A beginning...

In an effort to creep into the 21st Century and provide better communication to both staff and community, I (as well as all the administrative staff) am initiating my first ever blog. In this blog I hope to keep everyone updated on changes that will be occurring here at Marlington. On April 1st, the states who have been awarded Race to the Top funds will be announced. I believe that Ohio will be one of those states but we won't know for sure until it is announced. If we receive Race to the Top funds, we will be using those funds for professional development, for improving our data management system and for implementing a new evaluation system for teachers and principals. I will try to keep everyone informed of time lines and expectations through this blog so stay tuned!!

I have fallen behind on my Curriculum Focuses that I published regularly last year, so my new plan is to include "Classroom Tips" within this blog. One thing I have heard over and over from the teaching staff is how they have enjoyed being able to choose their own professional development opportunities for the 12 waiver hours. I encourage all teachers to use this "miracle of choice" in their classrooms as well! Everyone enjoys feeling like they have control and giving students a choice returns responsibility for learning to the student. How does choice "look"? In language arts it could be books to read, topics about which to write, and due dates for assignments. Allowing students to present portfolios of individual work on a given subject whether it is art or math or science labs opens up the door for creativity in assessment. Learning contracts, "choice boards" or simply asking students their opinions on what choices they would like to have can change the climate of a classroom. Perhaps now is the time of year, when everyone is a little tired, to try something new and experiment with choice in the classroom!