7 Steps for Writing List-Based Blog Entries

After extensive experience and exposure to list-based blog entries, I have compiled the SEVEN comprehensive and authortative steps required to create a list-based blog entry. Identify a trending issue Collect or create statements related to the issue; increase authority by citing data and sources Compile the statements into a numbered list Count the number of [...]

Posted by milesmac on December 22nd, 2011 | No Comments Posted in Pedagogy

This IS the "Real World"

"I love it when my alarm goes off and I can hear the music while I'm still asleep. It's cool when the real world is in my dreams." So said my 8 year old son this morning. It reminded me of a saying I once heard (and can no longer remember the source) about everything [...]

Posted by milesmac on December 22nd, 2011 | 2 Comments Posted in Pedagogy

Minecraft 04: Start-Up Crashes Fixed

Hooray! After a week of fiddling with these laptops and a three days of Minecraft installations and troubleshooting, we overcame a big hurdle. We were experiencing errors at startup: Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library Runtime Error! Program: C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\javaw.exe abnormal program termination Turns out the solution was simply to change the screen resolution. Our older [...]

Posted by milesmac on December 21st, 2011 | 5 Comments Posted in Pedagogy

Professional Learning Reflections

In my district Annual Reflections of Professional Learning are, for many, a chore and can at times feel artificial. Of course the act of engaging in professional learning is not just legislated by our provincial government, but, more importantly, is professionally satisfying, keeps our practice fresh and students engaged. Because so much of our professional learning occurs [...]

Posted by milesmac on December 21st, 2011 | 2 Comments Posted in Pedagogy

Cut & Paste Old School

Scissors, Glue and Paper. How many hours of fun can you have cutting and pasting things? I know my son has gone through dozens of rolls of tape in the last few years. I have vivid memories of the old Five periods per cycle I am responsible for an Art class. For the last two [...]

Posted by milesmac on December 21st, 2011 | No Comments Posted in Projects

Minecraft 03: Another Step Forward

We have our laptops ready to run Minecraft offline now - had to do some java updates on a few, but 16 of the 20 laptops are now able to run in single player mode. We put the Minecraft app on a few memory sticks and added the app to each computer's desktop. Once the [...]

Posted by milesmac on December 20th, 2011 | No Comments Posted in Gamification

Professional Learning Networks (PLNs)

I love this idea. Love love love it. First, I really love what I do for a living; I love watching students making sense of the world, I love working with colleagues on  projects, and I love professional dialogue. That's a whole lotta love! For the uninitiated, a Professional Learning Network, or PLN, is your [...]

Posted by milesmac on December 16th, 2011 | No Comments Posted in Pedagogy

Minecraft: 01 Initial Thoughts

I feel a little like I'm looking and leaping at the same time. Minecraft has been popping up in my reading, my young nephew  is an active player, YouTube videos of Minecraft scenes appear in my searches, and I've seen the reddit images of blocky halloween costumes.. Two days ago I purchased a copy and my eight-year-old [...]

Posted by milesmac on December 14th, 2011 | 3 Comments Posted in Gamification

Minecraft: 02 Organized Chaos

What a wild day. First I want to share how awesome this chaotic day was - student engagement from beginning to end by every single student. Every one of them! It started like this: We need to make this space work for our classroom network. We need to get the classroom network working. We need [...]

Posted by milesmac on December 14th, 2011 | 3 Comments Posted in Gamification

Walking the Line in the Middle Years

Young adults? Older children? Something in between? Tween is a neat description for these amazing people in education's middle years. Walking the line between adulthood and childhood, they venture forward into mature responsibilities and retreat back to a child's freedoms. Or is it really a back-and-forth suggesting a nether place between two states of being? [...]

Posted by milesmac on December 14th, 2011 | No Comments Posted in Pedagogy
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