http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches Another Blogging Systems Community Sun, 04 May 2008 00:36:40 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I haven’t written in quite a while, but not for lack of ideas. As a matter of fact I have so many things about which to write that I have been feeling overwhelmed, and have procrastinated getting back into the saddle. Well, I’m back and have decided to ... http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2008/05/03/world-cafe-and-kids/ A movie review of the film "The Counterfeiters" by Libby Wadman for KPCW radio, Park City The Counterfeiters, 2008’s Oscar winner for best foreign film, is not your typical WWII movie. This is not a movie that demonstrates the vast scale of the war, or a movie that splatters ... http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2008/04/19/the-counterfeiters/ Well, it’s hard to believe that 2007 is almost over! I for one will not mourn its loss, but wait with somewhat guarded anticipation for 2008. I am busy writing my list of what I refer to as my New Year’s Challenges. Of course the fact that it ... http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2007/12/31/a-new-years-challenge/ Despite all the myriad changes in our world since people started attending schools, some things never change. One of those things, unfortunately, is cheating. I suppose that as long we as humans have to accomplish things, there will be those who will try to find the easy way ... http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2007/12/15/why-kids-cheat/ As a group, 6th graders are really rather quixotic. Sometimes they can be very impressive by showing behaviors of maturing young adults, but then turn right around and demonstrate way too many attributes of toddlers. Despite this rather indescribable mixture of personality traits, they are a very interesting ... http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2007/11/30/how-i-became-a-one-bagger-if-i-werent-one-already/ Every year we as teachers face a certain challenge, that despite our best efforts, we are never able to totally meet. The challenge I am talking about is making sure that our students’ parents know about all the tools available to them to get any information they want and/or ... http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2007/11/15/what-parents-can-do-to-be-in-the-know/ As I write this I am returning from an educational conference focusing on assessment and instruction. In non-educator speak that means how do we as teachers take the learning goals, align our instruction and assessments to them in a way that makes it clear to every child what it ... http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2007/10/31/whose-really-being-left-behind/ To voucher or not to voucher, that is the question facing Utahans: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of the public school system Or to take tax-payer money to attend private school (remember, parents CHOOSE to send their children to these schools, they are not obligated to ... http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2007/10/14/to-voucher-or-not-to-voucher/ “Spotters ready?” “Ready.” “Ready to fall.” Those words now spoken left me in quite the unenviable position of having to decide do I back out and live with humiliation, or do I trust a group of 6th graders to catch me? “Falling.” I had taken the plunge and was now falling backward into what ... http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2007/10/01/teaching-an-old-dog-new-tricks/ In deciding what the topic of this blog should be, I realized it was staring me right in the face courtesy of the Monday, 3 September Salt Lake Tribune. Scattered throughout the paper were not one, but three separate articles on parenting and school. So, following suit, I ... http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2007/09/15/parents-students-and-school-a-three-way-partnership/