The Web20Classroom

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

Feedback is one of the best ways to support student learning. According to John Hattie , Feedback has an effect size of.64 and is often considered as one of the top 5 influential factors on student learning, BUT… it is also the most variable. Most of the time the feedback students receive consists of answers to the questions: Where am I going? How am I going?

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The Web20Classroom

AUGUST 26, 2019

This summer my oldest daughter, Reaghan, discovered a love for coding. After spending a week at a coding camp she has gobbled up every book, YouTube video and resource you can imagine teaching herself not only the fundamentals of coding but experimenting with what she can do. Her ability to try something, have it fail and then figure it out again is inspiring.

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Robotics Classroom Professional Learning STEM 168

The Web20Classroom

AUGUST 5, 2019

Ever since I was a little kid I have enjoyed anything Disney. Even with my own daughters I have enjoyed seeing their faces light up when they walk down Main Street at the Magic Kingdom and they see Cinderella's Castle, even though they've seen it several times. We've visited all the parks and done a cruise. So when the team at Disney Youth Programs reached out to me to come down and check out all they have to offer I jumped at the opportunity.

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Learning Classroom Elementary Groups 102

The Web20Classroom

APRIL 19, 2019

Empathy: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner. ( Merriam-Webster Dictionary ) As a father and an educator, an important aspect of learning that is difficult to teach is empathy.

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Learning Classroom Libraries Education 113

The Web20Classroom

APRIL 8, 2019

I recently returned from a trip to Paris, France where I attended a gathering with over 250 educators from across the world. In their respective countries, these educators were the best of the best; innovative, creative and focused on creating student-centered learning for everyone. While I have traveled internationally before (Qatar and the UAE most recently) this was my first trip to France where I would be immersed in the French language.

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The Web20Classroom

MARCH 4, 2019

It can be a struggle to best help students understand what they are learning or for students to articulate their learning in meaningful ways. This was especially difficult for me starting out in on my teaching journey. Based on how I had been taught to be an educator the best ways to know if students are learning was to give them a test. If they failed, it was their fault and they needed to do better next time.

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Learning Classroom Social Media Education 279

The Web20Classroom

JANUARY 17, 2019

In all the work I have done with countless educators from across the world I believe we can break them down into two groups. Good Teachers and Great Teachers. What separates the two is effectiveness. Effective Educators are those that have a set of truths that they live by. It's what they wake up everyday thinking about and striving for. It doesn't mean they aren't human.

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The Web20Classroom

DECEMBER 11, 2018

As a former Director of Instructional Technology I was tasked with training all district and school leadership on the process of walkthroughs. We’d spend 2 days reviewing protocols, analyzing data and how to lead conversations. Afterwards they would go out and conduct their walks. When I would visit schools and talk to teachers about walkthroughs, their purpose or how they were using the data they were often confused with observations.

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The Web20Classroom

NOVEMBER 9, 2018

Engagement versus effectiveness. This is a conversation I have been having with educators and leaders all over the country for a while now. Just because we see students engaged in learning might not mean actual effective learning is taking place. When we throw technology into the mix it can appear that students are learning a great deal because they are creating a podcast or making a video or using some game to review for a quiz but are these instructional methods actually effective?

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The Web20Classroom

OCTOBER 8, 2018

In our next collaborative post, Shaelynn Farnsworth (@shfarnsworth) and I discuss how schools and districts can make the best technology purchasing decisions. Recently I was talking to a Tech Director colleague that was in the middle of a purchasing battle with a principal. The principal had been approached by a well-known technology vendor wanting to sell the school some hardware and software to help students in literacy and math.

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The Web20Classroom

OCTOBER 3, 2018

When I was teaching Middle School Science I always tried to encourage academic discussion among my students. As a group we would debate results from various experiments, attempt to understand current events in science and talk about how science was all around us. Like many other teachers on my team (or other teachers anywhere really) promoting true collaboration and sharing in the classroom is a wonderful goal to have but ultimately difficult to achieve.

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Learning Classroom Student Engagement Libraries 142

The Web20Classroom

AUGUST 23, 2018

When I was a Director of Instructional Technology it was always a fun day when we could deliver brand new devices to a school. The students and teachers were always excited and ready for the new possibilities ahead. Then after a few weeks frustration would set it. Students would loose work, teachers had to spend hours trying to figure out which document belonged to whom and we’d see lots of devices in the shop for repair.

