Go bravely forward.
Written by Robin Michel
Trusting the Process: A Cohort 21 Reflection on Design Thinking, Feedback Culture, and the Power of Patience. The Question That Started It All When I joined Cohort 21, I came with a question that had been quietly nagging at me: “How might we help high school students see themselves as lifelong creators and contributors, … Continue reading “Helping Students See Themselves as Lifelong Creators”
Written by Robin Michel
HMW Question: How might we use open education to help students see themselves as lifelong creators and contributors valuing their whole growth as people beyond academic achievement for grades, university admission and future careers? The Challenge Students in grades 7-12 are caught between two powerful forces: the desire to share their creative work and contribute … Continue reading “Open Education & Authentic Authorship”
Written by Robin Michel
From Tension to Partnership: My Assessment Revolution When I sorted my work into the Eisenhower Matrix, something surprising happened. Assessment and Evaluation didn’t fit anywhere—they lived in this uncomfortable limbo of “Not Important and Not Urgent—of course, until they don’t!” Then suddenly, they’d explode into crisis mode, demanding urgent attention and creating stress for everyone … Continue reading “Suddenly! An Action Plan”
Written by Robin Michel
Written by Robin Michel
You can download my action plan HERE Waterfall/twitter quote attributed to Garth Nichols. Thanks Garth!
Written by Robin Michel
My action plan is one of those that really started on my first day of teaching and will be on-going all the way to my last day. Nevertheless, the gravitas of an “official action plan” has given me licence to think more deliberately about what the students and I do together and the effect we … Continue reading “Sometimes you gotta run, before you can walk.- Tony Stark (IronMan)”
Written by Robin Michel
I love the sweet spot; the period of time in my classroom when things are humming. There is flow; students are engaged, effective feedback is moving project work forward, provocative questions are posed, complex ideas are exchanged, risks are taken, difficulties are expressed and tackled with courage. The sweet spot can be thought of as … Continue reading “Learning in the “sweet spot””
Written by Robin Michel
The title “Reckless Beginner” comes from a knitting blog I happened across. It conjures up a familiar enthusiasm and a willingness to “get in there”, experiment, try something new and learn from the experience. It also too often describes my practice in the classroom. I set in motion rich tasks and experiences that are exciting and rewarding for the students, but underpinned with a … Continue reading “Reckless Beginner”
Written by Robin Michel
Between June and September my school switched to Google. Cue the thunderclap and lightning effects! There have been a variety of consequences and experiences, both positive and disruptive, as our community – students, teachers, administrators, support staff and parents – variously, implemented and grappled with the changes. We are all doing our best to learn and to … Continue reading ““I can’t find ANYTHING anymore.””
Written by Robin Michel
I have practiced design process for many years because I am a Designer. What I never fully realized is that the associated thinking process had permeated my daily life and become integral to who I am. There were hints. In all sorts of situations, I like observing people and problems and teasing them apart in unexpected ways. Once in a while … Continue reading “Out of the Box—and into the Pool”
