Advanced Placement Courses

The TAPPLE Method is a classroom management and formative assessment strategy developed by Dr. Chris Biffle (Whole Brain Teaching). It’s designed to keep students actively engaged and accountable during lessons. Here’s what TAPPLE stands for: T – Teach first → Present the information or concept clearly to students. A – Ask a question → Check understanding by asking the class a question related to what you just taught. P – Pair-share → Give students time to quickly discuss their answer with a partner (this boosts participation). P – Pick a non-volunteer → Instead of calling on students who raise their hands, call on any student to answer, ensuring everyone stays alert. L – Listen → Pay close attention to the student’s response to gauge understanding. E – Effective feedback → If the answer is correct, reinforce it positively. If not, guide the student (and class) back to the correct answer without discouraging them. ✅ The goal of TAPPLE is to maintain engagement, equity, and accountability—so all students are involved in the learning process, not just the most eager ones

Grades Vs. Skills. As a student, what should you choose? Well, the answer should be both. What should you prioritize? Some might say marks, but I will always say skills. Here's why: Grades are essential to fulfill the academic requirements of an institute or a job. But grades have a short shelf life. They matter and impact your first job after college or for admissions to higher #education institutes. After 7-8 years of active employment, professionals don't mention them in their CVs.   Some students focus so much on grades that they resort to short-term tactics of rote learning. The moment the exam is over, they forget all of it. Too much focus on grades rather than developing skills defeats the purpose of genuine knowledge acquisition.   As a faculty who has been teaching #students for several years, this is what I will advise you: 🔷 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:  Master email writing, sponsorship proposals,  Drafting your #CV, SOP, cover letter, etc. Public speaking - Participate in elocution, debate, MUN, etc. Volunteer to host or anchor #college programs.  Read more to write better. Work on your presentation skills. Master Canva - a wide range of templates, tools, and resources Become mindful about your body language and use it to your advantage. Get your hands dirty. The more you do it, the better you become. 🔹 𝐁𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫: Take on Responsibilities and fulfill them. Be it making a presentation or coordinating for class, club, or committee program. Lead by Example. Demonstrate integrity, enthusiasm, and dedication in your actions and interactions. Step out of your comfort zone, take on challenges, and learn from failures. 🔹 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐈𝐓 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬: Excel, PowerPoint, and Word are essential tools you must know. Stay updated with cutting-edge software related to your domain. Knowing and wisely using AI is an added advantage. 🔹 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: Stay connected to your batchmates, seniors, juniors, alumni, teachers, etc.  Attend conferences, workshops, seminars, and industry-specific events. Join professional #networking platforms like LinkedIn. 🔹 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬: Basic cooking/cleaning. It can save you a lot of time, money, and health. Driving. Caution: not without a license. Bus, train, and flight bookings. Basic banking operations. Managing multiple bank accounts, debit/credit cards, digital wallets, etc. Personal finance. Mindful #socialmedia usage  Prioritize being kind and humble.  Avoid arrogance and treat others with respect. Focusing on the how instead of the what is why, I would encourage students to return to the basics to get employed or find their calling in their careers. This is the key to long-term success. Which skills would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments below. 

📌To Those Still in College: Don’t Miss This Opportunity We’ve all been there: studying biology but ending up as a software engineer, diving into math but somehow landing in the medical field, or exploring chemistry only to find ourselves deep in analytics. Life takes unpredictable turns, and that’s okay. But here’s the thing: no matter where life takes you, there’s one set of skills that will always stick with you, no matter your field communication and networking. ✏️Why is This So Important? During your school and college years, you’re surrounded by opportunities to connect, learn, and grow. This is the perfect time to practice: ▪️Communication: Whether it’s presenting a project, working in a team, or even just asking questions in class, every interaction helps you improve. ▪️Networking: The people you meet now classmates, professors, mentors could be the ones opening doors for you in the future. It’s the connections I made and the way I presented myself that have made the biggest difference in my career. ✏️Why Start Now? Because once you graduate, the stakes feel higher. It’s harder to experiment, make mistakes, or learn at your own pace. But during college, you have the freedom to try, fail, and try again without the pressure of a job title or career path. ✏️So, Here’s My Advice: ▪️Speak up in class even if it feels scary at first. ▪️Join clubs or events they’re great for meeting people outside your immediate circle. ▪️Reach out to seniors or professors their guidance can shape your future. ▪️Work on group projects they’re underrated lessons in collaboration. These small steps will make you more confident, more connected, and better prepared for whatever career path you choose. If you’re still in college, take this as a sign to start building these skills now. They’re not just important they’re essential. And trust me, they’ll stay with you for life. To those who’ve already graduated: What’s one skill you wish you had focused on more during college? Let’s share and help the next gen grow! 🌐If you found this helpful, like and repost to reach others who might need it. ✳️Follow for more daily content!

