tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86840497065160895832011-11-02T20:42:30.188-07:00"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." ~Ralph Waldo EmersonBarbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.comBlogger251100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-70559307887184365722011-11-02T20:27:00.000-07:002011-11-02T20:36:44.963-07:00

I have been working with faculty to promote global partnerships with schools and students in other parts of our world. Our school has offered a Mandarin Chinese Level I course this year to students, encouraging them to learn more about the Asian culture. While promoting this program I applied for the K-12 Chinese Bridge Delegation a program offered by the Hanban/Confucius Institute and The

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-82241084099281747792011-09-03T17:27:00.000-07:002011-09-03T17:52:00.126-07:00

An article in Education Leadership (March 2011) written by Robert J. Marzano speaks to the relation ship element that is vital to a student's success in the classroom. He states several teacher actions that "develop the perception in students that they have a good relationship with the teacher" (p.82). Showing interest in Students' LivesAdvocating for StudentsNever Giving up on StudentsActing

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-10060290192987031882011-07-24T15:31:00.000-07:002011-07-24T20:05:03.628-07:00

Making good choices depends heavily on asking good questions. John's book, QBQ! The Question behind the Question, invites us to follow three simple rules (p. 18).1. Begin our questions with "What" or "How".2. Contain an "I" in place of they, them, we, or you.3. Focus on action.Do you have some "Why" askers? If so think about the tone of those "why" questions. John states that these often

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-89612310911041070792011-05-21T20:38:00.001-07:002011-05-21T22:00:53.408-07:00

Has your institution gone after increased graduation rates? Graduating from high school doesn't always mean a student is ready for college level coursework. A student's level of math taken in high school is often predictive of one's college success (p.38). The book highlights reading of informational texts as an area that needs addressed at the secondary level. The author points out the

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-22230887796895731532010-12-29T19:40:00.000-08:002010-12-29T17:18:06.898-08:00

Have you ever changed an old habit or way of doing something? If so, then you may have experienced a conversion or gestalt shift in your beliefs system. Beliefs are founded on core values created early in life and are often developed from personal experiences (Nespor, 1987). Some researchers claim most students have a strong belief system before they enter college. This perspective has its

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-7667996096121081912010-10-05T17:29:00.000-07:002010-10-05T18:05:53.189-07:00

I have been reading several research studies and a few books to write a paper for my final Education Specialist course. Several studies provided data supporting a correlation between the beliefs of teachers and the use of computers in constructivist ways. Other research studies found little to no change in teaching practices with technology resources. America's schools have been touting

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-11903335265282024052010-08-24T20:19:00.000-07:002010-08-24T20:37:04.965-07:00

When a colleague of mine began to work with the community on an effort to get the vote out I was excited to offer my support. As her school families embarked upon this endeavor no one knew it would climb to such heights. The area news stations picked up on the spirit driving the campaign and began to provide additional support for this local school. All one has to do is raise enough votes to earn

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-82688323920519678402010-07-30T17:25:00.000-07:002010-07-31T08:35:04.011-07:00

This post is in response to a Google Buzz I received from a colleague who follows Dangerously Irrelevant's blog. The topic hit home! I am fortunate to be involved in the process of implementing a 1:1 netbook program this fall. The leadership of this institution courageously began with a school/parent/faculty survey to determine the needs of its learners. The results pointed directly to students

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-48237523246859644512010-06-01T21:51:00.000-07:002010-06-01T22:23:58.112-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of plunging through hundreds of student surveys full of comments, hand crafted hearts, and multiple choice responses. It's that time of year when we ask our students about their learning experience in our classrooms. Well, did you read anything interesting this year? I learned a great deal, not only about our students perceptions of their experience but also about

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-46181423137221109442010-04-25T14:59:00.000-07:002010-04-25T15:54:12.204-07:00

I finished reading iBrain during a recent trip with friends. Keep in mind that we enjoyed each other's company and conversation yet respected the individual's need for reflection. During those quiet moments of reading and dreaming I came to value our face to face conversations. It was the perfect time to be reading chapter 7 "Reconnecting Face To Face" because the authors were addressing how

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-42204623669951344882010-03-15T10:33:00.000-07:002010-03-15T11:11:45.111-07:00

I have been reading about how our brains are being transformed by the technological advances we are exposed to in the modern world. Gary SMall, M.D. and Gigi Vorgan have published the book iBrain to provide us with strategies and tips for bridging the brain gap. They define Digital Natives as being able to multi-task, parallel process, and programmed to crave instant gratification. Their brain

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-4267595894399165542010-02-14T14:50:00.000-08:002010-02-14T15:15:21.510-08:00

I recently attended the Midwest Education Technology Conference with a group of teachers. We elected to divide and conquer as many of the workshops deemed desirable. The conference offered a wide array of topics at various levels. One that moved me beyond my current technological state of being was the session on Second Life. First I should state the presenter did not show; however, there was a

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-77787681902446163252009-11-08T18:24:00.000-08:002009-11-08T18:45:50.384-08:00

