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"An awful lot of schooling still consists of making kids cram forgettable facts into short-term memory. And the kids themselves are seldom consulted about what they're doing, even though genuine excitement about (and proficiency at) learning rises when they're brought into the process, invited to search for answers to their own questions and to engage in extended projects. Outstanding classrooms and schools - with a rich documentary record of their successes - show that the quality of education itself can be improved. But books, articles, TED talks, and teacher-training sessions devoted to the wonders of adopting a growth mindset rarely bother to ask whether the curriculum is meaningful, whether the pedagogy is thoughtful, or whether the assessment of students' learning is authentic (as opposed to defining success merely as higher scores on dreadful standardized tests). "

Edmodo recently released a new look for their website. Many times when a website changes there's a ton of confusion about old features, new feature, and where everything is now located. Not with Edmodo! The simple and clear design makes it easy to navigate between all of the tools. So there shouldn't be too much confusion for existing users, and teachers who want to learn how to use Edmodo for the first time are met with a sleek and simple interface. Here are a few videos on how to navigate the new Edmodo site, and how to use the basic features for anyone interested in learning to use Edmodo in the classroom.

A great post from Kath Murdoch in which she outlines how inquiry teacher teach. What I really liked about it is that even if you don't 'do inquiry' you can still take some of the facets of an inquiry teacher.

Margaret Atwood talks to about her approach to building future worlds: - GROUND YOUR WORLD IN THE POSSIBLE. - WHEN IMAGINING THE FUTURE--START WITH BREAKFAST AND EXTRAPOLATE. - PAY ATTENTION TO BOTH ANIMAL AND HUMAN NATURE. - BE CAREFUL NOT TO VEER INTO FARCE TERRITORY. - FOLLOW YOUR SCIENTIFIC CURIOSITY.

Margaret Atwood talks to about her approach to building future worlds: - GROUND YOUR WORLD IN THE POSSIBLE. - WHEN IMAGINING THE FUTURE--START WITH BREAKFAST AND EXTRAPOLATE. - PAY ATTENTION TO BOTH ANIMAL AND HUMAN NATURE. - BE CAREFUL NOT TO VEER INTO FARCE TERRITORY. - FOLLOW YOUR SCIENTIFIC CURIOSITY.

Alex Quigley explores the topic of group work. Rather than a clear answer, he provides a excellent series of reflective questions to guide things. If we accept the notion of the 'wisdom of crowds', then what is the magic number for group size? There is no fixed answer, but research evidence shows that any group size above six is unlikely to be effective. Why is this? Well, successful group work relies on group goals, but alongside individual responsibility. With too many students in a group it is too easy for social loafing (students putting in less effort when they know they can because other group members pick up the slack) to happen. Better to have a smaller groups, such as trios or fours. Of course, even then, they'll need training.

An interesting collection of tips associated with the art of writing from Elmore Leonard. Definitely gets you thinking. 1. Never open a book with weather. 2. Avoid prologues. 3. Never use a verb other than ''said'' to carry dialogue. 4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb ''said'' . . . 5. Keep your exclamation points under control. 6. Never use the words ''suddenly'' or ''all hell broke loose.'' 7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly. 8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters. 9. Don't go into great detail describing places and things. 10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip. 11. If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.

An interesting collection of tips associated with the art of writing from Elmore Leonard: 1. Never open a book with weather. 2. Avoid prologues. 3. Never use a verb other than ''said'' to carry dialogue. 4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb ''said'' . . . 5. Keep your exclamation points under control. 6. Never use the words ''suddenly'' or ''all hell broke loose.'' 7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly. 8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters. 9. Don't go into great detail describing places and things. 10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip. 11. If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.

A great post from Jason Borton discussing how he worked with his leadership team to refocus his school on learning.

An interesting post from Steve Wheeler associated with 'Safer Internet Day' and how we can help children today.

A great summary of how to go about doing research online from Chris Betcher.

Some ideas and solutions how to connect an iPad to the projector.

An interesting reflection on formative assessment and some simple ideas of how to incorporate it into the classroom.

"The "how might we" approach to innovation ensures that would-be innovators are asking the right questions and using the best wording."

An interesting set of strategies associated with reading: 1. Preview - If It's Long and Hard 2. Skim - If It's Short and Simple 3. Cluster - to Increase Speed AND Comprehension

An interesting set of strategies associated with reading: 1. Preview - If It's Long and Hard 2. Skim - If It's Short and Simple 3. Cluster - to Increase Speed AND Comprehension

A post looking at Carol Dweck's Mindsets and how it impacts learning. Focusing on feedback as an intervention in the classroom, the writers unpack what they found before and after, as well as some tips.

An interesting investigation into music theory. More related to tertiary music, but still a good read.

There are a few things you need in order to get a verified CashApp account. First, you'll need to provide your full name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. You'll also need to link your CashApp account to a bank account or debit card. Once you have all of this information entered into the system, you'll be able to request verification. You may be asked to verify your identity by providing a photo ID. Once you've been verified, a green check mark will appear next to your name on the CashApp home screen. This means that all future payments sent or received by this account will be automatically deposited into or withdrawn from your linked bank account.

Are you reading this on a handheld device? There's a good chance you are. Now imagine how'd you look if that device suddenly disappeared. Lonely? Slightly crazy? Perhaps next to a person being ignored? As we are sucked in ever more by the screens we carry around, even in the company of friends and family, the hunched...

Using thinking tools is one way to "make thinking visible" and help our students explain their thoughts in a simple and explicit way. As the team from Project Zero themselves say "Visible Thinking includes a large number of classroom routines, easily and flexibly integrated with content learning, and representing areas of thinking such as understanding, truth and evidence, fairness and moral reasoning, creativity, self-management, and decision making. It also provides tools for integrating the arts with subject-matter content. Finally, it includes a practical framework for how to create "cultures of thinking" in individual classrooms and within an entire school."

A fantastic how-to for Twitter, a great introduction for those who are too afraid to dip in.