High Altitude Learning, LLC

Week two: 8,640,000 Decisions! According to a 2021 Education Week article, teachers make approximately 1500 decisions per day. Even before school begins, we attend to decisions about the delivery of instruction, a host of logistical details, and the ongoing needs of students. Not including weekends, late evenings spent grading, or prep work during the summer, 1500 decisions per day adds up to 8,640,000 decisions over the course of a 32-year career, a staggering number to wrap one’s head around....

…and duties as assigned Week two: 8,640,000 Decisions! According to a 2021 Education Week article, teachers make approximately 1500 decisions per day. Even before school begins, we attend to decisions about the delivery o…

“The question holds the lantern.” John O’Donohue, Celtic poet Have you ever botched a great inquiry lesson using a poorly planned sequence of questions? Here’s an epic example of my own palm-to-forehead struggle to facilitate learning using the wrong questions. During my first-, or second-year teaching IB science, I created an opportunity for sixth graders in my classes to collaborate with sixth graders from a school in Sydney, Australia....

Stories and Reflections from an Imperfect Practice- Part One “The question holds the lantern.” John O’Donohue, Celtic poet Have you ever botched a great inquiry lesson using a poorly planned sequence of questions? Here’s an epic example of my own palm-to-fo…

This time of year, I find delight in the harvest after a busy summer in the garden. Each time I visit my deep beds I return with a bucket of produce… tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, basil, beans, such rich reward for months of tending. Teaching is much like gardening. We prepare the soil by fussing over the details of its composition; we plant and nurture, guide, prune, thin the weeds, and marvel at resulting growth over time....

The Harvest of Learning This time of year, I find delight in the harvest after a busy summer in the garden. Each time I visit my deep beds I return with a bucket of produce… tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, basil, b…

As the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games come to an end, I appreciated reading Gwen Knapp’s article “Paralympians Know “Inspiration Porn” When They See It” (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/05/sports/olympics/inspiration-porn-paralympians-know-it-when-they-see-it.html) in this morning’s New York Times. Knapp brings awareness to the term “inspiration porn,” originally coined by the late Australian activist and journalist Stella Young and used to describe behaviors and media messaging that fixate on a person’s disability as the source of inspiration, rather than their character, commitment to excellence, and success....
Read more here:
http://highaltitudelearning.org/2021/09/05/inspiration-porn/

“Inspiration Porn” As the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games come to an end, I appreciated reading Gwen Knapp’s article “Paralympians Know “Inspiration Porn” When They See It” in this morning’s New York Times. Knapp …

For world school educators in the northern hemisphere, I’m curious… is it too soon to mention community and personal projects in a blog post? 😊

Because of my special fondness for these experiences, I’m going to answer my own question with a resounding “NO!” In fact, these first days of the school year are perfect for generating enthusiasm and belonging through student-designed projects. What if students could begin the academic year knowing this is their year to imagine, plan, create, and complete a project of personal value within a supportive school culture?

Visit my blog post at https://highaltitudelearning.org/2021/09/03/launching-student-designed-projects/ where I offer suggestions for ways to design culminating or personal projects as focal points of self-discovery and learning.

Launching Student-Designed Projects For world school educators in the northern hemisphere, I’m curious … Is it too soon to mention community and personal projects in a blog post? 😊 Because of my special fondness for these experiences…