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The Reflective Principal: A Taxonomy of Reflection (Part IV) Reflection can be a challenging endeavor. It's not something that's fostered in school - typically someone else tells you how you're doing! Principals (and instructional leaders) are often so caught up in the meeting the demands of the day, that they rarely have the luxury to muse on how things went. Self-assessment is clouded by the need to meet competing demands from multiple stakeholders. In an effort to help schools become more reflective learning environments, I've developed this "Taxonomy of Reflection" - modeled on Bloom's approach. It's posted in four installments: 1. A Taxonomy of Reflection 2. The Reflective Student 3. The Reflective Teacher 4. The Reflective Principal It's very much a work in progress, and I invite your comments and suggestions. I'm especially interested in whether you think the parallel construction to Bloom holds up through each of the three examples - student, teacher, and principal. I think we have something to learn from each perspective. 4. The Reflective Principal Each level of reflection is structured to parallel Bloom's taxonomy. (See installment 1 for more on the model) Assume that a principal (or instructional leader) looked back on an initiative (or program, decision, project, etc) they have just implemented. What sample questions might they ask themselves as they move from lower to higher order reflection? (Note: I'm not suggesting that all questions are asked after every initiative - feel free to pick a few that work for you.) Bloom's Remembering : What did I do? Principal Reflection: What role did I play in implementing this program? What role did others play? What steps did I take? Is the program now operational and being implemented? Was it completed on time? Are assessment measures in place? Bloom's Understanding: What was

Enough Preconceived sequencing and graphic organizers! Help us find patterns.

A fun futuristic maths game where you need to save the world with your knowledge of number patterns. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Maths

"I love patterns, diagrams and pictures. Ask me to record information and it gets plastered over a page in bubbles, a mind map or random boxes. I'm not particularly artistic but I find I like to store information in this way. Even with telephone numbers - I remember the pattern the digits make, not the number itself."

Make art out of ribbons of light with this interactive drawing site. Just move your mouse around to create beautiful patterns. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Art%2C+Craft+%26+Design

This is a tantalizing portfolio page of infographic generators.  As a writing teacher I see many applications. As an information fluency advocate I see a way to understand data that excites the mind. Many of these programs use social media sources to build visual comparisons and patterns.   What a find! 

This is a 'must try' iPad app where you can design a 3D creature. Tap, drag and pinch your creation until it is just right and then 'paint' it with the patterns you want. It's a great resource to use alongside creative writing or science work. If you have access to a 3D printer you can even fabricate your design. Download the app at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/123d-creature/id594014056. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/ICT+%26+Web+Tools

A useful online drawing tool for making interesting pictures and fabulous patterns. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Art%2C+Craft+%26+Design

This site offers an interesting twist on the online presentation creator genre. Drop and drag a range of quirky cartoon images, patterns and backgrounds to make fab looking slideshows. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/ICT+%26+Web+Tools

Make a virtual paper snowflake with this great wintry site. Draw your pattern with the virtual pencil and cut out with the cyber scissors. Great to about out as Christmas cards. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Winter+%26+Christmas

Using a TED.com video in a Common Core aligned writing assignment as students learn about speech patterns with the purpose of driving a TED-like conference at the school.

Great first comment: Parents have the responsibility to monitor and guide children and teenagers. Of course kids will object. How many of us thought our parents were right when they tried to limit what we wanted to do? We must be wise enough as parents to know best and strong enough to stand up to the kids' anger. Bullies are not all the same, but their patterns of behavior, their tactics, are the same. That's why we can find ways to stop most of them. Sometimes, fighting is the key to success. If we don't stop bullies, they'll think we're easy prey. Like sharks, they'll just go after us more.

This list of books about science has much to say about how patterns recur throughout all of human experience. Something all educators innately understand, I think.

Blackmore studies memes: patterns that replicate themselves, which sounds very much like the whole process of education to me.

Temple Grandin, diagnosed with autism as a child, talks about how her mind works -- sharing her ability to "think in pictures," which helps her solve problems that neurotypical brains might miss. She makes the case that the world needs people on the autism spectrum: visual thinkers, pattern thinkers, verbal thinkers, and all kinds of smart geeky kids.

This 2020 Forecast is a tool for thinking about, preparing for, and shaping the future. It outlines key forces of change that will shape the landscape of learning over the next decade. The forecast does not predict what will happen, but rather serves as a guide to the as-yet-unwritten future. It is designed to help you see connections among things that once seemed unrelated and to help you consider the changes and challenges that you are facing today within the context of wider patterns of change. Ultimately, the 2020 Forecast aims to provoke your own thinking about what role you want to play in creating the future of learning.

Grammar Handbook How to Edit your writing To edit your writing well, you need to understand some basic concepts about writing. Sometimes these concepts are called grammar, mechanics, or conventions. Sometimes they are called rules, but really these rules are just patterns that good writers try to follow so they clearly communicate what they want to say to readers. Anybody can be a good editor. First, you have to know what's important and then you have to reread your work carefully. Everyone-especially teachers-appreciate a writer who rereads and corrects his or her work.