PLN’s Help When You Least Expect It

On October 3, 2007 I opened my Twitter account. My wife had been on for a while (since it was introduced to the public the Spring before at the SXSW conference). If you go onto Twitter and look me up (@cfanch ) you’ll see that I have one list of people to follow: Edpros.  Most […]

Nothing to Write About Today…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbgrigby/ I really want to write a blog post today. I wanted to write one yesterday.  This past week was pretty busy so I didn’t think about it. But I wanted to write a post last weekend too.  It’s not like I don’t have anything to say about PBL. It’s not like I haven’t read […]

Read Anything Good Lately?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moosterbroek/ I read this great editorial the other day by Ross Douthat encouraging people to read things that they might not normally read.  His focus was on politics and how you learn more if you read from authors who you don’t, necessarily, agree with. I got to thinking what things I read related to education.  Most […]

So, What Do You Think?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sea-turtle/ If this post sounds whiny I want you to tell me at the end of the post.  If it resonates with you then feel free to leave a comment telling me that.  If you found a typo in the third paragraph then feel free to let me know in the comments section at the […]

That Left Out Feeling

http://www.flickr.com/photos/letsbook/      Ah, summer.  That time when teachers pack up their classrooms and move to the pool or the beach.  They are out there hiking, fly fishing, and sailing.  Isn’t it great only working about 40 weeks of the year!  That’s 12 weeks of kicking back and doing nothing.      If only that […]

How Do You Create a School? (Part 1 of 2)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adrenalin/      (Part 1 of 2)      The first question that hit me when I said I wanted this job was how do we transform an existing school, Decker Middle School in Manor Tx, from what it is to what it will become?      I mean the school building is there.  There […]

Crowd Sourcing Ideas for Getting Started in PBL

http://www.flickr.com/photos/asgood/      I’ve been asked to present and coach teachers at the Elementary and Middle School level on how to get started with PBL.  That topic, (How to Get Started…), has been shared with me through many meaningful professional developments with the New Tech Network.  I have also read books by the Buck Institute, […]

What I Look For In A Coach

thedeafsage.wordpress.com As I was applying for an instructional coach position a few months ago, I decided I would think about what I look for in a good coach.  When I didn’t get the position I started questioning my ability to meet my own list of what it takes to be a good coach. First on […]

Should We Worry About Twitter Safety?

As an educator I am always cognizant of perceptions by parents, school district personnel, and the local community. That runs the gamut from anything I might buy at the local liquor store to what web sites I go to on the school computers. So, I am also very careful about social media and my interaction […]