One thing I keep coming back to in my EdTech workshops is this: if your use of technology isn’t grounded in a clear pedagogical framework, it’s not integration, it’s just digital noise. Using tech in the classroom should never be about adding flashy tools for the sake of it. Real integration is intentional. It takes time. It involves research, reflection, and knowing exactly why you’re using a particular tool and what learning purpose it serves. There are several models out there to guide us: SAMR, TPACK, and the one I’m sharing here: the Technology Integration Matrix . They each have their own nuances, but the message is the same: use technology to support learning, not control it. And while it’s tempting to aim straight for the top (that is transformation, immersion, innovation) I believe every level has value. Sometimes a simple adoption level use, like well-designed slides or a collaborative doc, is exactly what your lesson needs. It’s not about going all in or not at all. It’s about being strategic and informed. So, build your integration around sound theory. Let your tech practices reflect your pedagogy. And always ask: is this tool enhancing how my students learn or just adding noise? 👇 Here’s a visual overview of the 5 levels feel free to share or use it in your PD sessions. And for more details check out the original source that informed this visual: https://lnkd.in/eX5cJcFM #edtech #teachingwithtech #instructionaldesign #teachertraining #educatorstechnology #medkharbach

College isn’t what it used to be. But it’s not obsolete either. The cartoon here gets at a very real tension: how do you prepare for a future where AI and automation will change nearly every field? My answer: You study the things that build durable skills, deep thinking, and uniquely human advantages. If I were starting college today—or guiding my kids—I’d focus on 15 areas that combine timeless value with future-proof skills: ↳ Critical Thinking & Logic → AI accelerates information, but humans must interpret, judge, and decide. ↳ Writing & Communication → The ability to persuade, clarify, and inspire with words will never go out of style. ↳ Data Literacy → Not just coding—understanding how to frame, analyze, and question data. ↳ Economics & Incentives → Technology shifts fast, but human behavior is still shaped by incentives. ↳ Psychology & Human Behavior → Understanding people will always create advantage. ↳ Philosophy & Ethics → Guiding principles for technology, leadership, and life. ↳ History of Ideas & Institutions → You can’t build the future without knowing how past systems worked—and failed. ↳ Statistics & Probability → Core decision-making tools in an uncertain world. ↳ Systems Thinking → The ability to see how parts connect, whether in business, government, or ecosystems. ↳ Negotiation & Influence → Machines can recommend; humans still must convince. ↳ Leadership & Team Dynamics → Coordinating humans is still the hardest—and most valuable—skill. ↳ Financial Literacy → Every career intersects with money, markets, and risk. ↳ Design Thinking → Creativity + problem-solving, applied to products, processes, and organizations. ↳ Public Speaking → Clarity and presence in a room or on a stage multiplies every other skill. ↳ Adaptability & Lifelong Learning → The meta-skill. The one that ensures you’re never left behind. College still has real value when it is seen as a place to build these capabilities—not just a credential. The world your kids will graduate into will look very different from the one they enter. But these skills compound for a lifetime. ✅ Focus on timeless, human-centric skills ✅ Use college to build frameworks, not just memorize facts ✅ Treat learning as the start of a lifelong practice Do. Fail. Learn. Grow. Win. Repeat. Forever. ♻️Repost & follow John Brewton for content that helps. 📬Subscribe to Operating by John Brewton for deep dives on the history and future of operating companies (🔗in profile).

