Nature Blocks
“I teach first grade for a homeschool coop. From the first day of school, I noticed the way the children… read more
This Weird Animal Was Spotted Entering a Classroom
In fact, this weird animal, the “poll-parrot” enters classrooms across America every day. Poll-parrot is the first described stage in… read more
Autodidacts Unite! Poll-parrot, Pert, and Poetic
In the first half of the twentieth century, Dorothy Sayers wrote an essay well-known in education. Familiarize yourself with her… read more
The Six Types of High School Teachers Who Succeed
Failure to launch is way too pervasive in the education field. Among those who succeed as high school teachers, I… read more
Autodidacts Unite! The Enneagram
While writing about the six types of high school teachers, I was reminded of the enneagram, an ancient-modern method of… read more
Facebook and Twitter Are Made Out of Kardashians and Jihad
Social media is making all of our lives simultaneously more meaningful and more empty. For every deep thought on our… read more
Autodidacts Unite! How Do You Make a Social Network Work?
Social networks have had a global impact: they are changing the nature of human society. Will their impact be lasting?… read more
Will the Justice of Today Become the Injustice of Tomorrow?
At one time, London was full of urchins. Not the wet, salty kind. The runny-nosed, dressed-in-rags kind that yells, “Oy,… read more
Autodidacts Unite! Can History Make News?
The history department of George Mason university thinks so, and they provide a valuable service to the public with a… read more
This 11-Year-Old Boy Saved Hundreds of People from Slavery
What do you do when someone withholds chili from you? Although you might get hangry, you probably won’t start a… read more
Autodidacts Unite! The ‘S’ Word
What do you think the ‘s’ word is? I once heard a third grader say this, “You said the ‘s’ word!”… read more
Luxocracy: Can This One Weird Word Save Our Future?
Meritocracy is the best of human paradigms yet discovered, which has allowed millions to live a more fulfilling life and… read more
Autodidacts Unite! Witness Ra Paulette, the Cave Digger
Give Them a Reason to Reason
Computers, on balance, are a social good, but there are things that have been invented to fleece people by exploiting… read more
Plano ISD’s Daring New Tech High School
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What I Found in The Attic
Last year, I took a learning trip to Seattle on my Spring Break. In March, while kids in Texas are… read more
Thinking inside the box
When my student’s classroom laptop died during class, we decided to take a look at it after school. Why not?… read more
Ojective mastery
From Wikipedia: “Mastery learning has little to do with specific content, but rather is a description of the process of… read more
About Thomas
Thomas P. Davenport is a technology teacher. Raised in Plano, TX, he was in one of the first elementary classrooms, in… read more
Can you make a difference?
Summit kids organized a food drive to benefit local families. Thanks to our super student organizers and a generous parent… read more
Classroom Skype session with young emancipation activist
Summit students Skype with Tyler Page. In 2007, at the age of ten, a boy in Brentwood, California watched a… read more
Great classroom poster(s)
Teacher Krissy Venosdale creates great inspirational posters for her classroom. In particular, I love the poster linked at the end… read more
Futurism and the future of the internet
Cory Doctorow, from BoingBoing.net, spoke at UTA last fall. It was one of many really great lectures that I’ve attended… read more
Why connections count
Yes, that’s right. Santa, Mrs. Clause AND the head elf visit me at home – in my own house –… read more
iBlog
So, it’s August and school is in session. Soon, I embark on a new journey in teaching; a professional development… read more