Put Some Writing in Your Life
Writing clarifies our thoughts, focuses us, and leads us to new ideas. Why don’t we write for ourselves more? Writing shouldn’t be an occasional high-stakes writing project, cover letter, professional email, or summary. Write for yourself before you write for others. My writing groups kickstart people into the habit of personal writing for journal and […]
How Does Online Learning Work?
Your kids are now home. They are either sitting at the kitchen table with a laptop and the insides of their backpack surrounding them, or they are slumped against pillows in bed with a laptop perched on their laps. Now what? What are they doing? Exactly what is Online Learning? Here are excerpts from my 2018 […]
Spring Cleaning for Students and Tech
Does this bookbag look familiar? After hard-earned R and R, it’s time for Student Spring Cleaning. Spring Cleaning of materials is a tradition, but the next step of Tech Spring Cleaning is vital to student success. Most email accounts, Google Drives, and computers look like the digital form of this bookbag. They’ve got to be purged! […]
High Interest Reading Topics and Written Expression for Students of All Levels
I’m always hunting for high-interest reading topics for reading comprehension, written expression, and academic writing. I work with grades 3- university, so I go for current, deep themes I come across in school curricula. Sourcing High-Interest Reading Materials My primary methodology is used by New York City public schools and Teacher’s College at Columbia University. The emphasis […]
What’s An Academic Coach?
I didn’t know what an Academic Coach was the first time I heard the term, and it was used about me! An Academic Coach can have many different meanings and functions. Just like any sports coach, an academic coach watches a student in action, then coaches on specific academic techniques and skills. We don’t yell “Play […]
Online Assessments & Homework
The Digital Classroom and Materials Most of our class materials are digital: Canvas, Schoology, Google Drive, and more. Many of my academic coaching and tutoring students have challenges with their executive functions or learning disabilities. Here is what I see: It takes more time to find materials online than opening up a textbook, and some of my students still grapple here. They […]
Student Organization: Calendars are Vital
Does your calendar run your life? Good! Mine does too. In fact, I have calendar – S that determine my hourly whereabouts and tasks. Students today have to follow calendars to navigate their lives and school work, but many younger high schoolers and middle schoolers have real challenges with calendar management. Why Can’t Kids Stick to […]
Learning is Doing
Doing Reading and Writing Teacher’s College at Columbia has espoused the Learning is Doing tenet since its inception almost 30 years ago. But- when most of us are faced with up to 36 learners (or more) in a group, setting the stage for learners to practice reading and writing, or listening and speaking independently is a […]
Small Groups: Collateral Learning
My time at Teacher’s College at Columbia University is beyond valuable. Although the institutes there are targeted to teachers and students in schools, teaching and learning are vital processes in all fields and organizations. I love bringing what I learn to friends and family in other industries, and they love it too. This just in from […]
Teacher’s College Writer’s Workshop Institute: Writing Volume
Volume of Writing How many baskets does Steph Curry shoot in a week? What about Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals? The volume of their shots in a week far exceeds the volume of their shots in official games. We are well aware that Curry, Ronaldo, and all top athletes need that volume of practice and repetition to perform. So […]