🎯 Why do some students stay silent in class? It’s rarely about laziness—it’s often about barriers we, as educators, can help remove. Here are the 10 biggest reasons students avoid participating (and practical fixes): 1️⃣ Fear of being wrong → Create a safe space where mistakes = learning. 2️⃣ Lack of confidence → Use positive reinforcement & celebrate small wins. 3️⃣ Dominant voices → Give quiet students structured turns. 4️⃣ Cultural/language barriers → Provide multiple ways to engage (writing, pair-talk, digital tools). 5️⃣ Unclear expectations → Show what “good participation” looks like. 6️⃣ Low interest → Connect lessons to real-life relevance. 7️⃣ Past negative experiences → Reset the tone with patience & encouragement. 8️⃣ Overly fast pace → Give wait-time before expecting answers. 9️⃣ Not feeling valued → Acknowledge every contribution. 🔟 Unmet personal needs → Be mindful of stress, hunger, or struggles outside class. 💡 Participation isn’t about getting every student to speak up instantly. It’s about creating an environment where every voice feels safe, valued, and heard. 👉 Question for my fellow educators: What’s YOUR go-to strategy for drawing out the quietest voices in your classroom? #Education #Teaching #StudentEngagement #Learning #ClassroomStrategies

As teachers, getting planning right is paramount. It not only makes a big difference to student learning, but also to teacher workload: ↓ However, effective approaches to planning are not always obvious. For example, in the early years of our career, some teachers (myself included) find ourselves planning by first trying to 'identify a good activity'. Whilst this can be an important part of the process, it's not always the best place to start. Activity-led planning can lead to incoherent learning and a false sense of teacher security—where students are busy but not necessarily progress. A stronger approach is to begin with the end in mind. This is called 'reverse design' (or backwards planning) and entails first asking ourselves 3 questions: 1/ What do I want my students to have learnt by the end of this session? Reverse design is about striving for excessive clarity on what we want our students to know and be able to do as a result of our teaching. The clearer we are about where we want to go, the better chance we have of getting there. One of the best ways to force this clarity is by asking ourselves: 2/ How will I know if they've got there? As Daisy Christodoulou points out in her book Making Good Progress... assessment operationalises curriculum. Asking ourselves these 2 questions BEFORE thinking about activities can increase the likelihood of learning happening and make your planning more efficient. Win. Win. 🎓 For more, check out this chapter from Understanding by Design, by Wiggins & McTighe ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/eDqHPzve SUMMARY • If we’re not careful, we can fall prey to ‘activity-led’ planning. • Starting with the end in mind (and how we might assess this) is often more powerful. • When we get planning right, we boost student learning and reduce teacher workload. 👊

Teaching Smarter: Boosting Engagement and Managing Distraction with AI. That was the focus of a recently concluded training at one of the largest international schools in Dar es Salaam. 4 days, 8 sessions, for over 200 teachers (Nursery, Primary, and Secondary). While discussing the training need, one major challenge highlighted was Tech Distraction. So this wasn't just another tech integration training, but understanding the Learners' characteristics, why distractions occur, and how to address this across the various grades, because the reasons for distraction vary across the different age groups, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Like a 2 faced coin, Technology/AI can be a distraction or can help teachers improve students' engagement and on-task behaviour. We need to understand the cost of unmanaged technology use and how to mitigate this. Technology/AI is not the problem, but how we use it. While we agree that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, the FOCUS framework can be adapted as an approach to integrating technology thoughtfully. F - Fixed Time Blocks: Designated Tech Time - Establish clear periods for device use with visible timers and smooth transitions. O - Objective-Driven Activities: Learning Goals First - Align tech use directly with clear learning goals, success criteria, and assessment. C - Controlled Environment: Teacher-Managed Devices - Implement strategies like limited application access, monitored usage. U - Unified Classroom Management: Consistent Rules - Apply technology rules consistently, use positive reinforcement, and foster peer accountability. S - Skill Building Progression: Digital Citizenship - Teach digital citizenship, technical competency, and self-regulation. The teachers also went away with competency in the use of some Tech/AI tools to help design better lesson activities that improve students' engagement and classroom control, like ClassroomQ, Curipod, