9 Ways to Promote Equity in Our Schools

Changes to curriculum and grading policies can go a long way toward helping a school level the playing field for all students For the first time in my 16-year-long career as a school administrator, I feel like we’re finally starting to get to a place of actually having real conversations across the country about figuring...

Not Your Dad’s Diorama: Using Tech Tools to Enhance a Traditional Assignment

Over 80 years ago, John Dewey said, “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” These words still ring true, especially in the implementation of technology in the classroom. Dioramas have been around for a long time, and they have value in a lot of different contexts. But it’s time...

Ideas to Welcome Students Back

The calendar flips to August, and the countdown begins; the "first day" is nearly here. For some, it already happened. When the day arrives, it starts with a good breakfast and putting on that "first-day outfit." This look, for most, has been planned for weeks. Mom and Dad take the "first-day picture," and soon the...

Reimagining Education: What to Keep/What to Ditch

When reimagining education, the focus needs to be on finding and keeping the best learning practices. The expression "reimagining education" has been the phrase educators and school/district leaders have heard since students returned to in-person learning. We are excellent in education in creating "catchphrases" or rallying cries, but we often forget to share the what...

How to Boost Creativity In the Classroom

Written with Alfonso Mendoza Creativity is an essential skill students need to succeed in school and, more importantly, in life. It improves problem-solving, contributes to happiness in school, and gives students a sense of purpose.  However, kids today have fewer opportunities to develop creativity than ever before. Before the age of screentime, children spent most...

Take More “Usies”: Power of Connections

Building a #PLN all starts with a connection. Connection is how friendships start, how passion grows, and how we support others on this educational journey. Connections help us to be better educators and colleagues. It enables us to make more of an impact in people's lives and dramatically enriches our own lives. Connecting with others...

Enhance your Instructional Toolbox: Discovering the Unexplored

By Matthew X. Joseph and Shannon Moore (@SMoore_teach) This school year has brought about a lot of changes and has required much adaptation, but one shift that has been powerful across school sites is the technological knowledge that has been a necessity to navigate a difficult teaching year. With the change in environment, educators have...

Using Voxer to Connect and Grow

Collaboration as a method of learning has been a fabric of education for years. However, in the past, professional learning networks (PLNs) were mostly limited to face-to-face interactions within school buildings, districts, or, in some cases, conferences, but with the technology we have now, our connections are limitless.  One way educators are connecting today is...

Educators Connecting in Real-Time on Clubhouse

A few of my friends were on a group text, and someone texted, "Let's just jump into a Clubhouse room." Wait what? The text thread continued, "Have you heard about Clubhouse? "From there, invites went out, and I was on.  So what is it? Clubhouse is a live audio app that allows users to chat...

How to Start a Hybrid Learning Center

A hybrid learning center can help you maximize simultaneous learning. As the calendar turns to the 2021 school year, we have to reflect on what did not work with hybrid learning models and instructional practices in our classroom. When we talk hybrid, we also talk synchronous, asynchronous, independent learning, and many other terms we never...

How to Lead With Positivity

When administrators maintain a sense of optimism, their teams act with more confidence and collaborate more effectively. In today’s fast-paced, rapidly changing educational atmosphere, leaders and districts need to create positive work environments. Although this is challenging for every leader, it’s critical to navigate these uncharted waters with care. Positive leadership is not a topic...

PD That Helps Teachers Improve the Quality of Their Video Instruction

The education profession has been saturated with articles, podcasts, and news segments on the impacts of Covid-19 on teaching and learning, and the pandemic has shown us that we need to shift our educational system from a structure based on quantities of time to one that is ongoing outside the classroom, with student learning at...

Keeping Students Safe in the Digital World

Written with Christine Ravesi-Weinstein (@RavesiWeinstein) and originally published in Tech and Learning Leader Five key challenges that all districts are facing in keeping students safe, and how to work through these issues. As school leaders, many people come to us to help solve problems and work through issues both large and small. Some of the...

Strategies for being more present as an Educator

By: Dr. Matthew X. Joseph and Christine Ravesi-Weinstein ME.d I, Matthew X. Joseph, have worked in public education since graduating from Springfield College in 1993. For the past 15 years, I've been fortunate enough to be a school and building leader. One thing all schools have in common (besides the need to stay away from...

#TheWalkingEd : Educators Staying Healthy

At the beginning of March, Brett Salakus (@MRsalakas) and I decided to set a goal for each other: get healthier by going outside and walking. As educational leaders, we are often in classrooms and meetings late into the day; getting exercise is the last thing we have time for. Since we are both from different...

