Happy First Day Everyone!!
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Teaching/Learning on August 31, 2010
I love the first day of school each year. This year, with dissertation work continuing, I again ushered my own two kids into school, but did not take the reins of a classroom or building. I miss it.
I love the rain beating down on my umbrella while watching buses safely deliver kids to my building. I love the calls on the hand-held letting me know that Johnny isn’t sure to which classroom he is assigned. I relish the parent handshakes, the unloading of supplies. The wide-eyed enthusiasm is part of my biological clock and it refreshes me with each iteration of the cycle. Like the children in this video, I’m floating toward the heavens in awe of the mystery that is yet to emerge.
May you all have a wonderful “blast off” whether you have started or will soon do so. May this year be an exciting one where you accomplish all that you seek for yourself and for the children in your charge.
Dr. Kirpal Singh (Singapore Management University) laments in a movie featured at 21Foundation that we are focusing on preparing kids for today or yesterday, but that very few of us are preparing kids for tomorrow. That needs to be our focus and we should recommit to reaching out further than we can comprehend to address the needs of these citizens of a new millennium.
241 Teachers Lose Jobs
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Leadership, Teaching/Learning on July 25, 2010
Michelle Rhee announced this week the firing of 241 teachers as part of the ongoing implementation of a broad based reform movement (IMPACT) that she undertook just a short time ago. This program… Continue reading
Time Travel – Kids Explaining it – Can you see the motivation?
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Teaching/Learning, Technology on July 5, 2010
In this video, kids talk about time travel and use various resources to explain their concept. Since I was recently in an 8th grade classroom talking about black holes, this was especially interesting and, thus… Continue reading | 1 Comment
Motivation – Again!?!?
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Farside, Leadership, Teaching/Learning on July 5, 2010
Seems like the week to discuss motivation and as I consider various links and tracebacks, I’m found bringing together some ideas into a new framework of understanding many things I have written before and will… Continue reading | 1 Comment
The Inherent Conflict in Motivation Theory
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Teaching/Learning on July 3, 2010
Motivation theory has been around for multiple decades and has been reflected on by hundreds of authors over a wide span of influence. Behavioral Psychologists have used animal studies with primates and other species to… Continue reading | 2 Comments
This is Granularity…
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Leadership, Teaching/Learning, Technology on June 29, 2010
Coming on the heels of my post this morning is a new release from TED.com – Aditi Shankardass — who shares her work on brain research that has uncovered the misdiagnosis of 50%… Continue reading
Granularity
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Leadership, Teaching/Learning, Technology on June 29, 2010
While deeply involved in Marzanno and Waters (2009), I had the opportunity recently to attend a recent high school orchestra concert. It is, thus, logical to reflect on instructional leadership as similar to the experience… Continue reading | 1 Comment
Instructional Core
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Leadership, Teaching/Learning on June 26, 2010
Richard Elmore, in this video clip and with the associated graphic, defines the best measure of how we should judge innovation and change in an organization. The data that we collect must come from… Continue reading
New Horizons 2010
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Teaching/Learning, Technology on May 2, 2010
Under a grant from HP, the New Media Consortium and the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) has released the latest New Horizon Report for K-12 education. Not surprisingly, the two critical trends to… Continue reading | 1 Comment
Yes!!!
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Evolution, Technology on April 7, 2010
These two look nice next to each other, don’t you think?… Continue reading
The next age of learning and leading…
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Evolution, Teaching/Learning on April 5, 2010
Alan November has put up a new video that captures effectively the nuances of moving beyond current educational paradigms. The recent release of the “new” NCLB, the responses from AASA, and the Common Core Standards… Continue reading
Apple iPad and Learning
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Evolution, Teaching/Learning, Technology on April 5, 2010
Nice video from Kevin Honeycutt on the possibilities… Continue reading | 4 Comments
Chinese government’s funding of Southland school’s language program fuels controversy
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in China, Farside on April 5, 2010
An interesting article on how fear often overtakes our logical sensibilities. That being said, there is good reason for caution here – but not for the reasons cited by the opponents.
The complexity of teaching…
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Teaching/Learning on March 9, 2010
As we discuss leadership and technology, we have to remember that teaching is a complex endeavor that requires minds that move beyond discrete evidence like checklists and test scores. As seen in the clip below… Continue reading
Breaking Down Barriers
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Leadership, Teaching/Learning on March 3, 2010
Below is a video that has had lots of play in the last 4 years since its original posting. It recently resurfaced on YouTube and in a few social network sites. It’s a powerful story… Continue reading
Vindication?
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Leadership, Teaching/Learning on February 4, 2010
With some degree of glee, I can report to you today that a Judge has finally confirmed what we knew 25 years ago – Washington State does not fully fund basic education:
The state of… Continue reading
Learning 2.010 has launched!!
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Conferences/Training, Leadership, Teaching/Learning on February 3, 2010
Jeff Utecht is being a bit pessimistic with his description of the recently launched third iteration of the Learning 2.0 conference series. Despite his… Continue reading | 1 Comment
Motivation & Daniel Pink
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Farside, Leadership on January 31, 2010
It seems fortuitous that I wrote last night on Mike Rowe and then found Daniel Pink shortly after to reflect on the nature of motivation. These are two very nice videos back-to-back and tell… Continue reading
Anagnorisis & Peripeteia
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Farside, Leadership on January 30, 2010
This week I had an opportunity to read scholarship submissions at Wilson High School for the vocational education program. On the table was two years full tuition and books for a vocational path of your… Continue reading | 1 Comment
Motivation 101
Posted by Jon P. Zurfluh in Leadership, Teaching/Learning on January 24, 2010
A thought on why broad education reform is lingering despite selective successes…
In looking at organizational behavior, there is one theory of motivation that may apply to the current scenario in regards to the… Continue reading
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