Writing has always been a love for me. No matter what has happened in my life, no matter how long I have been away from the practice of reflecting with the written word, it has always come back.
For a number of years after college graduation, I wrote little. It wasn't until I was around thirty that I picked up the digital pen and began anew. Thanks to support from numerous colleagues and a number of organizations and agencies, I've become a better writer, and through that, a better person.
Below are links to some of my most recent work (if you're interested in using/referencing any of these, please let me know):
Books: My second book is now available! I welcome any and all feedback!
Forces of Influence: How Educators Can Leverage Relationships to Improve Practice. Published by ASCD on February 10, 2020. This text explores the ways in which we can leverage relationships to continue to do effective work leading and learning. You can also pick up the book through Amazon. Here is a podcast discussing the book and another one. Feedback always wanted.
Professional Development That Sticks. Published by ASCD on February 29, 2016. This text explores how to design professional learning opportunities that are meaningful and relevant to educators. You can also pick up the book through Amazon.
Articles: I have had the opportunity to write for a number of organizations, including ASCD, and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA).
What’s Key to Sticky PD? Published by ASCD in Educational Leadership on February 1, 2021. This article dives into four key components of professional learning that tend to help that learning change the practice of adult learners.
The Millionaire Method to Powerful PD. Published by ASCD on Augusts 1, 2015. This article shares a number of professional learning design steps that can be taken to make professional development more effective (and more like the "Millionaire" show).
The Box in the Middle Seat. Published by American Mensa on April 1, 2015. This short article reflects on how travel has played a role in my life, and how family has influenced my actions as a parent.
Three Steps for Hiring Future All-Stars. Published by ASCD on April 1, 2014. This piece shares thoughts on best practices in hiring.
Every Assessment Tells a Story. Published by NSTA on January 1, 2014. This article explores the steps involved, and benefits for students and teachers, in using story assessments.
Staying Whole Without Ignoring the Pieces. Published by New York ASCD on March 1, 2013. This piece explores how the tenets of the Whole Child movement apply to everyone, not just young learners.
The Good News About Bad News. Published by the Peer Resources Bulletin on January 8, 2013. This piece shares thoughts on how to give bad news in a way that can actually be good for all involved.
Connecting Content and Core Literacies in the Science Classroom. Published by ASCD on December 20, 2012 and co-written with Steven Weber. This piece explores how traditional literacy and scientific literacy can be combined; as partners of sorts.
Not Another Lab Report! Published by NSTA on January 1, 2012. This piece explores a method to redesign the traditional lab report in secondary schools to be more engaging, more fun, and more real.
Teaching Toward a More Scientifically Literate Society. Published by NSTA on July 1, 2010 and co-written with Ray LoGiudici. This piece describes a scientific literacy project that was designed to help students become more aware of how the world impacts them as future leaders of society.
Blogs: I blog monthly for Smartbrief's SmartBlog on Education, and have blogged for ASCD, Edutopia, and other organizations as well. In addition, I challenged myself to a Blog-A-Day during the 2014 school year which was both enjoyable and incredibly challenging. Below are samples of posts I have written.
3 Growth Lessons from 2022. Published by SmartBrief on January 12, 2023. I regularly reflect on my learning during different scopes of time. This one focuses on 2022.
Staying the Course. Published by SmartBrief on February 23, 2021. I discuss some key learnings from pandemic response.
A New Perspective. Published by SmartBrief on March 18, 2020. I talk about lessons I learned from time in Iceland.
3 to Grow On. Published by SmartBrief on February 12, 2020. I discuss three “non-resolutions to guide my work in the new year.
Data as the Bridge. Published by SmartBrief on March 7, 2018. I discuss how data can help educational leaders lead towards equality.
Leading for All. Published by SmartBrief on February 7, 2018. I discuss my thinking on ways that schools and districts can help cultivate leaders in all roles.
PD Resolutions for 2017. Published by SmartBrief on December 5, 2016. I discuss my thoughts for changes in professional learning for this coming year.
The Rule of 3Ps. Published by SmartBrief on June 1, 2016. I discuss a key component of what I call "Relational Leadership."
A Whole New World of Whole Learning. Published by Smartbrief on May 18, 2016. I share my thinking on the importance of leading and learning through a "Whole Learner lens.
What's Your Account Balance. Published by Voxer on September 16, 2015. This post focuses on the ways in which a tool like Voxer has helped me become a more effective leader and learner.
Grow Like the Grass. Published by SmartBlog on Education on June 17, 2015. I share thoughts on how to keep growing over the course of the summer.
An Agency Approach to Meeting the Needs of ELLs. Publishing by Edutopia on June 9, 2015. This piece shares how the PNW BOCES departments have worked together to support ELLs and teachers of ELLs.
Moving from Professional Development to Personalized Learning. Published by SmartBlog on Education on March 19, 2015. This blog post explores how we will only continue to grow if we focus on the personal nature of learning, and uses the PNW BOCES Council, created by my supervisor, Dr. Marla Gardner, director of the Curriculum and Instructional Services Department, as an example of this.
Lead With One Foot Out The Door. Published by ASCD on February 24, 2014. This piece focuses on how great leaders always lead with an eye on their exit strategy.
Fred's Blog-A-Day Challenge. 366 blog posts, written from January through December, 2014. I spent 366 days blogging around inspirational quotes that either I wrote or someone else did. Then, I did it again in 2017. :) You can find the blogs from that year in the "My Blog" section.