Category Archives: April 2010

Rejecting Limits

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I just read another great post by Seth Godin. The post is called Accepting Limits. Please read it.

Here is an excerpt from the brief post:

And isn’t it even worse to write off a person or an organization merely because of what they are instead of what they might become?

And yet we do all of the time. We lock kids into academic tracks that determine how far they can grow. We believe that we can’t challenge our students at high levels because they won’t get it.  We see people with disabilities feel badly for them, and decide that they can’t achieve like a “normal” person can.

We, as a society look at schools and blame them and the teachers. Instead of seeing organizations and people that are able and willing to grow, we condemn.

Yes, we accept limits.

But shouldn’t we reject them?  Is it not our responsibility to support a student’s belief that they can make a difference? As someone with a disability, I have been blessed with people who did not see many limits in me. Sure there are some I know who do, but I am grateful to those who have empowered me to try to make a difference.

Every student we meet needs to be empowered. Every student we meet needs to not have limits placed on them by standardized tests or failure to be a good memorizer. We could be limiting great leaders who will make a difference.

One final quote from Godin’s post:

“Just because it’s difficult to grade doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be taught.”

Thanks for stopping by. I welcome your comments.

We Have Some Netbooks! Which Way Should We Go?

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At our school, we have recently received two classrooms full of netbooks. This is exciting news for us as we are planning on going 1 to 1 in the next few years.

We are trying to decide the best way to implement the use of the netbooks. There are essentially two trains of thought:

Option 1:

  • Select three teachers who have demonstrated use of web 2.0 as a learning tool for their students and for themselves.
  • Have these teachers use the netbooks for the life of the netbooks.
  • Have these teachers blog and have their students guest blog about the 1 to 1 experience and have the blog publicly available through our school site.

Perceived benefits:

  • Action research will be obtained.
  • Parents will be able to read about the challenges and successes. Transparency will be high.
  • With three teachers, by the end of the first year, we will have about 450 students who will be ambassadors of goodwill, having had an immersive experience over each year.
  • Once one year of success is underway, planning can begin to scale 1 to1 to the entire school.

Option 2:

  • Select 8 teachers who demonstrate the willingness to enter the 1 to1 idea.
  • Give each teacher 1 quarter to use the netbooks with their class.

Perceived Benefits:

  • Higher equity, getting more teachers involved.
  • More students will get to use the netbooks.

So I ask your opinion. Which option is better, and why?  I have my opinion, but that can wait. Thank you so much for your input!

And as always, thanks for stopping by!

Happy April

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Well it is April. I missed all of March here on this blog!

March was busy, another show to produce, and the daily events that keep me from blogging. (OK, I admit it, the only thing keeping me from blogging is me.)

So here are a couple of thoughts:

I know that I keep saying it, but high school theatre is an excellent learning event.  The rehearsals, the assembling of the final show, the construction of the set, the imagining,  the technical aspects, the collaboration, challenges, and successes all work to create learning and joy. Giving the kids ownership of a huge project, guiding them on their way, is rewarding for the teachers involved as well as the students.

I am currently reading Seth Godin’s Linchpin. There is so much to consider from the book.  But one quote for this short post. Early in the book Godin says this:

“There are no longer any good jobs where someone will tell you precisely what to do.”

What does that say about the way we currently teach and assess?

Have a great April. Thanks for stopping by.