Schools That Work for Kids – A TEDx Talk by Eric Sheninger

On By Patrick LarkinIn Eric Sheninger, TEDxLeave a comment

There are so many great TED Talks on the topic of education out there, I thought that I would start a weekly series highlighting one. This week I would like to highlight Eric Sheninger’s TEDx Talk from TEDxBurnsvilleED which was just published this week.

Check it out and see if you share Eric’s feelings on what our public schools are like and what we need to do to alter this.  I am also excited to see that Eric will be a keynote speaker at Leading Future Learning at Holy Cross in Worcester in March.

Some Interesting Posts I Read Last Week – Burlington Blog Update (Edition 9)

On By Patrick LarkinIn BPS Blog Update, Burlington blog update, Burlington Public Schools BlogLeave a comment
The post below is actually a copy of a weekly e-mail that I send to our staff  to promote our Burlington Public Schools Blog which shares the great work going on across our school district. I also try to give a quick technology tip/resource that I think would be useful. It is the ninth post in the series.

Before I get to the latest posts from the Burlington Public Schools Blog, I wanted to share a few interesting posts/articles that I stumbled across last week.  
  1. Google Search Tips Poster – Click on the link to the left to check out this great poster with some Google search modifiers that will help students get better results. I found this resource on a blog post by Vicki Davis on her Cool Cat Teacher site.
  2. What makes a good common core math question from the Hechinger Report – This is an interesting read on the nature of math problems in the common core era. Feel free to agree or disagree because it seems there is no longer one right answer when it comes to math problems 😉
  3. Some Socrative resources from Richard Byrne – Access More Than 1,000 Socrative Quizzes Sorted by Subject and a helpful video on the same topic –  How to Import Quizzes Into Your Socrative Account

    Burlington Blogs Update (Week 9)

It’s hard to believe that we have reached the quarter pole in this year’s school year! Time flies…and the great posts keep rolling in from all of the district blogs and websites! Highlights from this week include our first featured post from the Middle School Help Desk, and amazing video created by BHS Freshman Justin Varghese, and a great review of the music of BHS grad Eric Leva by BHS junior Timmy Sullivan.

Please keep those posts coming and if you aren’t a blogger, please feel free to forward any happenings from you or your classroom or any student work that you would like to show off and I will turn it into an original post for the BPS Blog.  






Only 135 more posts to go… 

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My Weekly Diigo Bookmarks (November 2, 2014)

On By Patrick LarkinIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Are You Social (With Your Bookmarking?) – Burlington Blog Update (Edition 8)

On By Patrick LarkinIn Burlington blog updateLeave a comment
The post below is actually a copy of a weekly e-mail that I send to our staff  to promote our Burlington Public Schools Blog which shares the great work going on across our school district. I also try to give a quick technology tip/resource that I think would be useful. It is the eighth post in the series.

This week I wanted to give three reasons to consider using a social bookmarking resource like Diigo. 
  1. Reason # 1 – Why search Google when you can get more focused results?  -Once you sign up for your Diigo account you have access to an entire community and can search for topics and find relevant resources based on what other users have bookmarked. For example, I entered “formative assessment” into the search window and came up with a number of resources on the topic. You can see a screen shot of my results below. On the left side of each link, Diigo lets you know how many others have bookmarked a particular site. While this is not a full-proof method, a link that is bookmarked by a large number of people is usually a pretty reliable resource and it can save you time in your search process.

  2. Reason # 2 – Share those relevant resources and have access on any device – When you get start with Diigo you can share your bookmarks with your students, your colleagues, and educators all over the globe.  You can join groups already created with educators who have similar roles or you can start your own group for a specific project or just general sharing. It is also a great resource to use with students when researching on a particular topic 
  3. Why just bookmark your links on your personal device when you can use a web-based resource and have access to them on any device at any time? – Using a service like Diigo gives you the peace-of-mind in knowing that you will never lose the links to the all the useful sites that you find!
If you need help getting started with Diigo then please connect with me or one of our district IT Staff. Our two Mobile Learning Coaches, Jenn Scheffer and Diana Marcus, each have online schedules so that you can book them at your convenience.  

Burlington Blogs Update

The posts below are the ones that have been selected from the 119 blogs and websites that have been shared with me. If you haven’t had a chance to share yours, then please enter it here on this Google form.  If you aren’t a blogger, please feel free to forward any happenings from you or your classroom or any student work that you would like to show off and I will turn it into an original post for the BPS Blog.  







