Thoughts and reflections on teaching and learning – Cohort 21 Member Blog
Written by Garth Nichols
The more I read and research, the more fundamental I see digital citizenship being to what we do as educators. However, I also get more and more curious about where this type of learning fits in with the Ontario curriculum. In my research, I came across a document by the Ministry of Education entitled A Shifting […]
Written by Garth Nichols
There is a sea-change happening in the realm of educational leadership. I feel that Cohort 21 is a big part of that change. Sarah McKibbon’s article in ASCD’s publications is entitled “Following Lincoln’s Lead“, and it resonates with many of the actions that I, and others, are taking in their schools towards a more open […]
Written by Garth Nichols
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLTZv2NFkLI[/youtube] “This is me in Grade 9 Baby, yeah, this is me in Grade 9” – great lyrics from a great band. But they make me think about what we do, as grown-ups, to help us find out who we are. This song is about a picture, but it leads to memories. Memories of […]
Written by Garth Nichols
It is the time of year to begin doing some deeper reflections on where I’ve gone in my journey this year. You may recall that I set out to explore the concepts of educational leadership in the 21st century, as well as trying to create a culture of blogging at the school. In many ways, […]
Written by Garth Nichols
I wanted to write this post as an inspiration to all my fellow Cohort 21 members as we head into March and towards the end of our energy and capacity for the year! I just read this great article on leadership by Workplace Mojo entitled “13 Thoughts for Discouraged Leaders“. Despite its title, it actually […]
Written by Garth Nichols
I have continued to make good successes in engaging students on their blogs. Currently, I have 98% of grade 7, 8 and 9 students on blogs, and 100% of advisers are blogging. But more importantly, we are discussing the struggles with the students that are reticent to blog, and with the whys and hows of […]
Written by Garth Nichols
Sir Ken Robinson‘s interview at The Blue School is one to watch. I have found that it speaks strongly to the role that the Adviser plays in personalized learning at Greenwood. In it, Sir Ken Robinson speaks of knowing the students, when to push and challenge, and when to calm and support. He likens master teachers […]
Written by Garth Nichols
As February is now upon us, it is a time that I use to step back and take a more meta-view of my programs and goals. This is a pivotal time to stay focused on your goals, because it is one of the most difficult times. It is busy, and frantic (report cards, assessments, OSSLT, […]
Written by Garth Nichols
Returning to work after the winter holidays is an unusual thing to do at my school. On Monday, Jan. 7th, the whole school is empty – not a soul around. In fact, every teacher and student is off on some sort of winter camping excursion or community service adventure (some even go to Costa Rica!). […]
Written by Garth Nichols
Over the winter holidays, I wanted to focus a little more on the question of “why blogging?” I want to ensure that as my school adopts blogging and the Eportfolio, we are doing so deliberatly and in a way that is well-informed. Also, I want to make sure that it will have its focus on […]