Mandatory Back to School Reading

A tremendous article on "the creativity crisis" that is going to be impacting this nation in the very near future. If we must use standardized testing, we as teachers have to figure out a way to cover the standards while encouraging our students to think outside the box along the way. We have always been a nation of thinkers and creators, but we are losing our edge because of "teaching to the test." Web 2.0 tools might be the key to helping our students learn how to be creative while still getting through the material that we need to follow.

Here is a link to an NPR interview with the author of the Newsweek piece. Copy and paste into browser.
http://www.onpointradio.org/media-player?url=http://www.onpointradio.org/2010/07/u-s-creativity-in-question&title=U.S.+Creativity+in+Question&pubdate=2010-07-20&segment=2

John Wooden at TED Talks

There should be no question that John Wooden is not only the greatest coach ever, but after viewing this, he might have to be considered the best teacher ever. A true renaissance man!!!

Roz Savage: Why I'm rowing across the Pacific | Video on TED.com

Is Roz Savage an example of transcendentalist?

I have embedded the TED Talks video here. If you would like to visit the web site where this is located you can click on the blog title, or follow the link below.



Roz Savage: Why I'm rowing across the Pacific | Video on TED.com

As a teacher of 10th graders...

President Obama's speech "above" too many Americans? This is something that we must overcome.

Bookless Library?

Read the article above about the wave of the future at Stanford University. Is there any doubt that we need to make our students better able to negotiate the web and help them learn to refine their searches?

True Professional Development

Participated in a great 3-day workshop last week called "Teaching History with Technology." If you are looking for true professional development, stuff that will actually make you a better teacher, you need to find the workshop that works for you and go.

Watch this Schoolhouse Rock video about why the colonies broke away from England.