I have not used PowerPoint very many times in my life. However, I have sat through, and sometimes suffered through, many as part of an audience. So I felt a little intimidated when Nicoletta, one of my Vice Principals in my new school, asked me to create a PowerPoint presentation to introduce the new Graduation […]
Tag: reflection
Reflections: Stirring in the crock pot
Spring brings new beginnings just as a school year comes to an end. As a teacher it is difficult not to be reflective in June. Special moments remembered, peppered lightly with what could have been, and never transpired. The nostalgia seems to loom more so this year as I contemplate a move after my nine-year […]
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The Capacity to Lead
Students of all ages have the capacity to lead. For a few years now I have taken a group of Grade 7 and 8 students to our feeder schools to teach the incoming Grade 5’s the “Seven Secrets of Leadership”, but really it is about so much more than that! This is from the e-mail […]
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Wikis in the classroom: a reflection.
Well here it is, my completed Science Alive Wiki. After an incident delayed getting feedback from my students until last Monday, things got extremely busy with preparation for the Renaissance Fair and my Grade 5 Transition Retreats [the subject of a future post]. All this included 3 afternoons out of my classroom at other functions… […]
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Start Your Own Blog
Here is the write-up for the 2 hour Professional Development seminar that I ran today for 9 dedicated teachers who showed up on a sunny Saturday, after a full day of Pro-D on Friday. Start Your Own Blog A practical session that will introduce you to blogging. You will see how others use their blogs […]
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Reflections: Visit Counts, Technorati, Comments and Ego: A Good, Bad, and (almost) Indifferent Post
An honest look at my blog. The Good: • This site, elgg.net, is not going to be called EduFilter (seems my e-mail wasn’t the only complaint). Elgg is now EduSpaces, a name a number of us recommended – though I bear no claim to my voice being listened to since I also offered a dozen […]
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Blog Rules – Respect, Inclusion, Learning and Safety
Original title: Blog Rules – Just the basics, 4 rules based on Respect, Inclusion, Learning and Safety In May of ’06 I taught a 10 day course on Leonardo Da Vinci, as part of our yearly Renaissance Fair. I did this in a brand new way. I started the project off by having students create […]
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Candy Cultures – Reflections on a leadership activity
For a number of years I have used The Candy Cultures Activity, first as a multiculturalism activity, then as a leadership activity. I had a chance to experience it on two other levels recently. First, I ran the activity at our Pro-D with staff a week ago. I also shared it with the Student Leadership […]
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The purpose of a system is what it does.
Stafford Beer coined the term Cybernetics. He was a brilliant man who, among other things, wrote a novel about a very wise but forgetful wizard. This excerpt tells you what he thinks of our education system. The title alone- referring to the Education Minister- should give you a hint of what is to come. Excerpt […]
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Hello world! ‘Pair-a-Dimes for Your Thoughts’ finds a new home!
A few years ago, a friend sent me an invitation to join him on a social network and start something called a blog. I signed up and my first post, “The purpose of a system is what is does” set the metaphoric tone for my ideas and thoughts that will fill this space. Essentially, I […]
