Articles Published Online
The Tech-Empowered Teacher
“In short, to be an effective teacher, you need to be a stylized character, and your curriculum should be your tool to achieve a stylized class, a work of art that is a unique, unrepeatable experience for your student.”
What if all Teachers were Scholars
“Let’s not forget that part of our job as teachers is to effectively sell learning. It is imperative to convince our students that being a learner and innovator for life is fun, rewarding, and life furthering. The first step in selling this idea of learning is to be a shining example of learning and innovation ourselves.”
Replacing Print Where it Matters Most: Textbooks
“Since a primary role of the teacher is to tailor the curriculum to meet the needs of his particular students, the curriculum modality (textbook or online platform) that gives the teacher the most flexibility wins.”
Transitioning to an Online Curriculum: The Why and the How
“Switching to an online curriculum? At a time when many teachers are feeling their control of the classroom slip away, be prepared to take control back. Be prepared to create and compose. Be prepared to teach.”
Talks
“Objectivity in the Classroom”
(February 2019 at TAAE Conference, San Antonio TX)
It is often stated by educators that objectivity is impossible. And when objectivity is defined, it is defined only by what it is not: something like “an absence of bias.” This session will not only explore what objectivity is and how it is most certainly possible, it will also make the case that a proper understanding and implementation of objectivity is an educational imperative for any classroom.
“Developing a Culture of Learning in Your Classroom”
(February 2018 at TAAE Conference, Austin TX)
The Ancient Greek educator Isocrates famously stated that “root of education is bitter, but sweet are its fruits.” This session will be a one half planned talk, one half discussion attempt to prove Isocrates’ view of the root of education wrong. Education, at root, comes down to student learning. So what are ways to make your campus a welcome place of learning in the eyes of your students, instead of a place to suffer through pointless hoop-jumping in order to get a diploma? Come get some answers, and help create some more. (For the record, this was originally going to be called “The form-object distinction and its application in education,” but we changed it, wanting to make sure there was an audience.)
“Creating the Lifelong Learner”
(February 2017 at TAAE Conference, Austin TX)
According to Horace Mann, “A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron.” This class will give the teacher strategies and principles to sell students on the importance of lifelong learning. This is not a quick fix, but rather an attitude orientation that can make your classroom a more fulfilling learning environment and your student better prepared for the dynamic world to come.
“The Purpose of Universal Education, Yesterday and Today”
(February 2016 at TAAE Conference, Austin TX)
In the early 1800s when the establishment of universal education in the United States was first being debated, Horace Mann and others succinctly established such purposes and goals. This talk will compare those goals to the stated goals of public education today, and discuss how each can apply to the alternative school setting.
“We have the Devices. Now What?”
(Panel with other speakers)
(2015 Tech & Learning Live, Austin, TX)
The purpose of this panel was to discuss technology integration strategies and concerns from both the tech and teacher side of the equation.
“Roadmap to Blended Learning”
(With Comaneci Brooken of Odysseyware) (TASA 2015 Midwinter Conference) The purpose of this session was to provide guidance to district stakeholders on implementing a blended learning model that will best met the needs of the individual students in their districts.
“The Why Behind the What: Discovering your Curriculum’s Relevance”
(February 2014 TAAE Conference, Austin, TX.) (Jan. 2014 Marble Falls ISD Excellence in Education Conference)
This course addressed why the relevancy of our curriculum is often only half-heartedly embraced by educators, what thinking causes this lack of enthusiasm, and what the real relevancy of math, science, social studies and English is for students.
The Art (and not Science) of Teaching
(February 2013 TAAE Conference, Austin, TX)
Imagine if every teacher was larger than life. If all teachers’ values were passionately held, their common thread being their grandness, their individuality, their love for their subject, and their drive to use knowledge to enhance their lives. Imagine if all teachers strove to be artists in their field, presenting a unique unrepeatable experience to each student who crossed their path.
Webinars
“Change. Innovate. Repeat.”
Odysseyware Webinar on Customization and Student-Focused Learning
Published September 14, 2017