As we dive headfirst into generative artificial intelligence, among the looming big questions is what measurable effect will GenAI have on student learning? As the first trickle of research on Generative AI in education starts to flow, we checked in with world-renowned researcher John Hattie, author of the groundbreaking meta-study on visible learning. His recently updated book synthesizes more than 2,100 meta-analyses drawn from more than 130,000 studies involving more than 400 million students worldwide. He talked with us for the Blindsided by AI documentary on GenAI in education. Exc ..read more

Whoa nelly, I bet that ai generated banner really grabbed your attention. I don’t even have a cat, but my ‘purpose or ‘intention was to catch you off guard, just a bit, figuring you’d expect one of my usual motivational reading photos. I breathe reading and writing, what’s with this drastic change from your expectations? Here’s my thought process. Change is coming so fast, keeping up is a challenge. When “Read Across America” morphed from its original intent to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday, every March 2,  that was jolting. I have at least twenty-five titles here, and years of fun expe ..read more

Being an early childhood educator is rewarding in many ways. It’s exciting to witness growth and development and make a positive impact on so many little lives. Educators can also foster a love for learning, build relationships, and have an opportunity to express their creativity and flexibility. In addition, they can become a positive role model for children and families and have an opportunity to continue their learning and growth as an educator. When teachers are in training, they are often given a rosy picture of what it will be like to be an early childhood educator. Oftentimes, they are ..read more

Singing and moving with preschoolers is a staple of the early childhood classroom. But I’ve heard from many teachers who care that too often preschool teachers don’t always use these skills to the children’s best advantage. For example, some have complained to me that teachers don’t let children pick songs that they like. Some years ago, I learned from special education teachers that having cards with pictures on one side and lyrics on the back allowing children to pick which song they wanted to share. So, never one to pass up stealing a great idea, I created such cards from index cards, pasti ..read more

Coming right up! Feb. 7, 2024 “World Read Aloud Day”! I wish we could celebrate every day! I’ve put together some of my thoughts and ideas, activities, resources you can use right away to promote the joy of reading. Reading makes me so happy! I love to read out loud, and I love being read to, whether by a child, friend, colleague or family member. I think it’s more important now than ever to share and model our love of the written word, a playful, joyous romp through a literary celebration. World Read Aloud Day gives us so many ways to celebrate love of reading. And because too many of our chi ..read more

None of us are immune to storms. We rarely see them coming. And when they do come, they can be crippling. I have been through several during my 27 years in education, and while I’d like to think there will be no more, I can not be certain. But … I am more equipped to ride them out than I ever was, and here’s why. We often believe things won’t get better during our most difficult times. All we can see and all we can think about are how bad things are and how much pain we are in. Our thoughts are consumed with getting better and feeling better. Because we are in the storm, we cannot see anything ..read more

Taking steps backward sucks! Pretty harsh, I know. But I know I am not alone in feeling this way. We’ve worked hard all year to help our students acquire skills and develop habits, and it is painful when we see them regressing. These steps backward have a way of rearing their ugly heads right around now—due to holiday breaks, snow days, and cold weather. I believe there are three things we can do to help us push through the days or weeks when we feel as if we are losing ground.   Limit Our Losses (Don’t Let One Step Backward Lead to Two) It is human nature to become frustrated when we fee ..read more

  Each child will approach their first child care experience differently. Some will walk right in and act as if they’ve been there for weeks. Others will be a bit tentative, it being a new environment, but will quickly integrate into the group and feel comfortable. Some children may have had brief group experiences elsewhere, maybe a church or in a playgroup. Or, they may have several siblings at home and are used to interacting with multiple children. Then, there are children for whom this may be their first group experience or the first time away from home by themselves. A whole range o ..read more

Often, the distance between where we are and where we’d like to be is quite large. This can become very overwhelming and lead to anxiety, stress, and even abandoning our goals. I have experienced all three in the past five years. While I carry the scars from these experiences, I have also learned much about approaching goals that may appear unattainable on the surface. One of the biggest hurdles to accomplishing big tasks or reaching ambitious goals lies in how we frame them from the outset. Many of us were taught from a young age that the first step in goal setting is to visualize ourselves a ..read more

I had been telling him for over an hour to get and get ready for school. We needed to be walking out the door by 6:55 so I could drop him off at his bus stop on time. As the time got closer, I noticed that he wasn’t making much, if any, progress. Then, at 6:50, 5 minutes before we needed to leave, he shouted, “I don’t have any clothes to wear today.” This was something that he could have/should have taken care of the night before. But I was 12 once, too, and I am sure I have been guilty. When I was 12, I lived two blocks from the middle school, yet I was late to first period more than 20 days ..read more