Monthly Archives: June 2011

Review: FEEL-BAD EDUCATION by Alfie Kohn

Posted on June 30, 2011 by

Feel Bad Education by Alfie Kohn My rating: 4 of 5 stars Alfie Kohn has made sense to me for more than a decade, ever since a colleague recommended Kohn’s book Punished by Rewards and enthusiastically implemented a no-grade policy … Continue reading →

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Trust Your “Primary Wisdom”

Posted on June 29, 2011 by

What role can and should intuition play in a teacher’s decision-making process? Since first hearing the phrase “data-driven instruction,” I feel like the importance and credibility of teacher instincts have been downplayed and denigrated. Ralph Waldo Emerson said that intuition … Continue reading →

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Review: SAVING THE BAGHDAD ZOO by Kelly Milner Halls

Posted on June 27, 2011 by

Saving the Baghdad Zoo: A True Story of Hope and Heroes by Kelly Milner Halls My rating: 5 of 5 stars Saving the Baghdad Zoo is an excellent book for upper elementary-age students but will be appealing to other ages … Continue reading →

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Talking to Myself about a New Website

Posted on June 24, 2011 by

Here’s a little tech advice learned the hard way: Begin with the end in mind. That’s good advice in general, but it’s especially helpful when starting a new website, blog or web presence using an existing platform. Host platforms will … Continue reading →

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Playing with Chicago’s Public Art

Posted on June 19, 2011 by

This week our family saw an exhibition about public art in Chicago at the Art Institute of Chicago focusing on important works of art enjoyed daily by thousands of Chicagoans and visitors to the city. In the Loop you can find … Continue reading →

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Review: THE GEEKS SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH by Alexandra Robbins

Posted on June 12, 2011 by

The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School by Alexandra Robbins My rating: 5 of 5 stars The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth is an important book for parents, educators, and any … Continue reading →

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Zapping Apathy with Chat-Based Test Review

Posted on June 11, 2011 by

The school year just ended.  One of the year-end rituals with debatable value is final exams.  At our school, most classes are required to end with a 90-minute final exam that comprehensively tests a semester’s worth of curriculum.  This test … Continue reading →

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Top Ten Lessons Learned: 2010-2011 Edition

Posted on June 10, 2011 by

Top Ten Lessons Learned This Year: Students learn best when they have choice over their reading and writing experiences. Many in education seem to value consistency over learning.  I try to ignore and avoid those folks, but they’re becoming harder … Continue reading →

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“The House Was Quiet and The World Was Calm”

Posted on June 8, 2011 by

Jason Waskey: “Quiet Night”   Kind of a lazy man’s blog entry, but this Wallace Stevens poem always comes to mind for me when school lets out for the summer. Maybe it works for you too.   The House Was … Continue reading →

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Lilacs and TwitterArt

Posted on June 3, 2011 by

My favorite online experience this week was a collaboration with Mary Ann Reilly, an artist, author, and educator I’ve never met in person, although we have exchanged ideas in various Twitter-based chats and dialogues. It started on Wednesday night about … Continue reading →

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