Self Reflection - Not the easiest thing in the world!

I have been working on the self-reflection part of my annual evaluation and it is really not as easy as it seems. I am glad that there were such extensive guiding questions and areas identified on the reflections I asked of staff this year. Without them, it is really easy to get sidetracked and move outside the scope of what needs to be looked at.
My own set of guiding questions is very general and generic to a number of senior staff so it requires a good deal of interpretation. Unfortunately, for those who know me, I really do pick on myself a bit and must give credit where credit is due so it gets a little tough to talk about stuff I have/have not done.

So - I need to remind myself of the purpose(s) of self-reflection:
To remind me of the areas of responsibility, shared and individual, which I need to address annually
To help me determine if I have adequately addressed these areas
To remind myself that I have both strengths and weaknesses and need to address both
To recognize for myself and others what my strengths and accomplishments are
To lay out for myself and others what my weaknesses are
To identify ways to address those weakness constructively and purposefully

Okay - I can do this - hopefully. You won't hear from me for a month or so while I am on holiday so wishing you all a great summer - enjoy!

Time to resurrect this blog

Hi there - I've been very lazy for the past year or so and have forgotten this page.
But .... I love the things I want this page to do for me and with you.
I want:
to share my ideas
to share in your ideas
to share good research
to share interesting ideas
to ask questions
to find answers
to talk over problems
to talk over solutions
My goal:
is to blog at least weekly, preferrably more
to create a circle of communication based on the desire to communicate, not the 'have to' communicate.
I need this space to start to organize some of the really interesting things I find that are great, but not necessary in my place and time at the moment. I do so much related to the job that I tend to file away everything which is not immediately relevant to that job. So I am going to start filing that stuff here. It will be a vast hodgepodge of interesting and hopefully thought provoking stuff that I find as I wend my way through day to day life.
It's not facebook fluff - it's a chance to really talk in sentences and paragraphs a bit longer than the 100 or so characters I share with random chatting there. There I meet and talk to casual acquaintences and familty to keep in touch. Here I want to talk, explore, explain and share with people who are interested in a bit more.
Join Me.

Differentiated Instruction

This site is a webquest on Differentiated Instruction. It includes some theory, some how-to, some linkage to multiple intelligences and even some sample lessons for "layered learning". I believe there is something for everyone here.
http://www.montvilleschools.org/pp%20presentations/DIquest.html

Multiple Intelligences

When we talk about teaching to kids in the ways in which they learn best, multiple intelligences is on direction from which we can address the issue. I began from the earlier video I posted on the topic and then began looking to see what else was out there. The following sites not only offer information and background on the theory of multiple intelligences, but some offer surveys for students (and teachers) to explore their own intelligences and discover the ways in which they learn best. Check them out:
Information on Multiple Intelligences
http://www.chaminade.org/INSPIRE/learnstl.htm
http://www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm#Learning%20Styles%20Explained
http://www.ldrc.ca/projects/miinventory/miinventory.php?eightstyles=1
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/mi/w1_interactive1.html
http://www.ion.illinois.edu/resources/tutorials/id/learningStyles.asp
http://surfaquarium.com/Mi/inventory.htm

Internet Access for schools

I have become a recent convert to the expansion of Internet use in schools. It is an area I happily gave little thought to in recent years. I have considered myself relatively computer literate and have even used webct to complete a number of my Masters courses.
Recently I began helping others in a Masters program with a course on computer technology and curriculum. What an education! Through this experience I have learned that there is far more that I don't know than I do. Wikis, blogs, moodle, vocaroo, voiceover,movies, etc., etc., etc.
Several of the earlier posts to this site came from a growing understanding that we need to teach our students to live in their world by using the tools that exist in their world. They have a much larger horizon than we have ever had and they need to know how to make sense of it.
These short clips help break the ice when speaking to groups about the importance of using technology, but the issue always seems to be how do we do it and still protectour school systems, our ability to control students' environments and limit their access to undesirable choices.
What is our job? Do we protect kids from all possibilities or do we teach them about positive choices, options and ways to handle some of the hazardous stuff that come their way?
REspond please. I am looking for ways to put this into a proposal to open up school access to effective Internet use for teachers and students.

Parent Involvement

Here's an interesting, and by that i mean thought-provoking article on parental invovlement sent to me by one of my Principals. http://www.psu.edu/dept/jrre/articles/22-8.pdf
I'd like your thoughts on what the article is saying and how it pertains to our teaching practices.

New site to follow

I've just come from a presentation by Ian Jukes. He speaks eloquently about the future of education as it relates to the future of the world we live in. Change in the constant in our world and he puts it into perpective for us.
I would like to share his blog address with you> He reads, sorts and posts relevant educational publishings about the technological world we live in.
http://web.mac.com/iajukes/thecommittedsardine/BLOG/BLOG.html
Please enjoy.