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Getting to the Point: Ideas to fix (and first aid) the curse of the long email

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It's that time of year again. Teachers and administrators are settling into routines, procedures, staff meetings...and long winded school emails. Long emails full of details can be such a burden. Yes, you need the information, but what you really care is how it is going to impact you. As a part of my job I send and receive lengthy emails on a daily basis. Here are two ideas, one for sending, and one for receiving long emails. When you HAVE to send a LONG email... Create a Summary as an email header Include a graphic as a header (easy to create in Canva) with a summary or highlights of the information being presented in the email.  If the receiver wants more information include the details down below, but, if not, you have caught him/her up on key action items as soon as he/she opens their inbox.   Here's a template! Feel free to copy and use-- Simply create a text box in the right hand area to type your summary.  When you receive a LOOOO
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Create Classroom Community with Design Thinking Challenges

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Looking for a way to build meaningful classroom community?   Try incorporating design thinking challenges  with your students.  Design thinking helps students understand the creative process while identifying solutions to real world problems.  Inspired by these two books... Help your students to embrace innovation, failure, and a growth mindset by including design thinking challenges into your classroom, homeroom, or extra learning opportunities.  One example of a design thinking challenge... Materials:  Collection of resources - 5-10 solo cups per group - Rubber bands  Set up:  Explain to students that their task is to stack the cups without using their hands. Teams will need to work together to build the tallest structure. *Pro Tip: Sign up at  https://solveintime.com  and receive questioning task cards to help students walk through the design thinking process. 
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