One of my foundational rules of classroom engagement is simply this: never be the first one to open your mouth and start talking about any topic. Twenty years in the classroom taught me that one. Never assume. Never take prior knowledge for granted. Listen first, then act. Never presume to know what the students in front of you are capable of. They'll show you if you are bold enough to listen.

"After stumbling upon the article, "Switch to e-books was 'an unmitigated disaster,' says school principal," in my feed this past week, it occurred to me that there are increasingly predictable patterns surrounding stories of failed "innovation" in digital learning initiatives. Schools have been assigning computers to each child for some time now. And still, we continue to see stories like this in the media. In short: we can do better than this."