I distinctly remember the moment in 2013 when my first book proposal was accepted by Routledge (Eye on Education). It is worth noting that I sent proposals out to over…
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When my students were doing the 20% Project (Genius Hour) in my class we had an “Epic Fail Board” (inspired by a number of people) where they would pin up…
I’m releasing a new book into the world very soon. It is different from any other book I’ve ever written. It is different in format (it is a daily read…
Each year after holiday break I told my students their writing would change forever. It was simple statement, but most of them did not take it seriously. What ensued was…
I had dreams. I had goals. I think we all do. But the same thing kept happening to me. Big idea, after big idea…new goal, after new goal. I didn’t…
“Science, by its own definition, doesn’t give us meaning. It just provides us with facts . . . Our lives gain meaning only when we tell our story.”—David Steindl-Rast A…
Having a blog can be like standing in a packed street corner with a megaphone. You can be as loud as you want to be…but usually everyone is too busy…
On January 1st I posted a call to action on my blog about (you guessed it) blogging. It was as much a call-to-action for me as it was for anyone…
After writing my post on “100 books every teacher should read” I received a number of emails about finding the time to read all of those books (without going broke…
Two weeks ago I launched the “30 days of blogging” challenge on this blog (you can read about it here). Almost 200 education bloggers signed up to share their blog,…
The crowd roared. Everyone stood up and clapped with deep enthusiasm. I saw a couple in front of us crying. I looked at my wife and smiled wide. “Amazing,” she…
Blogging can be a lot of things. It can be reflecting, it can be sharing, it can be planning, it can be a how-to, it can be a call to…
Each year after holiday break I told my students their writing would change forever. It was a simple statement, but most of them did not take it seriously. What ensued was…
Ahh, the day after Thanksgiving, and I’m seriously regretting that last piece of pie last night. But, I’ve got something today that’s been on my mind for a while. I…
I recently wrote a post (ok, it was kind of a rant) about “innovation” in education and who get’s to decide what is innovative. The bottom line of my argument…
I had dreams. I had goals. I think we all do. But the same thing kept happening to me. Big idea after big idea…new goal after new goal. I didn’t…
After writing my post on “100 books every teacher should read” I received a number of emails about finding the time to read all of those books (without going broke…
I leaned over the shoulder of a student in the library. She was quietly working with headphones in, and completely focused. What caught my attention is that she would continually…
Note: I’m halfway through a series of blog posts answering the question, “Does education really need to change?” This is like a half-time post. It is hopefully an unexpected surprise!…
Michael Port shares a story (in his book) about a donkey, an old man, and a boy: An old man, a boy and a donkey were going to town. The…
When we look at what research says about becoming better at something, two pieces of evidence stand out. First, we must have clarity on what our goals are, and where…
My daughter lowered her eyes, looked at me, and said, “I can’t do it.” I looked back and asked her again to put one foot on the board, push off with…
Professional development is needed now more than any other time. With the change of pace in learning, and the changing lives of our learners, we must teach different to meet…
Learning By Choice: 10 Ways Choice and Differentiation Create an Engaged Learning Experience for Every Student (my new book) is now available as a Paperback! You can get it here on Amazon…
First, I just want to say thank you to all of my blog readers for helping make my new book, Learning By Choice, hit #1 in Amazon in Education over the weekend….
This post is inspired by my new book, Learning by Choice: 10 Ways Choice and Differentiation Create An Engaged Learning Experience for Every Student. You can get the book on Amazon now! Are…
“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” ― Steve Jobs There are moments of…
In 1915 Albert Einstein sent a letter to his son, Albert. Einstein was living with his second wife, and had not seen either of his two sons for quite some time….
After writing my post on “100 books every teacher should read” I received a number of emails about finding the time to read all of those books (without going broke…
I am by habit a bibliophile. I read at least 25 pages of a book per day which usually turns in to 40-60 books per year. I’ve written a few…
And just like that…it was over. I’d pitched the 20% time project to my students with only a few days of planning, but it turned out to be the project…
When I was 5 years old I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I still didn’t know at age 17. And guess what? I’m still…
In 11th grade I decided to try out for the school musical. I’d never been involved in a school drama or musical, and spent most of my time playing varsity…
It’s no secret we live in a consumption driven culture. Millennials spend 18 hours a day consuming media (much of this is done while multi-tasking so the number of actual…
The new year always brings new hope. Whereas in the past I’ve been hopeful for change and progress throughout education…this year I’m feeling different. This year I’m pumped about where…
I had a teacher who once told me I would most likely be a college dropout. Her words mattered. When I told my wife I wanted to write a book…
The book study for Inquiry and Innovation in the Classroom starts August 1st. Here’s the details… When I wrote my book, I knew two things: 1) I wanted to help…
This is the type of story that we need to do a better job of sharing in education. I’ve been working with Tim for the past seven years…and until recently…
This week, my book — Inquiry and Innovation in the Classroom: Using 20% Time, Genius Hour, and PBL to Drive Student Success — will finally be available. I’m excited, a bit nervous for people…
You may have missed it along the way, but your class has a story. You might have been caught up in the everyday grind, or overwhelmed, or possibly just enjoying…
Having a blog can be like standing in a packed street corner with a megaphone. You can be as loud as you want to be…but usually everyone is too busy…
I had dreams. I had goals. I think we all do. But the same thing kept happening to me. Big idea, after big idea…new goal, after new goal. I didn’t…
Each year after holiday break I told my students their writing would change forever. It was simple statement, but most of them did not take it seriously. What ensued was…
A few years ago I was lucky enough to teach the book, Things Fall Apart, to my 10th grade English class. It’s a great book…but that’s not why I was…
This past Tuesday we launched the first issue of “The Best and Next in Education” – our digital magazine for teachers, leaders, and learners. A total of 294 School Districts…
I’m really excited to share some awesome news! I’ve been working on my first published (by Routledge) book for the past year. It’s been a learning process throughout, but now…
J.C. Spencer just released a new book, Wendell the World’s Worst Wizard: Wendell Drackenberger has a suspicion that he is different, but nobody in his life wants to admit it….