ASCD: Creating Collaborative Schools

Launching a Hybrid EdTech Event

In January 2020, Matt Holley (@LcisdMatt), the event chair for an EdTech conference held in Lubbock-Cooper ISD Texas (@lubbockcooper), was putting the finishing touches on Confluence. Confluence is an event that marries curriculum, instruction, and EdTech. Building off of the event’s previous two years of success and growth, Holley booked Carl Hooker, Brett Salakas, and...

Educators Supporting Educators: You Can’t Pour from an Empty Cup Self-Care Webinar

Co-Written with Christine Ravasi-Weinstein If you’re anything like us, you’re experiencing a lot of complex emotions right now.l Educators, along with everyone else in the world, are marveling at how different everything looks now compared to eight weeks ago. Big events have been canceled: March Madness, professional sports, award shows. Schools have postponed/cancelled: dances, celebrations,...

Strategies for Virtual Professional Development

Click here for a video PD to model one form of Virtual PD Districts need to create long-term virtual professional development plans to support educators and encourage the effective use of digital tools. With schools closed and remote learning becoming the norm, our teachers have gone from saying, “Please raise your hand” to “Click the...

3 Ways to Mentor from a Distance

COVID- 19 has put the world of education on hold for the foreseeable future. For students and educators to go from the everyday consistency and routine of school to a complete shutdown for multiple weeks, is an unknown path. The health and safety of our students, staff, and general public are paramount right now, however,...

Teacher Job Search and Interview Strategies

Smarter job search strategies are required to get a teaching job. Especially during a time where interviews will be all online. Standing out during this time is a challenge, but one you can overcome with support.  Finding a teaching job in today's market is not easy; many public schools have gotten quite competitive. This doesn't...

Helping students with special needs to cope while learning at home

Schools across the nation continue to stay closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Everyday districts are working to make plans for teachers and students to continue to work remotely, educators are finding resources to support elearning, and state/federal officials are providing guidelines on how to handle the needs of all students. However, in the...

Navigating Uncharted Waters in K-12 Education: How schools can balance academic integrity with student emotional wellness during extended school closures

By: Dr. Matthew X. Joseph and Christine Ravesi-Weinstein, M.Ed. On March 11, 202o, The World Health Organization declared COVID- 19 a pandemic. In just a matter of days, our worlds took an unexpected turn. Professional and collegiate athletics started being postponed for weeks, or even months. “Social distancing” became an unfamiliar, household phrase. And the...

Active Lesson Planning

The principal goal of education is to create individuals who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done. We keep reading we have to be more “innovative” and I fully agree. However, being innovative doesn’t happen by chance. Being innovative also doesn’t mean “winging it” and seeing how it...

Extracurricular activities support school culture

I am co-hosting the #CultureED Twitter chat on 2/4 with Rob (@CoachRobEDU), and our focus is extracurricular activities, so I am deep in thinking about questions and the positive traits of extracurricular activities. However, it is also "Budget season" in schools, and the worst phrase in public education makes its annual appearance "What can we...

FETC Reflection

As I got out of my Lyft at the Miami airport Friday, I realize I am saying goodbye to some great new connections I made. This year's FETC made a considerable impact on me. My next challenge is how to take all these connections and learning and enhance education in my district as well as...

FETC20: When Passion & Purpose Collide, Progress is Made

"Without leaps of imagination, we lose the excitement of possibilities." Gloria Steinem  You know how you get full of anticipation when you see a date on the calendar representing an event or receive an invite to a party, or your favorite holiday is coming? Well, when I saw the reminder about my flight to #FETC...

One Word 2020

I’ve worked in public education since graduating from Springfield College in 1993. For the past 14 years, I’ve been fortunate enough to be a school and building leader. One thing all schools have in common (besides the need to stay away from the break room around the holidays if you are on a diet) is...

Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference Resources

I was excited to offer two sessions this year at the Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference One session I was excited to talk EdTech coaching and then share resources to increase collaboration.  Below are the resources from the event Impactful EdTech Coaching Click here for the slide deck. Too often, schools launch new technology without a...

Supporting Productive Struggle in Learning

This week some of our school leaders and intervention professionals held a fall data meeting. One of the discussions, besides progress or increased needs, focused on the productive struggle of learners. Productive Struggle? The idea of that intrigued me, and I wanted to dive into that thought. The first thought I had is that we...