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The Web20Classroom

JULY 26, 2018

For some time now Shaelynn Farnsworth and I have been reflecting on our own learning and professional development practices, looking for gaps in instruction and aiming to improve our craft. One of our longest conversations has been around research. In the work we do, we are constantly reading and attempting to understand the research behind the popular instructional movements of today.

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The Web20Classroom

MAY 2, 2018

When I walked into the Houston Convention Center a few weeks ago I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had never attended a FIRST LEGO League World Championship. Walking through the doors I was in awe. 15,000 kids from nations all over the world gathered to show off their robotic and LEGO creations and compete for the title of World Champion. I heard multiple languages, adults reminding kids about how they got there and some of the craziest chants you’ve ever heard.

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Robotics Classroom Learning STEM 185

The Web20Classroom

APRIL 11, 2018

Lately, the work I’ve been doing with teachers and leaders has centered around the engaging and effective use of technology. In addition to developing a guide for how teachers can plan better using technology and what leaders can look for when doing walkthroughs, I have had many conversations around the transformational use of technology. Specifically, what does that look like?

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The Web20Classroom

FEBRUARY 19, 2018

Do you struggle with effectively integrating technology into learning? Do you wonder how your pedagogy must change to respond to the technology choices you and your students make? Do you wonder what tools are out there other than what you’ve heard about on Twitter or read on blogs? Influential educators Shaelynn Farnsworth and Steven W. Anderson introduce a course where you can find the answers to these questions and more.

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The Web20Classroom

FEBRUARY 5, 2018

Co-Written with my friend and business partner Shaelynn Farnsworth In all the work that Shaelynn and I do with teachers across the US and beyond we see educators creating amazing learning environments for students. From the use of 1:1 technology to enabling students to learn authentically, these really are incredible times to teach and learn. However, among all the flash and pageantry there is struggle.

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EdTech Classroom Poll Everywhere Assessment 264

The Web20Classroom

DECEMBER 6, 2017

Unless you just haven’t noticed, trees, lights and ornaments are going up on businesses and homes all over the place. Commercials on television highlight sweaters, coffee and fireplaces. It’s hard to ignore we are in the holiday season. And, if you are like me you mind turns to the long list of things you have to get for everyone in your life. Gifts for kids, family, friends, the mailman, bus driver, front office staff.

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Learning Classroom Education Professional Learning 118

The Web20Classroom

NOVEMBER 15, 2017

Recently most of the world has become familiar with the term “fake news.” These alternative facts are pervasive and infect all facets of our lives. From our twitter streams to talking heads on television it seems like we can not escape facts being outright fake, or the perception that they are. What’s worse is most students can’t determine whether what they see or read is real or fake.

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Social Media Classroom Education Video 167

The Web20Classroom

NOVEMBER 5, 2017

My daughters, Reaghan (8) and Chesney (4) are like your average kids. They love to play and pretend and have all sorts of fun, especially when it comes to technology. And just like your average kids they are hard on the technology they use. Reaghan has had an iPad since she was 2 years old, using it to learn letters and shapes (although these days its for YouTube, coding and Osmo ).

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Technology iPad Tablets Android 50

The Web20Classroom

OCTOBER 28, 2017

Written with Shaelynn Farnsworth , post is sponsored by ThinkCERCA , an online platform designed to empower teachers to personalize literacy instruction across disciplines. There has been no greater impact on differentiation and student achievement in recent years than the effective integration of technology in the classroom. Traditionally, literacy educators spent long hours gathering resources, developing tasks and extensions, and reading and analyzing assessment to determine if the instructio

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The Web20Classroom

SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

As a teacher, I always looked forward to the first day of school. Getting my room put together, planning new lessons and meeting new faces was something I couldn't wait to do. As a parent, I dread the first day of school. And this year was no different. When my newly minted third grader, Reaghan, came home of course I wanted to hear all about how it went, the new friends she made and what her teachers were like.

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The Web20Classroom

AUGUST 27, 2017

Reaghan is my oldest daughter and about to start third grade. At 2 years of age I noticed she wasn’t talking much and when she did talk you couldn’t really understand what she was trying to say. After talking to her pediatrician it was decided to have her evaluated for her speech. She spent countless hours working with a speech-language pathologist for nearly 5 and half years.

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The Web20Classroom

JULY 31, 2017

For the next several weeks I’ll be sharing posts that you can use for your summer learning. School may be out for many but the learning we do as educators can last even outside the classroom. These posts will take us through Twitter chats and how you can participate in real time or whenever you want. Next we will examine some ideas on how to get the most out of any conference you attend this summer or beyond.

