I originally published this post at the Cooperative Catalyst blog. “Play is the child’s work” is a line made famous by the early childhood educator, Maria Montessori. I interpret that to mean many things. But perhaps most importantly I believe it to mean that through play, children – and I would say youth and adults, …
I’ve heard the terms, and so have you: “21st century teaching” “21st century learning” “21st century workforce” “21st century skills” What hasn’t been labeled “21st century” these days? As so many have already pointed out, we’re more than one decade in. So the adjective, as a representation of forward-thinking, is rapidly losing its relevance. But …
I was alone preparing for a class of kindergarteners in my computer lab - a converted “cafeteria,” about 200 square feet, a hot, sweaty space jammed with computers and tables and chairs- when the librarian’s assistant walked into my room and said, “One of the World Trade Center towers just collapsed.” Valerie was a wonderful colleague, a world …
This post originally appeared in a slightly modified form at NWP Connect. I’ve known New York City Writing Project teacher-consultant Paul Allison for almost as long as I’ve been part of the writing project. And in all those years, he has never ceased to amaze me as he pokes and prods and stretches – sometimes to …
I’ve been working on a development project for the National Writing Project, my employer. It’s a type of social networking platform for our communities of teachers around the country. It’s like Ning, but much better in that you only need one log in to access a federation of interconnected yet independent communities. I’ve noticed that …
The following is a guest post by Shirley Brown, National Writing Project Almost every person who has gone through the National Writing Project’s Invitational Summer Institute (ISI) emerges with the same comment, “It has changed y life.” And it does. This powerful professional development experience which extends into a lifetime of ongoing professional development sets …
The following is a guest post by Jessica Beck, from the Heart of Texas Writing Project. When I first began teaching, I did it alone. I was working at a charter school and had no certificate, no experience with children outside of babysitting and some tutoring. I’d gotten a degree in creative writing and had …
As a newly minted teacher-consultant with the Western Massachusetts Writing Project, I remember being asked to deliver an in-service to a nearby school district on using technology in the middle school classroom. This was, probably, 1998. It was the late Pat Hunter, a co-director of the site, who at the time invited me to lead …
Guest post by Melanie Burdick, Greater Kansas City Writing Project I began working with the Greater Kansas City Writing Project (GKCWP) in 1997. I attended the summer institute (SI) that year and it deeply changed the way I saw the profession of teaching and who I was as a teacher. After the SI, I realized …
The following is a guest post by Rich Argys, a teacher-consultant of the Denver Writing Project. The National Writing Project is the single most effective professional development organization I have encountered in 26 years as a public school teacher. I have participated in a variety of NWP activities and initiatives at both the national and …