by John McCarthy | Dec 15, 2014 | authenticity, PBL, Pedagogy
A good Project-Based Learning unit experience provides students with an opportunity to make an impact on a community, person, or organization. It’s real–goes beyond the world known as “school.” While this idea has resonance for many educators it’s often felt as...
by John McCarthy | Nov 30, 2014 | Pedagogy
Throughout my career I’ve been blessed with people who’ve taken me under their wing to guide, advise, and develop. The experiences are eye-opening and humbling. I’m constantly reminded that, to paraphrase Socrates, there is much that I don’t...
by John McCarthy | Oct 27, 2014 | Differentiated Instruction, Pedagogy, strategies, Writing
In a previous series of posts I wrote about RAFTs, a powerful strategy that engages students into writing, a means to coach students to improve writing, and an approach that when differentiated helps students at varying skills to success at a respectful pace. By...
by John McCarthy | Oct 18, 2014 | curiculum, Differentiated Instruction, Driving_Question, Game-Based Learning, PBL, Pedagogy, Writing
Game ON – How kids want to learn by John McCarthy, Ed.S. This past spring my two teenagers got me involved in playing Clash of Clans. It’s a game played on smart phones and tablets. It’s free, which is a major criteria for my cost-conscious kids,...
by John McCarthy | Sep 15, 2014 | Culture, Education is like Yoga, Pedagogy
This post was a long time coming. The quote that starts this post was packed with so much meaning for me regarding the needs of students. I needed time to reflect on what path to take with it. That, and I was in the midst of a 6 part series on Differentiated...
