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  • Digital Portfolios in the Classroom: Interview with Rod Berger @Scholastic

    I recently responded to a series of questions regarding my new book, Digital Portfolios in the Classroom: Showcasing and Assessing Student Work (ASCD, 2017). This Q & A was with Dr. Rod Berger for his blog with Scholastic, titled Down the Hall. You can click here to read the entire interview. Below is an excerpt…

  • Student Goal Setting in the Classroom

    Below is my response for Larry Ferlazzo’s Classroom Q & A for Education Week. You can view all of the responses by clicking here. Enjoy! Used smartly and with intent, goal setting can be a game changer in engaging our students in their own learning process. Writing down goals makes them concrete. Sharing goals…

  • Cultivating the Student Growth Mindset

    The article below was written in collaboration with FreshGrade. It is an administrative companion piece to an upcoming eBook I wrote on instructional strategies for developing self-directed learners. Click here to read my conversation with Dr. Rod Berger via Scholastic’s Administrator blog for the article. And stay tuned for more information on the free eBook! Leadership Strategies…

  • Getting Started with Action Research

    I wrote this article for the Stenhouse blog. I am reposting it here as it was. Enjoy! Getting Started with Action Research Matt Renwick We recently facilitated action research for twenty of our district teachers. They came from all areas in grades K–12. The course was led by Dr. Beth Giles and Dr. Mark…

  • Seasons of Change

    Below is an article I co-wrote with two other educators about a year ago. It was rejected by Educational Leadership. I thought mid-summer might be a good time to get it out there for others to read and reflect on. Have a great start to the school year! Seasons of Change By honoring, empowering,…

  • A More Responsive Schoolwide Approach to Student Behavior

    This article was submitted to an online site but was not published. It happens. Now you can enjoy it here. Have a great summer! -Matt Every building has their issues with student behaviors and how to support kids who struggle socially and emotionally in school. We sometimes refer to these students as “frequent flyers” as…

  • Suggestions for a First Year Principal (from a veteran principal who remembers)

    Below is an article I wrote for the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators (AWSA). Click here to view the original source. If you have additional suggestions for first year principals, please post them in the comments. I didn’t think I would write something like this, a list of strategies for new building administrators. Who…