I had a great time last week with my friends at Education Minnesota, where I presented a workshop on constructing better PowerPoints. You know the typical PowerPoint drill: The presenter shows up, lights up the screen with the PowerPoint, and begins—many times reading the slides with his/her back to us. Bullet point after bullet point. [...]
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I was recently invited to breakfast with a group of thoughtful, talented, and committed educators for a conversation with a retired businessman who now sits on the board of a foundation. After talking about education in general (NCLB, high school reform, unions, etc.), the conversation shifted to the question he really wanted to ask: Can [...]
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Perhaps I’ve gotten way ahead of myself, a condition I should be used to by this time. I started writing a blog without explaining why. Is it meant to be simply an online journal? A place to sound off? I don’t think so. It’s much more about the thoughtful conversations that are generated.
I’m here at [...]
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I finished Parker Palmer’s Courage to Teach program about two weeks ago, so I’ve had time to think about its importance. The program served as a reminder—a reminder that all of us get from time to time—to slow down and reflect on our emotional, intellectual, and spiritual pathways. The focus of the program is personal and [...]
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Staying positive these days is proving to be a challenge. I’m bothered by the maiming and killing, the lack of reasoned civil discourse, and our national priorities—especially as they relate to education.
Just the other day I went into a restaurant to pick up tuna on sourdough for my wife and me. As I waited I [...]
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