October 2012 Issue
Envisioning Mass Customized Learning
Look around you outside of school and you will see a world that is already mass customized. When Amazon recommends products to you or Google provides you with search results, those are examples of mass customization. What if we could take these idea and apply them to our schools? That is the vision of Chuck Schwahn, who joins us to talk about why schools must eventually adopt a Mass Customized Learning model. Continue
School Leaders and Social Media
A large number of school leaders remain reluctant to use social media either as a communication tool or in the classroom, but as Howard Johnston, co-author of the book, The School Leaders Guide to Social Media, explains, all school leaders need to embrace the use of social media and tap into its true potential in education. Continue
Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight: Building Resiliency in Students
With Debbie Silver
If we want children to grow up to be self-reliant and resilient adults, coddling them and telling them they are the best when they clearly are not is the wrong approach, according to award-winning teacher and author, Debbie Silver. She explains in this segment why much of what we do today to encourage kids is counterproductive and what we should be doing instead. Continue
No Place for Bullying: Leadership for Schools That Care
With James Dillon
Why does bullying in schools remain an elusive problem that resists most attempts to solve it? James Dillon, author of the book, No Place for Bullying: Leadership for Schools That Care for Every Student, explains that anti-bullying efforts often fail because they do not have full support from all stakeholders. Continue
Teachers as Instructional Designers
With Elizabeth Hubbell
Elizabeth Hubbell, Senior Consultant at McREL, discusses the strategies that help students develop understanding of new skills and concepts as she discusses the second part of The Framework for Instructional Planning from the book Classroom Instruction That Works. Continue
Three Keys To Teacher Evaluation
Dr. Phil Warrick, vice president with the Marzano Research Laboratory, discusses three key aspects of teacher evaluation that all school leaders need to be thinking about regardless of which evaluation system they use. Continue
Why Teacher Effectiveness Matters
Dr. James Stronge discusses the positive impact of highly effective teachers on students, and conversely, the damage that ineffective teachers can cause. He also explains the influence that effective principals play when it comes to learning. Continue
The School Leader’s Guide to Improving Classroom Instruction
With Thomas McCann
Thomas McCann, co-author of the book, ,Teaching Matters Most: A School Leader’s Guide to Improving Classroom Instruction, challenges school leaders in this segment to rethink their approach to instructional leadership, so that teachers can move towards a more engaging and rigorous style of instruction. Continue