Unboxing Education

In education, consistency is often championed—but when it comes to setting due dates and AI usage policies, the "one size fits all" approach is more harmful than helpful.  It’s time we acknowledge a simple truth: not all subjects (or students) are the same. So why are we still enforcing blanket rules? 📚 Different Subjects, Different Cognitive Demands Subjects vary not just in content, but in the kind of thinking they require. Consider these examples: Math and Science often rely on sequential problem-solving. Timely practice and feedback are essential. Late work in these subjects may mean missed opportunities to correct misunderstandings before moving forward. English Language Arts requires deeper reflection, drafting, and revision. Rigid due dates can discourage the iterative process that leads to strong writing. Electives like Art, Music, and CTE often assess creativity, iteration, and production over time. Artificial urgency can hinder authentic learning. ...

If you want to know why innovation moves at a glacial pace in K–12 education, look no further than this: the penalty for failure is too high. Innovation thrives in environments where calculated risks are encouraged, failure is seen as data, and learning is iterative. That’s not how our education systems are built. In fact, most departments of education operate in the opposite direction—with rigid accountability structures, limited tolerance for experimentation, and political consequences for getting it wrong. 🎯 High Stakes, Low Risk Tolerance When a school or district tries something new—a new platform, a new schedule, a new grading system—they’re betting with their reputation, their funding, and sometimes even their jobs. Test scores drop during the transition? That might be enough to derail careers. Parents complain? The school board intervenes. One bad press article? The whole initiative dies. It’s no wonder so many schools stick with outdated systems. The known, even if broke...

Do you feel attacked when you open your To Be Graded list?   Nearly every online teacher has been in a situation where the grading inbox seems to be an avalanche of work that needs attention, feedback, and evaluation. There are even days when a teacher grades one assignment only to return to find the queue has grown by 5.  While most of the advice available begins with the beginning, course design, there are things a teacher can do TODAY to manage the load. Then, the teacher can find time to plan for the future, to minimize the storm of grading next semester. What to do TODAY: Wrangle the TBG Monster (To Be Graded): 1. Search for or scan for items that are easy to grade. Eliminate short assignments, assignments with rubrics attached, and anything that is for completion. Return any blank assignments, documents that are not shared, or other errors in submission. 2. Sort by Date: Feedback is most impactful when it is timely. If an assignment is more than 5 school days old, the st...

“You may delay, but time will not.” —  Benjamin Franklin The most common request I hear from administrators and legal counsel regarding AI is the request to see policy language from someone else. This has resulted in a kind of standoff. Here are two sources that may help you get this process moving along Syllabus Resources Sample Syllabi Policies for AI Generative Tools

               Adjusting teacher captivity in an online school is tricky. It is difficult to “see” when the classroom is “full.” However, schools can consider several factors.  First, define all of the jobs a teacher is responsible for. Remember that teaching online and writing an online curriculum are two jobs and should be factored in as such. Then, define what “full time” would look like for each job.  If teaching Algebra 1 on a certain platform is full-time, on its own, at 120 students, create a formula that factors the portion of full time that a teacher has in that category. Repeat for each category. Remember that the number of different jobs reduces a teacher’s efficiency. If teaching 120 students in Algebra is full time, teaching 80 students in 6 classes may be comparable. This will vary by school. Lastly, identify the sweet spot for teachers. 100% capacity would indicate a completely maxed out teacher and this is not an ide...