of friend/colleagues for the year, and wish everyone a happy return on the day...which of course I do! Then I think what I would really like for Christmas... So deep are the divides of the human experience: north [...]
In fine-tuning the chapter on creativity chapter in my upcoming book, I wanted to write about the explosion of opportunities that teachers and students now have to make that leap from consumers to creators of knowledge within their learning process. I was honored to interview Neeru Khosla this morning; Neeru is the co-founder and Executive [...]
Can your school afford to take two weeks off from normal classes and still meet your learning objectives? Most schools have trouble finding a spare 15 minutes a week in their busy schedule. Two weeks? Not possible. Yet it is, and Pomfret School is proving it right now. The entire school is taking the time [...]
I am scrolling through my Twitter feed and it is just JAMMED with pictures of engaged, excited students doing really cool things: coding, making, building, designing, filming, drawing, digging, serving, collaborating, speechifying, acting...etc. Wonderful! Now the provocateur in my comes out: how much of this is due to increased comfort of educators with Twitter and [...]
This picture pretty much says it all. Posted by Renee Beverlin on Pinterest and Tweeted via Dr. Lee-Anne Gray.
Has the time come when we should and can re-draft the job description of the principal/head of school? Yes and yes. Last week I was working on job descriptions for the founding faculty and principal of Design 39 Campus in Poway. The faculty job description is extremely forward leaning and I recommend school leaders look [...]
Outstanding professional development and collegial interaction just got a whole lot closer to your door. I am so excited and honored to announce a groundbreaking partnership between The Martin Institute for Teaching Excellence and EduCon 2.6 hosted at Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, this coming January 24-25! Just a tad of background: last year during [...]
I am on a "what does Google have to share with a K12 school" kick. Today, via a Tweet from IDEO, I saw this post from David Garvin of the Harvard Business School with a summary of the semi-annual feedback that Google managers get from their direct reports. Check it out. What can schools learn from [...]
Last fall my EdJourney took me to 64 schools via 10,000 miles in my Prius. This fall it was six cross country round trip flights in seven weeks, with many stops along the way, to work and learn with something like 1,500 teachers, students, administrators, and parents who care deeply about the future of our [...]