By Robert J. Harris May 22, 2017 Over the last decade, the Makerspace Movement has been gaining momentum and market share in k-12 education - and rightfully so. Makerspaces provide students with opportunities to explore innovative solutions to real-world problems by creating tangible work-products through guided hands-on learning experiences outside of the regular classroom.  The... Continue Reading →

By Robert J. Harris May 18, 2017 “Gonna do my very best And it ain't no lie If you put me to the test If you let me try Take a chance on me.”                            ABBA Once again, it’s the annual year-end job hunting season in education. For all of the wrong reasons, in the... Continue Reading →

By Robert J. Harris May 16, 2017 The following is not an endorsement of IBM products. IBM’s Watson Education is used to illustrate how an industry giant such as IBM is currently changing the education landscape by bringing intelligent machines into the classroom. According to IBM, “Watson is bringing education into the cognitive era.” IBM’s... Continue Reading →

By Robert J. Harris May 12, 2017 Today, innovators in the automobile industry are combining machine intelligence, robotics and advanced sensory systems with existing automotive technology to create ‘self-driven’ cars. These cars are capable of interacting with humans to safely navigate through their environment. Their standard features include: Forward Collision Avoidance, Lane Detection, Backup Cameras... Continue Reading →

By Robert J. Harris May 8, 2017 Over the last two decades, school districts hired an increasing number of academic coaches to work with elementary teachers to improve the quality of literacy and math instruction. In this role, instructional coaches share their expertise in curriculum and instruction by observing classroom teachers, modeling best practices for... Continue Reading →

By Robert J. Harris May 4, 2017 With many years of past experience as a high school choral director, I still love to hear the sound of a choir – particularly when the voices are all singing in unison. The act of singing in unison is inclusive. By definition, when individuals sing in unison they... Continue Reading →

By Robert J. Harris April 27, 2017 Trained as a jazz guitarist, I have a deep understanding of chord structures from both an aesthetic and a theoretical perspective. In jazz music, chords set the harmonic context and framework for improvisation, and melody provides its themes. In the following blog piece, I will briefly discuss the... Continue Reading →

By Robert J. Harris April 25, 2017 With 25 years working as an educational negotiator, I have seen and made numerous proposals at the bargaining table in connection with teaching and learning. Today, given the backdrop of the Third Industrial Revolution, and new and exciting developments in the fields of technology and digital learning, coupled... Continue Reading →

By Robert J. Harris April 19, 2017 In my conversations with educational leaders, I am often asked how I view my role as a negotiator working on the employer’s side of the table in the k-12 space. In response, I usually quip, “I deliver the mail.” Not in the sense that I liken the work... Continue Reading →

By Robert J. Harris April 17, 2017 One week ago, my wife returned home after a three-week stay at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. She was there to recover from surgery after a tumor was removed from her spine. The two of us will be forever grateful for the caring and skillful treatment she received from... Continue Reading →