10 Valuable Blog Posts from 2014

As 2014 comes to a close, I went back and looked at some of my favorite posts that I have read during the year.  I wanted to share them with others in case they had missed the posts during the year.  I used the term "valuable" instead of "best" in the title for the blog posts because I was able to grow from each of these posts.  Feel free to share your favorite posts from this past year.

Katrina Schwartz – How to Turn Your School into a Maker Haven

Katrina discusses the “Maker Movement” with Gary Stager, co-author with Sylvia Libow Martinez of  “Invent to Learn,” a book about the Maker Movement after their presentation at the 2014 ISTE Conference in Atlanta.  The post contains great information on how to create “maker” philosophy in your school.  

Dan Rockwell – Seven Ways to Stop Vultures and Protect Vitality

Dan has many great posts but this one stuck out for me.  Its important to discuss what is working in your organization and not always drawing attention on what isn’t working.  As Dan states, “The more you focus on problems, the more problems you see.”  So true.

Angela Maiers – Getting to the Heart of Collaboration

Angela explains that collaboration consists of three parts: team, processes, and purpose.   I completely agree with her when she points out that if collaboration is going to take place in education, it must be embedded in the culture of the school.  

Michelle Dupuis - Differentiation Through Multiple Intelligences

I believe differentiation is one of the most vital pieces of classroom instruction.  Today, we have many different types of learners in our buildings.  As educators, we need to be able to reach each type of learner so they can grow as students.   Michelle does a good job of explaining what multiple intelligences consist of and how we can reach all of our students. 

Joe Mazza – You’re Not as Bad as You Think

Joe uses a backyard game that he is fond of to explain as educators we need model resiliency for our students.  Great post that teaches us things are not as always bad as we think they may be.  

Tom Vander Ark – Leading the Shift to Digital: School, System, and City

Tom shares the keys to successful Next Generation leadership and the best way to move a system and city through education.

Jimmy Casas – New Family Tours: Do They Get What They Expect?

Jimmy shares great tips for any educator on welcoming new students into their new home.  A refreshing post on remembering how important a person’s first encounter is with your school.  Make it a special one for them.

Tom Whitby – The “C Words” of Education

Tom points out that as educators, we need to focus on communication, collaboration and creation.  A great post urging educators to stop focusing on content delivery and start getting students to utilize critical thinking skills. 

George Couros – In a world that is extremely digital, we need humanity more than ever

I believe that building and maintaining relationships is the key to education.  As educators, we need to build relationships with students, parents, and community members.  George does a great job explaining that while technology is amazing, we also need to remember that we are in a “people business” where technology can’t take the place of relationships.

Eric Sheninger – Professional Learning School Leaders Need and Deserve

As Eric states in his post, “Finding learning experiences that have professional value to us” is the basis of professional development for any educator.  In this post, Eric discusses the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE) Principal Academy and how the academy will change PD for administrators.