Nobody has actually died from watching a slide show presentation. That whole Death by Powerpoint thing was much exaggerated. What’s true is that countless people have been held hostage by interminable presentations often alleged to be a workshop at which nobody actually works and little is learned. And – true confession – I have been as guilty as anyone in…
I did not attend the NAIS Annual Conference this year – first time for many years – so I don’t have any takeaways to report like Grant Lichtman. But I was in Baltimore for an ICG (Independent Curriculum Group) board meeting and I was at the conference center to pick up a set of attractive little enamel badges (see below)…
A few tips storified from an #ISEDchat courtesy of @LaneYoung. This is by no means a complete list of course. There are many more but here a few basics for beginners. And, while others may find this a laughing matter: [
Edcamp is back at Poughkeepsie Day School this August and we are delighted to be the hosts. Edcamps are just about the best possible professional development for teachers: Just-in-time, self directed, needs-and interests-based. just-in-time sharing and collaboration. And a terrific opportunity to meet other teachers from our area and find out what we share, what we can learn and how…
I’m looking forward to the NAIS Annual Conference- #naisac15 – this year – assuming of course that Boston can dig its way out of all the snow. The theme is appealing: “Design the Revolution”. It’s a slogan that manages to evoke the design thinking and maker movements while also embracing the ineluctable truth that the world is speeding along rather…
There are lots of reasons to be concerned about the digital revolution and its impact on our lives, the lives of our students and schools. And there’s no shortage of voices raising the alarm. Here’s a small flavorsome slice of a particularly entertaining rant that was in the New Statesman a few years back: Take that digital manacle, the BlackBerry. My first…
Today is back-to-school day for the faculty at PDS and today we are launching Project Innovate: Five Teams with a Mission. The faculty were invited last June to sign up for cross divisional teams loosely organized around five major and interconnected themes: Cultural Competency I Digital Citizenship I Learning and the Brain I Project-Based Learning I Wellness There was no obligation to be on a…
I had the privilege last week of working with a great bunch of educators at the NYSAIS Think Tank at the Carey Conference Center in Rensselaerville, NY. The location was perfect, the company inspiring and the work energizing. And facilitator Ann Mellow provided leadership and kept us all moving forward. It was at this event last year that we re-branded…
This is second half of the #Educon inspired What if? conversations recording the jotted notes of faculty and staff sharing and learning from last Friday. The first question and our responses are here. The second question was: 2). What if students were able to choose what demonstrations of learning they shared with the public and/or their parents? And the responses: Own choice…
We had seven Poughkeepsie Day School attendees at #Educon 2012 in January and they brought back a wealth of ideas. Thank you David, David, Dorothy, Jake, Joe, Kaitlin and Trace. On Friday they shared some of their learning and conversation with the entire faculty and staff. One focus was eportfolios – what they are and how might they help transform…
In the conversations at this year’s NYSAIS think tank (Twitter hashtag #NYSAIStt11) the language we use has not been the primary focus. It has, however, had a cameo role as we take a second and passing look at the labels and language we use to describe our work. Best practices, professional development, silos – is it time to retire these…
Taking control of our learning and our work isn’t really a revolution. It’s more like a reset to the proper default position for the conceptual age. Harold Jarche Resetting Learning and Work I’m lucky enough to be a member of the NYSAIS Think Tank convened this week to consider professional development and next steps and directions for NYSAIS to continue…
Embracing Innovation Conference Presentation Another learning Odyssey about the design development of OPuS (Online Progressive unSchool) posted by Fred Bartels These are the slides to the talk he gave at Embracing Innovation 11 at PDS last Friday. You can follow the learning journey and see some of the influences, sharing, collaboration and thinking along the way. Are we frightened of the…
The Independent Curriculum Group and Poughkeepsie Day School Present Embracing Innovation in a Time of Disruptive Change Poughkeepsie Day School Friday, April 15, 2011 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Poughkeepsie Day School and the Independent Curriculum Group cordially invite you to Embracing Innovation in a Time of Disruptive Change on Friday, April 1 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. As we re-imagine…
So here I am at the NAIS annual conference – where it is sunny and balmy- ready to engage in the monumental opportunities of listening to and talking to strangers. They won’t all be strangers though and it will undoubtedly be amazing that, in the company of 4-5000 educators, presenters and workshop leaders, I will catch up with, and run…