Professional Influences and Inspirations:
Tony Wagner
Professor at Harvard University; his latest book, Creating Innovators, Wagner explores the power of project based learning, the role of critical and thinking in education, and the motivational and educational power of allowing students the space to create. Wagner's book validated everything I learned about developing literacy from Professor Daniel Willingham's book (see below), and provided inspiration not only for my classes of reluctant learners, but also for my classes of highly functioning, motivated AP and IB students.
Professor at Harvard University; his latest book, Creating Innovators, Wagner explores the power of project based learning, the role of critical and thinking in education, and the motivational and educational power of allowing students the space to create. Wagner's book validated everything I learned about developing literacy from Professor Daniel Willingham's book (see below), and provided inspiration not only for my classes of reluctant learners, but also for my classes of highly functioning, motivated AP and IB students.
Daniel Willingham
Professor of psychology at The University of Virginia; his book, Why Don't Students Like School, nurtured my interest in memory - how it works and what that means for the classroom. Reading this book changed my classroom practice, especially with reluctant readers and learners; he explores the role of knowledge in the process of developing and nurturing literacy.
Professor of psychology at The University of Virginia; his book, Why Don't Students Like School, nurtured my interest in memory - how it works and what that means for the classroom. Reading this book changed my classroom practice, especially with reluctant readers and learners; he explores the role of knowledge in the process of developing and nurturing literacy.
Rita F. Pierson
In her TED Talk entitled "Every Kind Needs a Champion," Pierson reminds teachers - and non-teachers - that the job is more than teaching subject. It's about inspiring kids to value themselves as intellectuals. Before I saw this talk, I felt the way she describes. But seeing her talk and hearing her stories gives me ammunition and ideas for how to do that. She inspires me to be my best every day because the students in my classroom not only deserve it - they need it.
In her TED Talk entitled "Every Kind Needs a Champion," Pierson reminds teachers - and non-teachers - that the job is more than teaching subject. It's about inspiring kids to value themselves as intellectuals. Before I saw this talk, I felt the way she describes. But seeing her talk and hearing her stories gives me ammunition and ideas for how to do that. She inspires me to be my best every day because the students in my classroom not only deserve it - they need it.
Garfield Gini-Newman
Professor of Education at Toronto University, Garfield Gini-Newman is a founder and researcher in the Critical Thinking Consortium, in which I was able to participate a few years ago. Much of what Garfield discussed in our trainings gave structure to the work I was alraedy doing in my own classroom. I am thankful for his inspiration and for his providing a different way to seeing what I had already known.
Professor of Education at Toronto University, Garfield Gini-Newman is a founder and researcher in the Critical Thinking Consortium, in which I was able to participate a few years ago. Much of what Garfield discussed in our trainings gave structure to the work I was alraedy doing in my own classroom. I am thankful for his inspiration and for his providing a different way to seeing what I had already known.