Distance Leaning Changed Affordances and Signifiers that Students use to Navigate Their Learning.
Design For How Students Think 🤔 I’m teaching at one of the few schools around the world that went to distance learning and returned to on-campus teaching — all in Spring 2020 due to COVID-19. Having done so was a great chance to reflect on the modalities students are using in both learning environments. As it turns out, design language concepts like affordances and signifiers … Continue reading Distance Leaning Changed Affordances and Signifiers that Students use to Navigate Their Learning.
Front End and Back End Design Thinking for School Improvement
I recently had the chance to talk to a colleague in another international school in another country where they have a part-time role with the title Community Experience Architect. What a title and what a statement about that school in their desire to be a forward thinking school. Let’s break down the title for a moment. Architect is sometimes shorthand for someone who has designed … Continue reading Front End and Back End Design Thinking for School Improvement
Asking “Why” At Your School Can Be Dangerous. (Lean on a Design Process)
Forget simply trying to deal with Cow Paths, the sacristy of time and resources makes many schools an act-now-ask-questions-never environment. Schools have limited time for teachers work with peers as much of a teacher’s time is with students, rightly, but that creates an issue, “Is our teacher/peer time a place to consider and study our problems or a place to act quickly?” Sadly, organizing teacher … Continue reading Asking “Why” At Your School Can Be Dangerous. (Lean on a Design Process)
When to say “Why Not‽” To Be Daring On Your Campus with Design Thinking
This is Part II of the blog post “Asking Why? at you School Can be Dangerous” Daring to do something doesn’t mean knowing what to do I don’t have the answer about how to dare to do this in every school, each time. I only know to lean on a process, develop knowledge, to read, to surround myself with those interested in these big problems … Continue reading When to say “Why Not‽” To Be Daring On Your Campus with Design Thinking
Design Assessments to Leverage Cognitive Bias
A group of middle school students are reading well below grade level, different schools take different approaches: School A: Baised and imprecise – These teachers love the latest unproven brain research, they want to train for brain balance, train vision one eye at a time, some want to meditate still a few others want to train brain stamina with reading. A theme exists, but is … Continue reading Design Assessments to Leverage Cognitive Bias
100% Female Names for My Tests Next Year
I can’t remember where I saw it but the fact that math books portray way more men than women in the problems offered seems like a real truth that I had simply never given any thought to. I knew instantly that I would be digging into this problem and doing something about it. What I didn’t know was the statement that I decided to Make … Continue reading 100% Female Names for My Tests Next Year
Give Your Student a Pencil – Ultimate Guide Why We Give Pencils, One Tweet at a Time
If you are reading edutwitter, I’m sure to bet that you have seen a slow-burning debate over pencils or even this article from tolerace.org. More precisely, “Should teachers unconditionally give a student a pencil in class?” I have collected more than 100 Tweets and have curated the conversation with some amazing responses for you to enjoy. First of all, we must reside in two camps, … Continue reading Give Your Student a Pencil – Ultimate Guide Why We Give Pencils, One Tweet at a Time
Jim Ellis – By the Numbers (40)
I turn 40 years old today. I’ve lived in three countries and visited 27 countries. I’ve taught six different subjects in middle school; Math, History, EAL, Science, Technology, Reading. My mate and I have had 12 years together, so far. Hospitalized twice, both while 18 years old. Thrown more than 800 bowls on a pottery wheel. In the United States, I’ve lived in only a … Continue reading Jim Ellis – By the Numbers (40)
Design For: Student Privacy
A student raising their hand to request permission to use the bathroom or to get a drink of water is so common practice, most of us who teach haven’t thought to challenge it’s wisdom or utility. I am lucky that I teach in a private international school, so challenging that wisdom should be easy. Except, it wasn’t. Well, it wasn’t until the challenge to that … Continue reading Design For: Student Privacy
The “Too Many Good Ideas” Problem
Educators and schools are awash in too many good ideas flowing in at all times and it is hard to be in a position to know what good ideas to choose. Not every good idea will work in every classroom or school Too many good ideas being implemented will fragment a school program, a faculty and fragments student participating in a course or school, “a … Continue reading The “Too Many Good Ideas” Problem
