Latest posts
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The Performative PD Problem: Why Professional Development Is Broken and What You Can Do About It
Let me tell you about three professional development experiences from my career. All different content, yet one common thread endures. My very first PD session as a first-year teacher was a video about working with special education students. It used language and terminology that had been considered outdated for years. Nobody in the room flagged…
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Recess Isn’t a Break From Learning. It IS Learning. And We Forgot.
Sorry for no post on Wednesday, I’m dealing with one of those lovely “spring flus” and my body waged war against itself….but I’m back today! Your next Visible Thinking Routines post will be out next Wednesday!! I grew up in the era of giant maps painted on blacktop (the sweetness of the 90’s amirite?). My…
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The Vibes Were Off: Teacher Intuition, the Data Obsession, and the Thing AI Will Never Have
I was vibe-aware before the kids these days started talking about vibes. Though I always feel like Steve Buscemi when I hear them say it. What I can say, and for those of you who have either seen me present, heard me talk, or chatted with me, I definitely am self-aware of the vibe I…
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You Are Not a Vending Machine: Emotional Labor, Compassion Fatigue, and What “Remember Your Why” Gets Wrong
Some mornings, I walk into my classroom before my students arrive and I tape a sign to the board. Several years ago, it started on a large Post-it pad, the kind on a wheeled easel — on a morning when I had planning period first, and I knew, before anyone walked through my door, that…
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We Blamed Google. Now We’re Blaming AI. We Need to Stop. A Case for Intentional Instructional Design in the Age of AI
I was a senior in high school in the fall of 2001. The internet’s influence was growing. Google was becoming more mainstream. And the adults in charge of education were absolutely losing their minds about it. The concern, stated with full sincerity by serious people in serious publications, was that students would simply Google everything,…
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We Schooled the Curiosity Right Out of Them
Will Ferrell once played legendary Cubs announcer Harry Caray on SNL. If you’ve never seen it, the bit is basically: Harry Caray is a man completely unmoored from social norms, asking the most unfiltered, bizarre questions imaginable: to scientists, to astronauts, to anyone fortunate enough to sit across from him, with zero apology and maximum…
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Rethink Your Why!
If I got a nickel for every time I heard someone ask about my “why” when attending a PD, Keynote, Webinar, or anything in education…I’d have a whole mess of nickels. If I also got a nickel for each scoff, sigh, and hard eye roll from the audience at those same spots…this would be me:…
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Breaking Radio Silence: My Newest Rabbit Hole and FREE Resource Offerings
I will go on the occasional rant about just about anything. It’s part of my introverted charm; I bottle everything up and then find a hill to die on with all of my hottest of takes! Today, my thoughts are on the accessibility of resources in education. Education is a powerful tool that shapes lives…
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Staying One Chapter Ahead: A Day in the Life of an Academic Interventionist.
Just as last year, I’ve changed positions, and the transition has disrupted my desire to write more on my blog (and the podcast). Guess what, Stella has gotten her groove back, and I’ll be publishing at least twice a week on the website, and unveiling a new podcast on the first Wednesday in October! I’ve…
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Coming Soon: My Top Takeaways from ISTE Live 2025
Holy crap, I thought I would leave #ISTELive knowing I had a great time, but I didn’t know both my head and my heart would be overflowing with love and ideas! As I reflect on the vibrant atmosphere of ISTE Live 2025, I feel invigorated by the collective passion for transforming education through technology. This…