The Power of Blogging - A Parents Perspective

As I was leaving school today I was stopped by one of my student's parents. This could have been one of those moments that bring tremors to a teacher as I heard "Mr Host, I need to speak to you about something!"

Thankfully she wanted to thank me for opening up my classroom via a blog and twitter to the parents. She stated that she was encouraged to see that the teachers at my school made themselves vulnerable enough to share the successes and learning opportunities for all the world to see. In her words "it reassured her that we are partners in educating her children".

I believe there are so many benefits to blogging in the classroom. Increased communication with parents is probably one of the simplest and most significant; however, the true extent of the educational benefits with elements such as blended learning and social media linked to it is yet to be fully determined but I am excited about its possibilities.

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Restorative Justice in Education: A Personal and Reflective Examination

As educators, we constantly seek methods to cultivate environments where students feel valued, respected, and supported. Over the years, restorative justice has emerged as an approach that addresses disciplinary issues and promotes a culture of care, empathy, and mutual respect. This article reflects on my experiences with restorative justice in education, highlighting its strengths, benefits, and connections to positive behaviour theories such as positive behaviour in schools (PBIS). I'll discuss the role of traditional disciplinary measures, like time-out, detention, and suspension, within a restorative framework. However, my stance is that these should be employed as a final option when there is no room for relationship coaching or the other strategies prove unsuccessful in achieving positive behavioural outcomes. I am going to preface this article and state that it is informed by my Christian perspective. I am committed to fostering a learning environment where students are enc...

Being a Globally Connected Educator with a Globally Connected Classroom

As educators we live is such an exciting time to teach. With the onset of the Internet we have had the ability to embed and curate videos , gamify , blog , have Minecraft in the classroom , flip the learning , use QR Codes , access social media and potentially video conferencing some educators could see that it is too much; however, I see its potential to benefit students and enhance professional development for educators. There has been no time in history where access to information has been so immediate and available. The potential for teachers to connect and be supported in collaboration, not bound by schools, districts, states and even nations inspires me. I am acutely aware that being globally connected presents the ability to bring expertise, skill and knowledge into my classroom beyond my capabilities. The networks that I have help me to design activities that measure students’ higher-order thinking skill...

Guerrilla PD - The Rise of Social Media for Educators

I was recently asked by a group of preservice teachers what has been the most powerful professional development strategy that I had undertaken during my career? This was a profound question because they had give me permission to share with them a practice that had revolutionized my world as an educator. My response initially took them by shock but as I explained my reasoning and philosophy they discovered an untapped supply of experts, experience and resources. Social media once was just thought of as a means to connect social stories, updates and status but in recent times there has been a professional revolution with many educators taking up Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest etc. as a means for quality professional development. It has become a form of "Guerrilla Professional Development" where educators have access to professional conversations happening around the world anytime, anywhere, without cost and restriction. For me my choice in social media has been Twitte...

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