Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?

I recently read this: In the name of being sensible, we end up becoming numb to our own desires. It’s no wonder that when we ask many teenagers what they want to do or be, they honestly answer, “I don’t know.”  There are too many layers of “should’s,” “ought to’s,” and “you’d better’s” piled onContinue reading "Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?"

Stop telling me to be Grateful

I'm afraid that being grateful doesn't cut it for me when I'm in a bad mood, silently seething or persistently dissatisfied. I wish it did! Tell me to "focus on what I'm grateful for" when I'm pissed off, and I'll roll my eyes, and think, 'yeah, yeah whatever. I'm grateful for the sunshine. my kids.Continue reading "Stop telling me to be Grateful"

Lecture – a medieval technique that’s out of date

Lecture:  A medieval word which comes from the Latin for "a reading". Monks would read a precious manuscript aloud so everyone else could copy it down. A transfer of knowledge "at scale" using the best technology at the time. 1375-1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin lēctūra a reading. Is listening to lectures an effective way to learnContinue reading "Lecture – a medieval technique that’s out of date"

Software Trials – learning enough to buy…but not too much.

How do you get a prospect to experience enough during their trial to be confident it will solve their problem, but not get bogged down in details? If you're the salesperson responsible for building trust and progressing the sale with prospects once they're trialing, here's a simple way to look at it.

Student group work is TRICKY.

Well, you can’t go from zero to 100 with people, can you? I really wanted to get the coding club working on real projects, have them create a portfolio deliverable/accomplishment they could be proud of. Something beyond achieving level 72 in Code Combat, which was getting a bit repetitive…maybe building a computer game together? Yeah!  AllContinue reading "Student group work is TRICKY."

What are so-called Future Skills?

What are the critical future skills that will give students the best chance of being successful and carving out the future they want, in light of the changing world of work and the new ways technology is replacing human labor? There are many studies about the skills needed, and while they use different terms, you’ll see the sameContinue reading "What are so-called Future Skills?"

What IS “Critical Thinking” anyway?

One of the important skills for the future, which all kids need to develop (according to a growing number of researchers and forecasters), is 'critical thinking/problem solving.' But what is critical thinking, and how do you learn it? Critical Thinking is... crit·i·cal think·ing  noun the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form aContinue reading "What IS “Critical Thinking” anyway?"

Does your kid do anything that matters?

While reading a book on parenting and homeschooling by Teri Moore a while back, this passage hit me hard: In America, our children are the most important part of our lives, and we tell them so, but we don't actually let them be important(emphasis added). WHAAAAT? of course not!  But reading on, it makes more and moreContinue reading "Does your kid do anything that matters?"