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#FirstDays Beyond the Four-Hour Block

Amethyst Hinton Sainz Education, Education Policy, Literacy, Professional Development, Teacher Leadership

We were asked to introduce ourselves in our blogs this week, and that feels funny, since this is the sixth (or seventh?) year I have had the opportunity to contribute to Stories from School Arizona. This will be my 25th

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Hitting the Like Button: Using Social Media to Grow an Online Community

Leah Clark Professional Development, Uncategorized

I joined Facebook in 2002 when you had to have a college email address to sign up for the social media site. Each day I checked my account in anticipation of the new friend requests I received. Over the years,

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E-learning and education

Online Learning: Building Relationships in the Digital Age

Leah Clark Education, Life in the Classroom

This week, I began teaching an online class. I have little experience in online education. I started my undergraduate degree when AOL still used instant messaging. Online classes were rare; in fact, I think I took one biology lecture and

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photo credit: Thompson Rivers Click the link to watch the video: Intro to the Writing Centre via photopin (license)

A Jonah Day aka Academic Struggle in High Achieviers

Yolanda Wheelington Assessment, Current Affairs, Education, Elementary, Life in the Classroom, Literacy, Love, Mathematics, Mentoring, Parent Involvment, Science, Social Issues, Uncategorized, Web/Tech, Weblogs

There I stood in my lovely class of 1st – 3rd graders with 29 eagerly engaged students and 3 crying in agony. The cries were not from physical pain, but the emotional turmoil that sets in when we sit in places of discomfort.

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photo credit: David Gallagher El Crystal School 1970-1971 2nd Grade via photopin (license)

Society is Shaped in the Elementary Classroom

Yolanda Wheelington Current Affairs, Education, Elementary, Life in the Classroom, Literacy, Love, Mathematics, National Board Certification, Parent Involvment, Professional Development, Religion, Science, Social Issues, Sports, Teacher Leadership

Renewable Resources Most agree that social justice in America is becoming more questionable. We are a nation drenched in biases, prejudices, and mistreatments. We have a multitude of programs and initiatives aimed at righting these wrongs ranging from the Civil

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Shhh. Don’t Tell Anyone, But I’m a Millennial.

Leah Clark Education, Life in the Classroom, Web/Tech

Fine, I will admit it. I am a Millennial. Well, that’s half true. Born in 1983, I actually fall at the end of Generation X and the start of the Millennials. And after researching the qualities and characteristics of both,

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Open Letter to Principals Who Stayed

Amethyst Hinton Sainz Current Affairs, Education, Education Policy, Professional Development, Teacher Leadership

The following letter is written to all school and district administrators who have stayed for four years or more and worked tenaciously for school improvement. Dear Leaders, Thank you. Thank you for staying put for a few years and leading

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A Cat, a Washing Machine, and a Tornado

Amethyst Hinton Sainz Assessment, Books, Current Affairs, Education, Education Policy, Professional Development, Teacher Leadership

Are you caught in a tornado? Is school a cat or a washing machine? I synthesize how ideas of embracing volatility outlined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb relate to principles of the Global Fourth Way in education outlined by Andy Hargreaves and Dennis Shirley.

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