Think of what Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon services and products you use daily. How much are they a vehicle for communications, work, social life, purchases and tasks? How often…
Tag: educational reform
I recently viewed a TEDx talk titled ‘The surprising truth about learning in schools’. Other than the talk having an eye-catching title, there was nothing really surprising about it, as…
I’m a fan of a to-do list. (Especially if it’s on lined, monogrammed paper!) I highly enjoy crossing things off as I accomplish them, it just makes me feel as…
As I plan for 2013, I was inspired to take up a challenge. Most executive positions in schools piggy back on to old paradigm thinking and roles. How many companies…
Read More Brave new worlds: matching exec functions to 21st century priorities
As educators and leaders, we need to re-think every aspect of our professional practice to consider ‘could we be doing this better?’ Here is a brain-dump of the 6 most…
Read More 6 powerful strategies for paradigm-shifting teacher PD
Last night my grad school colleague and friend Brandon Wiley shared with me 17 minutes of thought-provoking lecture – from a student. I was struck by this inspiring Ted Talk…
This interesting thought occurred during a conversation today. Are we living through a process whereby social media is finally breaking down some of the traditional divides that have kept…
Read More Is Twitter encouraging a type of ‘Arab Spring’ within Education?
Rwanda 2012 Reflection #4 – do you use your role for a higher purpose? As Principals, Superintendents or school leaders, do…
Read More ‘We are not going to miss out on the technological revolution’ Paul Kagame (paraphrased)
Okay … this lesson probably commenced in my early childhood if I count the number of hospital visits from bumping into (stupidly designed) concrete telegraph poles in Auckland, slipping…
2011 has been an amazing year for me professionally – a year of great change at NBCS and a year of outstanding opportunities, travel and thinking for me. It…
Read More 2011 Lesson #1 – Vision has to trump administration
Preface “Birds of a feather flock together.” How is it that various flocks of birds fly together in non-linear formation? How exactly do they communicate with each other to cut…
When I taught sixth grade science, our students were immersed in learning about wildlife characteristics, environments, and patterns in nature in relation to the Hawk Mountain Sanctuaryand our surrounding region.…
As educators, we are often faced with an opportunity to take the easy road or the hard road. The easy road often works for us as parents, teachers, and administrators…
Recently I received a message about someone who is doing an internship for Microsoft this summer, but previously did his work at Google. When I asked how he was doing,…
Treat a man as he is and you make him worse than he is. Treat a man as he has the potential to become and you make him better than…
Do you have 27 minutes to devote to both educational reform and world peace? Do you? Just 27 minutes of your life. Twenty minutes is for watching the TED talk…
Read More Can you spare 27 minutes for learning and world peace?
Many teachers have the following one rule in their classroom: respect. Often it is expanded into respect for yourself, respect for others, respect for property. Respect is a quality that…