So after 244 years in the 'knowledge' business, the Encyclopedia Britannica has decided to shut down its printing division and focus on its online presence. But that may be more difficult that first thought, according to Open-site.org/wikipedia...Facing the realities and the stiff competition from Wikipedia, the Encyclopedia Britannica will now focus primarily on their online … Continue reading Wikipedia vs Britannica: The Results Are In! →

Every now and then I could be accused of underestimating our youth. I mean, the levels of compassion and empathy (or outright detachment) that our students seem to purport continues to befuddle educators. After all, I'm a teacher that recognizes that bullying--no matter what our community says-- (online and off)--has its basis in a lack … Continue reading Rocking Off the ‘Youth’ Stereotype →

If there's one person in your (or your kid's) school that has a strong level of technology expertise and experience, it's probably the teacher-librarian.School Library Journal recently released the results from last year's school technology survey and in most schools teacher-librarians play an elemental role.And if your school doesn't have a teacher-librarian...? It may be time … Continue reading Who’s The Tech Leader at Your School: Odds Are It’s The Teacher-Librarian →

During the final week of classes this month, I had an opportunity to discuss with our Grade 9 Health and Career Education (HCE) classes the importance of reflecting on their use of social media while on the holiday break. And yes, there was consistent acknowledgement that most would (with increasing frequency) immerse themselves in their … Continue reading Location Settings: Helping Students See the Bigger Picture →

It has been nearly eight months since 17 L.V. Rogers students returned from their reciprocating trip to Fort McPherson, NT as part of the YMCA Youth Exchanges Program. The students also gathered pictures and hundreds of hours of video in order to share their learning from this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Here's the story of their experiences that … Continue reading Learning Beyond the Classroom →

Last month, CIBC Chief Economist, Benjamin Tal, commented that students entering post-secondary institutions are not choosing wisely their intended field of study. He also noted that there are some degrees that give students more bang for their buck when it comes to employment and even earnings. And his biggest observation from a recent statistical analysis … Continue reading Rate of Return…The New Educational Shift? →

Inspired by Dr. Justin Tarte’s post the other day…Among his brief list of assumptions (or current templates of thinking) that are suffocating the move forward to rejuvenate and revolutionize learning in North America, Tarte asserts that “[w]e can’t accept and continue to think that learning is limited to what happens within the four walls of … Continue reading A Move Forward →

Last week's Remembrance Day Ceremony at L.V. Rogers may have been the best one that I have attended as a teacher (ever!) in sixteen years. Ably led by Mr. Cross, Ms. Martin and her Leadership 9/10 class the service came across as one of near perfection.More to the point, I found myself pleasantly (and awkwardly) … Continue reading Expectations ARE Everything →

Reading guru, Dr. Stephen Krashen, spent time at the British Columbia Teacher-Librarians' Association Summer Institute this past summer delivering the keynote address. Krashen's enthusiasm about reading is infectious (to say the least). And his message is clear: get kids reading what they love to read and the rest will follow (i.e levelers of reading need … Continue reading Reading Guru Stephen Krashen →

It might be a safe bet that there isn't a lawyer alive that would allow the paralegals in his office to spoof his profession. Yet, that's exactly what the teacher-librarians at Francis W. Parker K-12 School in Chicago did last spring. With the blessing of the school librarians, Grade 3 teacher Mike Ferbrache and counselor Duane … Continue reading You Won’t Find Your Accountant Doing This.. →