I love sunrises! For as long as I can remember, I’ve appreciated the way sunrises organize time. With each sunrise, we’re presented with a brand new day. For me, this has always offered the promise of a new beginning with the chance to start over.
In a similar vein, New Years Day seems an apt time to make a fresh start with my blog. I’ve been away from the blog for much of 2010. Now I believe it’s time to start sharing here again. Dean Shareski was spot-on when he described sharing as a “moral imperative” for educators in his pre-conference keynote for the 2010 K12 Online Conference.
There are, of course, countless ways for an educator to share. I’m convinced, however, that with its potential for embedding a wide range of media, and thereby offering multiple means of representation, the blog remains one of the most powerful vehicles for sharing. I will continue to highlight free digital resources that support learning, but I’m not exactly how I will refine my focus.
Today, I begin by sharing a presentation on Universal Design for Learning. I had the privilege of sharing this in person in Minneapolis in October and again in Hong Kong in November. For anyone keen on educational reform and looking for a sound pedagogical approach to using technology in the learning adventure, I believe UDL is worth more than just a look.
[I shot the sunrise scene above from Landour, in the Indian foothills of the Himalayas. This is where I lived as a boy, and where I taught from 1981 to 1990.]