Only 140 more posts to go… 


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My Weekly Diigo Bookmarks (October 26, 2014)

On By Patrick LarkinIn UncategorizedLeave a comment
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Planning For College? Don’t Miss These Two Upcoming Events

On By Patrick LarkinIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Listed below are two great opportunities for students and parents to learn about colleges and the college process. All of the information below was taken from the Burlington High School Guidance Blog. These events are open to any local parents and students. 


The Roadmap To College Admission – 

With Special Guest: Dr. Mark Montgomery

Date: Thursday October 23rd
Time: 6:30PM– 8:00PM
Location: Burlington (MA) High School Auditorium

The college admission process is stressful.  It all seems more competitive, more stressful, more expensive, and more unpredictable than ever before. 
How will I pick the right college for me?
What is the secret to admission to highly selective colleges?
What if my SAT or ACT scores are lower than I want them to be?
What if I got a C in chemistry…am I doomed?
 My GPA suffered freshman year (I was temporarily possessed by
 aliens); can I still get into a good college?
Which activities should I pursue to stand out from the crowd?
Why do smart people attend community college?
Will I ever be able to afford to go to college, even if I can get in?
With only 24 hours in a day, how can I be a high school superstar?

To answer these questions and to arrive at your chosen destination, you need a map. This presentation will be your personal GPS for choosing the right college—and getting in.

Join us for an entertaining, informative, and stress-reducing presentation by a national expert in higher education. This presentation is aimed at students in 8th through 11thgrade.  Students are encouraged to attend with their parents.

Mark Montgomery, Ph.D., is an independent college consultant serving a national and international clientele from offices in Denver, Colorado, Westfield, New Jersey, and Hong Kong, China.  As a former college administrator, admissions officer, professor of international relations, and high school teacher of French, Dr. Montgomery brings a wealth of educational experience and perspective to the process of college selection and admission.  He speaks to audiences around the world about how to choose the right colleges—and get in. 


For more information about Dr.Montgomery, please visit GreatCollegeAdvice.com.  



College Fair – October 28 – 6:30-8:30p.m.

The Shriners Auditorium, Wilmington


On Tuesday October 28th from 6:30 -8:30 p.m., a college fair will be held at the Shriners Auditorium in Wilmington, MA. The Burlington High School Guidance Department co-sponsors the event with many other Middlesex League High Schools. Usually over two-hundred colleges will attend. A college fair can be a very overwhelming experience for parents and students. The National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) has developed a very helpful list of questions that you can bring to the fair. We also recommend bringing a pre-determined list of colleges. Make it a priority to visit the schools on your list, then time permitting check out some others. Please remember you are not obligated to stay the whole time, many students spend about an hour at the event.  Below is the most up to date list of colleges attending:

Confirmed Colleges as of October 15
Albany College of Pharmacy
American International College
Anna Maria College
Assumption College
Bay Path College
Bay State College
Becker College
Benjamin Franklin Institute
Bentley College
Binghamton University
Boston University
Brandeis University
Bridgewater State University
Bryant University
Castleton State College
Champlain College
Clarkson University
Colby-Sawyer College
College of Mount St. Vincent
College of New Jersey
College of Our Lady of the Elms
College of Saint Joseph
College of St. Rose
College of the Holy Cross
Columbia College-Chicago
Curry College
Daniel Webster College
Dean College
Eastern Connecticut State University
Eastern Nazarene College
Elms College
Emerson College
Emmanuel College
Endicott College
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
Fisher College
Fitchburg State University
Florida Institute of Technology
Framingham State University
Franklin Pierce University
Gordon College
Hamilton College
Hampshire College
Harvard College
High Point University
Hofstra University
Husson University
Iona College
Ithaca College
ITT Technical Institute
Johnson and Wales University
Johnson State College
Keene State College
Laboure College
Lawrence Memorial/RC Nursing & Med. Radiography
Lesley University
Long Island University
Lyndon State College
Manhattanville College
Marian Court College
Marietta College
Marist College
Massachusetts Air National Guard
Massachusetts Army National Guard
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Merrimack College
Middlesex Community College
Millenium Trianing Institute
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Ida College
National Aviation Academy
New England College
New England Hair Academy
New England School of Photography
Newbury College
Nichols College
North Shore Community College
Northeastern University
Northern Essex Community College
Northwestern University
Paul Smith’s College
Pennsylvania State University
Personal Financial Management Plus
Pine Manor College
Plymouth State University
Providence College
Purdue University
Quinnipiac University
Reading Cooperative Bank
Reading Scholarship Foundation
Regis College
Rivier College
Roanoke College
Rochester Institute of Technology
Roger Williams University
Rutger’s University
Sacred Heart University
Saint Anselm College
Saint John’s University
Saint Joseph’s College – Maine
Saint Lawrence University
Saint Leo University
Saint Michael’s College
Salem State University
Salve Regina University
Savannah College of Art & Design
School of Fashion Design
Siena College
Simmons College
Smith College
Southern New Hampshire University
Southern Vermont College
Springfield College
Stonehill College
Stonybrook University
Suffolk University
SUNY – Cobleskill
SUNY-Genesco
Texas Tech University
Thomas College
Trinity College-CT.
United States Air Force
United States Army Recruiting Station
United States Marine Recruiting Office
United States Navy Recruiting Office
Unity College
University of Alabama
University at Albany
University of Connecticut
University of Delaware
University of Maine-Farmington
University of Maine-Orono
University of Massachusetts – Boston
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
University of New England
University of New Hampshire
University of Rhode Island
University of Rochester
University of Saint Joseph’s
University of Scranton
University of South Carolina
University of Southern Maine
University of Tampa
University of Vermont
Utica College
Vermont Technical College
Walsh University
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Western New England University
Westfield State College
Wheaton College
Wheelock College
Wittenburg University
Worcester State University