I recently finished reading "A Complete Guide to Establishing a One-To-One Laptop Program" by W. Joy Lopez, Ed.D. The small book is an easy read for anyone and is packed with some technical details and professional suggestions. It provides great insight on developing a rationale for the implementation of one to one computers within a learning environment. Even an IT professional would benefit

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-18652113573038665372009-09-19T15:57:00.000-07:002009-09-19T17:06:30.498-07:00

I have been reading several books lately and enjoying the conversations I am having with colleagues, as well as with my inner self. As I began to read Wagner's book, The Global Achievement Gap, I picked up Marzano's book The Art & Science of Teaching. I found the two connect quite well from the visionary leadership level down to the practitioner's application. In review of the seven survival

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-5166322364666745132009-08-31T20:35:00.001-07:002009-08-31T21:08:17.232-07:00

During our busy lives of work and play do we ever really contemplate the moments of a single person's life? It's hard to say because we usually are bustling about attempting to squeeze in every last item on our To Do List. I invite you to stop just for a minute and think about the "people" who you come in contact with each day. Ask yourself how often do you pull up a chair and listen. Reading "

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-10196312808029797162009-08-03T20:03:00.000-07:002009-08-03T21:52:48.235-07:00

How many times have we all heard about great organizations and yet never truly understood what made them rise above all others? As I read Jim Colllins book Good to Great I learned that sustainable success comes to those who apply the Hedgehog Concept. Never before had I heard this term used in describing organizational leadership; yet it makes sense to know your passion, describe what drives you,

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-60779737389632041952009-07-21T21:43:00.000-07:002009-07-21T21:55:37.648-07:00

I am learning to utilize a webcam and Windows Movie Maker software to create a 2-3 minute webcast for my first parent newsletter releasing in August. My trials began when the sound did not record, a computer reboot fixed that problem. I then realized the webcam software only records for one minute, not quite the length of time I had proposed for the webcast. After recording a few one minute

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-42875701419896791432009-07-12T15:29:00.000-07:002009-07-12T17:07:39.750-07:00

I have been rapidly learning this past year to utilize a variety of web 2.0 tools for the benefit of my students, school community, and family. Educators have to be willing to grow, take risks and think outside the box if they are going to embrace the tools of the future. I believe Alan November said it well in Empowering Students with Technology when he wrote, "the real revolution is a

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-37746820928049028462009-05-03T18:57:00.000-07:002009-05-03T19:07:28.633-07:00

Our work is complete as a team and we have forged new friendships in the process. The finished paper was a collaborative piece of work that enhanced everyone's use of Google Docs. We also plan to stay in touch and continue our relationships as colleagues. We learned more than the content of this course, but that there is much to learn from another person if only we will listen and invite them to

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-88750207757820836682009-04-24T11:13:00.000-07:002009-04-24T11:29:31.468-07:00

The team of educators I work with continue to share their knowledge and skills as we work towards the completion of our curriculum audit project. This project was begun several weeks ago encompassing interviews, research and professional conversations about how to develop a district wide curriculum audit that creates a sustainable curriculum review process; therefore, impacting student

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-46942234062043051752009-04-20T08:01:00.000-07:002009-04-20T08:22:15.814-07:00

As I worked with my colleagues on the curriculum development paper, the word collaboration came to mind. We each contributed to the paper bringing forth ideas, suggestions, research and a vision of our end product. Interviews were conducted to find answers to the guiding questions our instructor provided. We analyzed the interview responses, studied the district's achievement data and utilized

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-20102969076241437082009-04-09T18:16:00.000-07:002009-04-09T18:29:43.477-07:00

Mapping curriculum, as suggested by Heidi Hayes Jacobs, aligns well with the concept Wiggins and McTighe define in their Understand by Design book. Both researchers utilize essential questions to guide the process in determining the curriculum , and share the belief that inquiry is the best practice for increasing depth of knowledge. I am sold on the idea of developing the curriculum at the

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-69517201363616154082009-04-04T12:13:00.000-07:002009-04-04T12:52:41.376-07:00

How often have we started a lesson plan with the organization of activities as opposed to the assessment tool that will be used to measure student learning? Educators will need a paradigm shift to begin the planning process as an assessor, in stead of an activity planner. We all have those creative lessons we hold dear in our hearts; however, it is time to let them go and begin to design

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-19072944244092148942009-03-26T17:02:00.001-07:002009-03-26T20:05:30.032-07:00

During class tonight we discussed the difference between assessments OF and assessments FOR learning. Are educators trained to build quality assessments that truly address student learning and outcomes? Have our universities taught new teachers how to create assessments that truly address the FOR learning movement? Come to think of it, has the post secondary environment educated administrators

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8684049706516089583.post-14262352742489997492009-03-25T21:40:00.000-07:002009-03-25T21:58:30.885-07:00

I have been reading Understanding by Design published by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. It affirms what I do as a teacher and administrator at my local school. We are currently using achievement data and curriculum standards to develop classroom assessments prior to planning lessons. Beginning with the end in mind is what it is all about! Effective teaching is starting with the outcomes one

Barbara McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866337854806594406noreply@blogger.com0