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Learning Social Media Classroom Twitter 128

The Web20Classroom

JULY 21, 2017

For the next several weeks I’ll be sharing posts that you can use for your summer learning. School may be out for many but the learning we do as educators can last even outside the classroom. These posts will take us through Twitter chats and how you can participate in real time or whenever you want. Next we will examine some ideas on how to get the most out of any conference you attend this summer or beyond.

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The Web20Classroom

JUNE 13, 2017

For the next several weeks I’ll be sharing posts that you can use for your summer learning. School may be out for many but the learning we do as educators can last even outside the classroom. These posts will take us through several different ways of extending your learning. We started with Twitter chats and how you can participate in real time or whenever you want.

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The Web20Classroom

MAY 17, 2017

These are truly incredible times to not only be a learner but an educator as well. The access to information we have is unlike anything we’ve had before. And the tools we have to create a learning environment where all students can succeed are ever increasing. While these are incredible times, it can be quite daunting as an educator to look across this ever-changing technology landscape and feel unprepared.

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Education Classroom Assessment Google 274

The Web20Classroom

APRIL 27, 2017

I’ve had this blog since 2009. For nearly 9 years I’ve written about technology, improving school leadership and have shared my personal insights on being a connected educator. For me, blogging has become a part of my learning process and a platform through which I share information. Whenever I keynote, lead a workshop, or write an article about blogging I always get the same handful of questions about getting started.

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The Web20Classroom

APRIL 2, 2017

“Alone we are smart, but together we are brilliant. We can use the collective wisdom to do great things when we are connected.” I said that way back on September 17, 2013 and yet I think it is even more true today than even back then. When I was in the classroom, I felt isolated as a teacher. Teaching middle school math and science my first few years out of college I had ideas as to what I wanted to do but I really needed help.

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Personal Learning Network Personalized Learning Learning Classroom 128

The Web20Classroom

MARCH 19, 2017

When I was 6 or 7 years old I was at home on a boring rainy weekend. Being an inquisitive kid and generally looking for mischief I found some tools in a closet and decided something in my house needed taking a apart. I'd always wondered how a toaster actually made toast so it became the subject of my experiment. I spent a while taking it a part looking at all the pieces and, of course not knowing how any of it worked.

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The Web20Classroom

MARCH 11, 2017

When I was a middle school science teacher I regularly assigned projects. At the time I thought that the projects would be a great way for me to understand what my students understood about particular concepts and topics. I had them make visual representations of atoms of the periodic table, reports outlining the effects of global warming on our community, and several others.

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The Web20Classroom

FEBRUARY 13, 2017

Along with my good friend and literacy expert Shaelynn Farnsworth , we examine what authentic learning means and what these classrooms truly look like. Reimagining education is frequently sparked by advancement in technology. From the introduction of the No. 2 pencil to the streaming of video in to support learning and teaching, technology is typically the driver to change.

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The Web20Classroom

JANUARY 29, 2017

I spent the last week in warm and sunny Orlando attending the 2017 FETC Conference. This is one my favorite conferences of the year because of the quality of the sessions, the people and, of course, the learning. While there I had the honor and pleasure of delivering several features sessions and workshops. All the resources can be found by clicking the link below.

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Resources Professional Learning Social Media Classroom 100

The Web20Classroom

JANUARY 22, 2017

This week brings us another awesome gathering of educators from all over the U.S. and beyond. Descending on the Orange County Convention Center in sunny Orlando, Florida the FETC Conference kicks off with tons of opportunities for all of us to learn, share and grow. I am honored to be a Featured Presenter again this year and will be there all week sharing and presenting along with countless other wonderful educators.

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The Web20Classroom

JANUARY 9, 2017

Perhaps you are like me and have to sit through presentations often. Sometimes they are great. You can tell the presenter put a lot of thought into what they want to talk about and it feels like they really know their stuff. The slides they use are engaging and help reinforce the story that’s being told. But then there are those times that are the complete opposite.

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Resources Classroom Google Tools 100

The Web20Classroom

DECEMBER 1, 2016

When I was a senior in high school my school got their first computer lab. There had been computers here and there throughout the school but this was the first dedicated space for computing. For many teachers (and students too) the room was off limits. Either self-imposed isolation because they were scared they would break something or for most students they were not allowed to touch them because, you guessed it, they might break something.

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The Web20Classroom

OCTOBER 17, 2016

The work I do allows me to travel all across the US and the globe talking to various groups of people about all aspects of education. One of my favorite things to talk about is leadership. For example, I will work with groups of Principals or Superintendents to talk about what technology leadership looks like or how they can grow their leadership through the use of technology tools.

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