Spiral Notebook Blogs
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Jim Moulton, education consultant
Jim Moulton, an independent K-12 educational consultant focused on technology integration and project-based learning, is in the inspiration business and the knowledge-transfer business. A former classroom teacher, Moulton supports schools in leveraging the technical network through effective integration of twenty-first-century tools and skills and the human network through purposeful project-based learning. He figures it is only when the two networks are focused that the best can be delivered for all members of any school community.
Subscribe to this blogger's RSS feedFree Advice: Learning from Others Simply by Listening
By Jim Moulton
9/9/08
I had a lesson recently on both the importance of listening to others and how to effectively give advice. Have you received advice that you initially thought you should ignore, but then decided to follow it and were glad you did? Here's what happened to me. Let me know what happened to you.
The Classroom Booster Club, Part Two: Connecting with the Community
By Jim Moulton
8/26/08This is the second part of a two-part entry. Read part one.
Sports teams have booster clubs -- people who straddle the formally regulated school funding arena and private enterprise. This means they are able to act like entrepreneurs -- go for what they want or need, rather than having to convince somebody else (like a principal, a technology director, or a school board) of the worthiness of their idea.
The Classroom Booster Club, Part One: Recruiting Academic Supporters
By Jim Moulton
8/19/08I'm heading home from Columbus, Ohio, on a fine, clear summer morning. I am in a window seat on the plane, as always, and on takeoff we fly right past downtown, en route to Cincinnati. On this flight path I get a wonderful view down into the Ohio State football stadium, where the word Buckeyes is emblazoned across the end zone, bold white text on a crimson background.
"Have You Seen This Web Site?": The Value of Exchanging Tips About Online Resources
By Jim Moulton
8/11/08I love working with teachers. Part of it is the importance of the work they do and the sense of satisfaction, both professional and personal, I feel when I am able to make them more powerful and effective. But another reason is that teachers are people who feel compelled to share their best ideas.
Picture Perfect: Make Your Own Motivational Posters
By Jim Moulton
7/18/08OK, I admit it. I have been known to leaf through the catalogs that live in the seat pockets on airplanes. I never find anything I have to have, but I always look at the motivational posters -- in part because I see a lot of these in the schools I visit.
Building a Legacy: Innovations Shouldn't Necessarily Become Institutions
By Jim Moulton
6/15/08I spent the weekend extending a stone wall I have been working on over the years. Now, before you get too impressed, please understand that my effort this weekend was only about 8 feet long and about 2 feet or so from the ground to the capstones.
Low-Cost Laptop: A Redesigned Computer for the World's Children
By Jim Moulton
5/20/08If you're not aware of the One Laptop per Child effort, you should be, if only because the rest of the world clearly is. And don't stop at reading what the One Laptop per Child Foundation has to say about it; read this article about it, and search "olpc," and you'll soon be an expert.
Broken Records: The Importance of Protecting Information
By Jim Moulton
5/13/08I carry a personal digital assistant (PDA), which my wife occasionally refers to as my "memory." On it are found my contact list and my calendar. When a potential client asks me if I have a date available, this is where I look. When I need to write a letter or make a call, it is where I find the info I need. But of all the functionalities, it is the calendar that is the most valuable. It tells me where I am supposed to be, and when.
Friend, or Foe?: Tech Staff and Teachers Don't Always Get Along
By Jim Moulton
4/4/08Relations between tech-support staff and educators is an emotionally charged issue, and I have thought about writing about it for quite a while. But I had an experience last week that made it clear to me it was time to gather my thoughts and ask a question or two.
Blogs, Blogs Everywhere: Does Everyone Need an Internet Journal?
By Jim Moulton
3/25/08I was working in a school where a teacher, who is technically savvy and making great use of digital tools in her classroom, openly challenged the idea that blogging is something to be encouraged for teachers and students. She voiced a concern that there is just so much stuff out there already, and all these blogs are just too much.
