CTL Staff Spotlight: A Passion for Adolescent Literacy

CTL Staff Spotlight: A Passion for Adolescent Literacy

The online bios of CTL staff members feature quotes that reflect each person’s passion or special interest within education. For Educational Programs Specialist Ashley Perkins, the quote actually includes the word “passion”: “Adolescent...
Innovation and Schooling

Innovation and Schooling

When my son was in middle school, I remember his seventh grade class moving from one subject and one room together, directed by the teacher, and following a painted line on the floor.  To not stay within the line meant a reprimand or even worse, a discipline...
Should we get rid of Teacher of the Year awards?

Should we get rid of Teacher of the Year awards?

Good teachers don’t get the recognition they deserve. So when I wonder aloud here whether we should do away with things like Teacher of the Year awards it’s not because I think they shouldn’t be honored and noticed; it is quite the contrary. We, at...
Finding the Sweet Spot on the Rigor Curve

Finding the Sweet Spot on the Rigor Curve

Rigor is a word that gets thrown around in meetings, planning documents and social media amongst educators. But what exactly is rigor? Anyone who has been in education for long can attest to the pervasiveness of buzzwords. Heck there’s even an online Educational...
Innovation Leaders: Lessons from Educational Technology

Innovation Leaders: Lessons from Educational Technology

The graphic shown below, re-tweeted by Mike Paul from Jonathan Brubaker caught my fancy.  I liked both the illustrated impact of educational technology from substitution to redefinition, speaking to the power of technology to foster change in classroom practice, and...