Great video

If you'd like to see a video of two exemplary programs in Maryland, one that features Jean Clark a good friend and outstanding instructional coaching, who is featured in my book on coaching, go the following website and the video should automatically download. The video created by the Maryland State Department of Special Education is a good summary of what the Strategic Instruction Model developed at University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning can make possible.

Conference Ideas: Coaches who teach

Over the next week or so, I'll share a few of the cool ideas I heard at the First Annual Instructional Coaching Conference. In one panel discussion, someone asked what the panel members thought of coaches who also teach. Evan Lefsky mentioned that in some schools in Florida, coaches teach one class, perhaps a special reading strategies class, which can function as a learning lab for other teachers. That is, the coach can use the class as a setting for demonstrating evidence-based practices, and other teachers can drop in to the class to see those practices being used every day. Most of us on the panel agreed that asking someone to teach and coach is asking a lot, but this idea was one that many considered interesting.

I'll be writing more ideas soon. If you attended the conference, and you have anything you'd like to share, please post it here as well. In total we had more than 130 participants, with the conference selling out two months ahead of time. We're already looking forward to next year.

Cheap books

We're all lifelong learners, and to keep that going, well, we usually like to buy books. The website addall.com is a very useful site that checks the web to find the cheapest copy of the book on line. More books for less cash, you can't beat that.

Free Hugs

Those of you who are familiar with our approach to Instructional Coaching will know that we talk about spreading ideas like a healthy virus. There's a heart-warming video at youtube called free hugs that nicely illustrates that idea. Of course, the video itself, which has been seen by millions (and actually ended up on 60 minutes), is another example of the healthy virus idea.

A New Online Resource

The Oregon State Department of Education has created a valuable website that you might want to check out. They have published presentations and video recordings of many presenters including such people as Don Deshler, Michael Kamil, Elizabeth Moje, Randy Sprick and many, many others (including me). The site, as good websites should, makes it possible for you get the experience of the conference without ever having to leave your home.