MnLV Musings

I've been sitting with a question lately: How much do you think your life would change if your worst or most self-defeating habit immediately went away? Not improved slowly.  Not managed better.  Not reduced by 20%.  Gone. Which is it for you?  Procrastination?  Overeating?  Avoidance?  Anger?  Self-doubt?  Scrolling?  The need for approval?  Quitting when something gets uncomfortable?   On a side note, I believe that having any one of these habits (or whatever it is for you) opens the door for any of the other self-defeating reactions.   But to my original question:  What would actually change? Would your health improve?  Would your marriage or relationship feel different?  Would your confidence come back?  Would you finally finish the thing you keep talking about starting?  Would you be more present with your family?  Would your money situation improve?  Would your peace of mi...

The way I understand the article by Pischetola et al. (2022) is that networked learning isn’t created just because people are placed in the same class, online platform, or discussion board.  That is like saying a casino floor is running well just because the tables are open and employees are scheduled.  A casino floor only works when people, systems, communication, and real-time adjustments all connect.  According to Pischetola et al. (2022), The same is true with learning. The article talks about two forces:  One force pulls people toward structure and rules - like a policy manual and standard service expectations in a casino.  Without these, there isn't order to operations.  The other force pushes people toward new ideas and different viewpoints for problem-solving.  In a casino, it’s using feedback from multiple perspectives to seek new and better outcomes.   What stood out to me is that the authors are not saying one side is better....

Zgheib and Dabbagh (2020) warn of the danger of assuming that a new tool automatically creates a new kind of learning.  The authors discuss how faculty in their study used various social media tools like blogs, Twitter (now X), YouTube, and podcasts to support student learning.  Although this sounds innovative, the study found that in some cases, the tool changed while the basic learning model stayed the same. This matters because a blog can become just another place to post an assignment or X can become just another participation checkbox. If students are not fully engaging by interacting, reflecting, creating, or even changing their thinking, then the technology is not really changing the learning experience.  It's just putting an old process in a newer package. In casino or hospitality work, buying a new system doesn't automatically improve service.  A new system, platform, or training module only helps if it changes behavior and creates better outcomes.  Oth...

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Ma!! I'm reminded of a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln which states, "All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." I watched you nurture your six children and every one of the countless kids who played all day in our yard and grew to call you Mom. I watched the steadfast loyalty and mutual respect you and Dad demonstrated my entire life and throughout your sixty-two year marriage.   I watched countless family members, neighbors, and people I didn't know coming to you - often in tears, with their heaviest burdens for your counsel and prayer.   I remember the countless hours you spent in church, volunteering, and giving aid to the most disenfranchised.   You are the most empathetic person I've ever known.  I remember you slipping quietly away in a crowded train station to give comfort to a complete stranger who sat sobbing as you spoke quietly with him.  This was in no way an isolated occurrence. ...

What an eventful day which was an eventful end to an eventful week! I traveled all week, juggling homework, family obligations, multiple timezones, and a 35 degree difference in temperatures between Chicago and Las Vegas.   Today was our first day back in town from our trip and it happens to be my wife's 50th birthday, Father's Day, and the first day of summer.   My wife and I have been together for 25 years and we came to the realization today that she's spent half her life with me.   Besides my wife, my father has been a constant inspiration to me - from his 62 years of marriage to my late mother to his receiving his master's degree at 56.   I'd like to blog about a school subject today...but this day belongs to my heroes!!

The point that stood out to me in Pan and Chen’s article is that change is not just a matter of telling professionals what to do.  Teachers are often asked to adopt new methods, new curriculum models, and new expectations.  Anyone who has worked in leadership knows that announcing a change is the easy part.  Getting people to believe in the change is where the real work begins. The article focuses on networked learning communities, where teachers work with other teachers across schools through lesson planning, classroom observation, and discussion.  The authors found that participation alone was not the strongest driver of change.  The key factor was whether teachers developed stronger beliefs in collaborative professional learning.  In other words, it wasn’t just the meetings, observations, or the discussions that mattered.  It was whether those experiences changed how teachers viewed the value of learning with one another. I have seen plenty of initi...

Gavriel Salomon’s article about the educational rationale of technology stood out to me because he discusses an often-repeated mistake:  we see a new tool, platform, device or a system and we start believing it will solve problems that may be much deeper than the tool itself.  This isn’t just an education issue because I’ve seen the same thing happen in business.   Salomon’s argument is not that technology is bad.  A problem occurs if we place too much value simply on the tool’s ability to efficiently deliver information.  When a learner completes a module or an employee passes a quiz, we can assume they’ve received the information, but have they learned anything?  Technology gives us access to information faster than ever.  But access is not the same thing as understanding.  I can provide an employee with a digital copy of the employee manual and have them acknowledge receipt, but that doesn’t mean they know how to handle a real conflict wit...