Favorite Posts of 2012

Like many others, I see the end of the year as an arbitrary time to reflect, but that won't stop me from doing so.  This post will highlight some of my favorite posts in the last year (of which there about 90 posts between this post and when I restarted the blog back in March, 2012).  What follows are what I think are some of the best of what I've done.

As a whole I've really enjoyed blogging and how it has helped me think more clearly about different ideas and issues.  It's one thing to have ideas in your head, it's another to talk in miscellaneous exchange about them, but it's entirely something else to collect them together in written form for others to see and respond.  Putting them in this forum has allowed me to share what I feel I can share with the world (my ideas and thoughts) while also allowing me to hear from others where they agree, disagree, and have even been moved by what I've said.

So here are a few of those:

On Becoming a Reader Part 1 and Part 2 (May 2 & May 5, 2012)

We all know I'm an avid reader.  But I think there's a profound importance in promoting that idea and making sure others know the importance and value of reading.  In many ways, it's a solitary act, but one that needs to be regularly discussed in a public forum.

The Right to Fail at College (March 17, 2012)

I'm profoundly challenged by the role of shame and failure in our culture.  I don't think failure is a bad thing, but the ways in which we shame people for failure seems to create more problems. particularly with youth; they will avidly avoid that which they've failed.  When it comes to education, a system that doesn't utilize failure as a learning moment seems to be poor education.

On the Death of a Student (April 4, 2012)

One of my harder posts (emotionally speaking).  The classroom is such an curious environment and dealing with the death of a student in that class is a very challenging event therein.

Standing Tall: After a Week of Active Standing at Desks (June 19, 2012)

I've become a big fan of the standing desk and 6 months later--I still love my makeshift standing desks.

1 Year Later: of Fitbits and Vibrams (June 25, 2012)

A realization of how some tools can actually make all the difference.

Sure, I'll Do That: Where Volunteering Has Led Me (July 12, 2012)

A reflection on the benefits and interesting ways volunteering has influenced my life.

Tale of 9 Runs: Men Cry, Go Figure (August 6, 2012)

Our culture isolates men from talking or thinking much or understanding their feelings.  We are often made to pretend or close out emotional experiences because of the roles "men" are supposed to exhibit.  Here's some of my thoughts on that.

Verbal Handgranades, Vitriolic Banter, and Verifiable Rape (August 23, 2012)

A more nuanced discussion on political rhetoric and missing the real issues that are out there.

Tales of 9 Runs: A Tale of 2 Medals or I Just Ran a 25K, No, Really! (September 3, 2012)

The first long run I accomplished this past fall.  Still marveling at it and the other runs I did this fall.

A Youth Well (Mis)Spent: (Video)Games of My Mind (September 10, 2012)

Video games were a major part of my childhood and I'm all the better for them.

Online Education: Some Considerations (September 14, 2012)

As I've gotten more experience at my job as well as further in my MEd program, some thoughts about the nature of online education are brewing. 

Tales of Running:  First and Last Impressions (September 21, 2012)

 A reflection on the passing of a coach and kind man

Tales of Running:  Resilience and Mules (October 13, 2012)

One of my best reflections on running and how I got there.

Look What I Made: Apple Leather (November 12, 2012)

Maybe not one of my favorite posts per se, but it was one of the most popular in the last year.   I certainly enjoyed making it and talking about it (and am still making batches regularly).

Students: Why You're Smarter Than You Think (November 28, 2012)

Students are sometimes their own worst enemy when it comes to learning.  They need to know they're way smarter than what they give themselves credit for.

If Teaching Online Is Easy--Are We Doing It Wrong? (December 12, 2012)

Again, as I think more about education and what it does or doesn't look like in the online environment, some of these assumptions are problematic. 

Shootings, Troubled Boys, and System Failures (December 28, 2012)

 One of the hardest pieces of writing I did all year, but I also think quite important in the larger discussion around the Sandy Hook shooting.

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