DISCLAIMER: I continue to be amazed by the unending support that our school PAC (parent advisory committee) offers our students and staff. Without question, a strong and supportive PAC can have a profound effect on the learning in our school.With the recent implementation of the new British Columbia K-9 curriculum the need to address the … Continue reading MakerSpace: Early Steps →

It has been a little over one year since we cranked up the earliest iteration of the Trafalgar Middle School Makerspace as a component in the Lifelong Learning Explorations program for our students.As with any school program attempting to serve its learners, there is the need for a healthy does of reflection on both the … Continue reading From MakerSpace to Reflection of Practice (a journey of sorts) →

For the past eight weeks I have had the pleasure of learning from another educator. This educator is not a master teacher (of which there really is no such a person), a seasoned veteran, or even one with a couple of years experience. My teacher was a practicum student-teacher completing of her final leg of … Continue reading Learning From An Unusual Teacher →

As our millennials continue their journey through our public education system, many schools have begun their shift from a place of developing digital citizenship skills to one of embedding digital leadership practices.Courtesy of Sylvia Duckworth and Jennifer Casa Todd, 2015Changing the use of the internet and social media has been rapid. George Couros very neatly differentiates the shift: … Continue reading From Digital Citizenship to Digital Leadership →

Earlier this week, I found a great (and very simple) reminder about the key to leadership in my Diigo following list...According to the Leadership Freak, Dan Rockwell, CONNECTION is all that really matters when it comes to effective and efficient leadership. And in our roles as educational and school leaders in our schools and communities the … Continue reading C-O-N-N-E-C-T-I-O-N Is All You Really Need →

But John Hattie's meta-analysis of over thousands of studies on what actually has impact on student learning (and what doesn't). His conclusion is simple: know thy impact on student learning. When we become the 'greatest evaluators of our impact' we are then able to see how we, as a school community, can move forward to … Continue reading 8 Mind Frames for Teachers: Know Thy Impact →

This recent infographic is courtesy of Amplivox helps set the context for education and texting: technology is contextualized.Courtesy of Amplivox, 2012

Well, what a week it was at my first BC Principal & Vice-Principal Association (BCPVPA) Short Course (#SC2015) at the University of British Columbia!With a host of engaging and inspiring presenters, speakers, facilitators, and workshop leaders, the message for all beginning school leaders was obvious: lead by example and 'talk the walk'.As part of my own personal (and … Continue reading Leaders as Learners: Dispelling a Myth →

As I grapple to find a healthy balance between my teaching and administrative responsibilities one thing has become abundantly clear to me: my learning and teaching have become messy. Upon further self-reflection, I have even admitted to my students (on several occasions) my struggle with finding harmony; that while some days are great, some are not … Continue reading 16 Characteristics of a Modern Teacher →

While the debate around homework continues in schools and among various education stakeholders one thing is still pretty clear: there's no real significant body of research that supports either side of the argument. And, in fact, more questions seem to come to the surface?What's the value in students completing homework? Are students any less off if … Continue reading The ‘Battle’ Over Homework →