Check Out The K12 Online Conference – My Weekly BPS Blog Update (Edition 7)

On By Patrick LarkinIn Burlington blog update, Burlington Public Schools BlogLeave a comment
The post below is actually a copy of a weekly e-mail that I send to our staff  to promote our Burlington Public Schools Blog which shares the great work going on across our school district. It is the seventh post in the series.

A couple of weeks back I mentioned that October is Connected Educator Month and shared this link to the Connected Educator Month Website.  This week I wanted to pass along the link to the K12 Online Conference which offers more daily presentations on a variety of topics for K-12 teachers.  If you would like to bundle an hour from a K12 Online Conference Session with other technology PD options (i.e. How Do I Do That Sessions or our Burlington 1:1 Conference) to earn inservice credits then we would welcome that. If you need support on getting started with this process then please connect with me or one of our district IT Staff. Our two Mobile Learning Coaches, Jenn Scheffer and Diana Marcus, each have online schedules so that you can book them at your convenience.  


Burlington Blogs Update

The posts below are the ones that have been selected from the 116 blogs and websites that have been shared with me. If you haven’t had a chance to share yours, then please enter it here on this Google form.  If you aren’t a blogger, please feel free to forward any happenings from you or your classroom or any student work that you would like to show off and I will turn it into an original post for the BPS Blog.  







Only 145 more posts to go… 

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My Weekly Diigo Bookmarks (October 19, 2014)

On By Patrick LarkinIn UncategorizedLeave a comment
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Keeping Up With All of the Happenings in Burlington Classrooms – BPS Blog Update (Edition 6)

On By Patrick LarkinIn Burlington blog update, Burlington Public Schools Blog, FeedlyLeave a comment

Resource of the Week – Feedly
One of the greatest parts about the growing number Burlington teachers who have started sharing the happenings from their classrooms online with classroom blogs and websites is that I am able to see all of the neat things happening across the district on a daily basis. While there is no substitute for being in classrooms to see the learning firsthand, there is simply no way to stay on top of all of the wonderful work of staff and students.
This is where Feedly comes in.  Feedly is a FREE resource that allows you to see all of the blogs you follow in one place.  The best part is that you can use it on a smartphone, a tablet, or a laptop and scroll through the latest posts from the sites that you follow.  For educators, it is a great way to follow your colleagues or blogging educators from across the globe. It is also a great way to have students follow bloggers who are writing about topics that connect to a unit or entire course.
If you are interested in giving Feedly a spin, here is a link to a tutorial post that explains how to get started. I would just begin with the top three tips if you are a new user.  As always, please let me know if I can help you or your class get started with this great resource!

Week 6 Update
The posts below are the ones that have appeared on the blog over the last five school days. The number of BPS Blogs and Websites is up to 116, increasing by over 40 in the last four weeks!  Please add the link to your site here if you haven’t already done so.
Only 150 more posts to go… 

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