Looking back…
Interestingly (or not), my most popular blog posts in 2013 were not written last year. These three have been the most enduring:
10 ways to encourage students to take responsibility for their learning (2010)
10 ways to differentiate learning (2012)
10 ways to encourage student reflection (2011)
My WordPress ‘Annual Report’ suggests I consider writing more on those subjects. In reality it seems that any post written in point form tends to be more popular as it’s quick to scan and requires less time and effort for the reader to process.
My top posts written in 2013:
10 ways to create a learning culture
10 questions to help you become a better teacher
10 principles of effective professional learning
As Seth Godin says, my most popular posts this year weren’t necessarily my ‘best’.
In 2013 my colleagues and I spent a great deal of time exploring inquiry and concept driven learning, improving our planning process and developing more effective approaches to in-school professional learning. So I liked these posts, with less advice, more reflection:
How do you assess understanding?
Planning for inquiry and Planning in response to learning
Concept based learning
Choose your own learning and There is never enough time
5 misconceptions about professional learning
Looking forward…
I don’t ‘set goals’.
Goals need to be specific, focused, achievable and include a plan of action. Ask me what my goals are for next year, I feel pressured to come up with something that fits those criteria, and I can’t think of anything to say.
I’m more of an inquiry kind of person. I love learning and exploring, making connections, going off on tangents, finding and solving problems, experimenting with ideas and possibilities, questioning and innovating.
So, rather than asking me for goals, ask me what I’d like to explore and I will rattle off an ever growing number of books, ideas, experiences and possibilities.
Watch this space…
What Ed Said 
Really like your point about focusing on what you are going to explore, rather than what your goals are for 2014. I still think that there is a place for both. I would like to think that my goals improve my explorations.
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Someone else who thinks like me! I do try to set goals but then leave them behind to go on an expedition of learning and exploring – it can be a distraction if I’m not careful though and I don’t get things done that I should (the tedious stuff)! Thinking about it, if you like finding and solving problems, you are unconsciously setting goals because ‘finding a solution to a problem’ is a goal.
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I can truly say that goals are meant to be set and met. Goals are sometimes over dued. Goals can take a person far as they want to go in life. People have to truly collaborate their thoughts and put effort into acheiving what they set ahead of them . i feel when i set a goal i try my best to not put as many on myself to obtain. Exploring is good, but you have to have it set and made up what you gone do.
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