What constitutes an effective work space in schools?

What makes an effective work-space? An image of an open office from an article describing how open space offices are not effective work-spaces above an image of a pretty standard open classroom described as a "21st century learning space". So why is an open plan seen as awesome for education but crap for business? The […]

Posted by milesmac on March 14th, 2019 | No Comments Posted in big ideas

Our Low-Budget Cardboard and Glue Makerspace Experience

Earlier in the year, some students were struggling when putting together a Chinese Dragon for a social studies presentation. They wanted to find a way to attach a large fabric sheet to a cardboard box in a way that allowed for adjustability and easy removal, but secure enough to hold everything in place for the […]

Posted by milesmac on June 6th, 2017 | No Comments Posted in Pedagogy, Projects

What is an Edcamp? A Brief Introduction.

Posted by milesmac on January 16th, 2017 | No Comments Posted in Resources

Early Human project evolution: project based, self regulation, understanding by, as told in design Microsoft Sway

I used Microsoft Sway to share some thoughts and learnings from an inquiry based/hands-on/place/based/problem-based learning experience focusing on early humans and self-regulation using some elements of the Understanding by Design framework.

Posted by milesmac on October 30th, 2016 | No Comments Posted in #GDPI, Pedagogy, Projects

Reforming the Annual Reflection on Professional Learning

The Annual Reflection on Professional Learning (ARPL) is, I believe, a colossal waste of effort, but not for the reasons you may think... Knowledge Building Schools are filled with very creative and insightful professionals who, every year, craft statements or artifacts that reflect on, and make sense of key learning and experiences in their professional lives. […]

Posted by milesmac on June 29th, 2016 | No Comments Posted in big ideas

Article reflection, "The community of inquiry as a basis for knowledge and learning: The case of history" by Peter Seixas

Reflections on the article, "The community of inquiry as a basis for knowledge and learning: The case of history" by Peter Seixas. Seixas, P. (1993). The community of inquiry as a basis for knowledge and learning: The case of history. American Educational Research Journal Summer, 30(2), 305–324. The author describes how history is less about […]

Posted by milesmac on February 26th, 2016 | No Comments Posted in #GDPI, big ideas, Research

Four design considerations for connectivist learning spaces

Why Connectivism? Each year the number of students with access to mobile devices increases (Rideout, 2013). A 2011 UK study revealed one in five third grade students have their own mobile device, a ratio that narrowed to four in five for high school (Englander, 2011). Another study reported close to 40% of preschool children under […]

Posted by milesmac on February 17th, 2016 | No Comments Posted in big ideas, Research

Seeking help is a critical skill

“Toxic ideas such as  “asking for help will alter others’ perception of me” or “asking for help will make me feel less competent than my colleagues” prevent them from seeking help from informal (e.g., friends) or formal (e.g., colleagues, project manager, etc) sources.  Since competence and independence are among the most cherished values in today’s organizations […]

Posted by milesmac on January 23rd, 2016 | No Comments Posted in #GDPI, big ideas, Professional Inquiry

Self Regulating my own Study of Self-Regulation

Who has time not to self-regulate I have taken on a lot of obligations this term: three graduate courses for my Master's degree, organizing two Edcamps, teaching full-time, volunteering for our local community club fundraisers, and a research project. Add to that the expectations of contributing to the household, maintaining relationships and there is a […]

Posted by milesmac on January 21st, 2016 | No Comments Posted in #GDPI, Pedagogy, Professional Inquiry

Survey of Global Collaboration Tools presented using Microsoft Sway

Microsoft Sway I'm experimenting with Microsoft Sway, an application somewhat, a little, kinda, sorta like Powerpoint but much more interactive and more dynamic (in that it reformats content depending on the screen it is being displayed on). Users can search for, and embed content from a variety of other sources a little bit like Haiku […]

Posted by milesmac on October 3rd, 2015 | No Comments Posted in #GDPI, Professional Inquiry
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