by John McCarthy | Nov 11, 2013 | Global Skills, resources
So last week, I posed this riddle: “You’re standing in a room with two doors. One opens to instant death, and the other leads to life. Standing in front of each door is a robot guard. With no other way out of the room, you must choose a door to enter. You may ask one...
by John McCarthy | Nov 4, 2013 | Global Skills, resources
“You’re standing in a room with two doors. One opens to instant death, and the other leads to life. Standing in front of each door is a robot guard. With no other way out of the room, you must choose a door to enter. You may ask one question, which each robot will...
by John McCarthy | Oct 28, 2013 | PBL
In the movie Ground Hog Day, Bill Murray is a reporter covering the annual event where the ground hog looks for its shadow. Each morning he wakes up to relive that day, stuck in a perpetual cycle that matches his boorish behavior. His journey is what makes the comedy...
by John McCarthy | Oct 21, 2013 | Culture, strategies
In my first installment about Homework, I referenced Karl Taro Greenfeld in “My Daughter’s Homework is Killing Me” regarding his 7 day experience doing the same homework as his daughter received at school. His article strongly showed how homework can turn a student’s...
by John McCarthy | Oct 15, 2013 | Culture, strategies
The Homework Balance In the October issue of Atlantic Monthly, Karl Taro Greenfeld in “My Daughter’s Homework is Killing Me” wrote about an experiment he did. For one week he experienced the homework load that his daughter brought from her middle school. Each day, for...
by John McCarthy | Sep 18, 2013 | Culture, strategies, Voice
Voice is a powerful tool that cannot be silenced. During the Arab Spring of 20012 this was demonstrated in the way that Twitter was used to communicate among the protesters and with the world media. And as with other social media, it continues to have an impact....
by John McCarthy | Sep 15, 2013 | Culture, PBL, Voice
“It’s important to remember that when things go wrong, keep it positive. The students are watching how you respond to the situation.” I’m paraphrasing my colleague’s comment, which was one of those statements that made me pause. It’s such an obvious concept, yet how...
by John McCarthy | Sep 3, 2013 | Global Skills, PBL
Navigating airports requires a strong skill set of Global Competencies–Communication, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking. Some airports can be intimidating. The expansiveness of an airport is less of an issue than the methods for getting to gates in different...
by John McCarthy | Aug 10, 2013 | Concepts, PBL
I noticed a tutor working with a student at a Starbucks. I’ve brought my own kids to such places for tutoring help. Nothing like a beverage to ignite academic thinking. Long division was the focus of the student. She looked to be a tween or young teen, and she...
by John McCarthy | Jul 18, 2013 | Culture, PBL
I’m at the Genius Bar of the Apple Store to get help with my laptop. As usual the customer service is top notch. I’ve had two service staff assist me, and done so in a collaborative way. Both are supporting other customers at the same time that they are...
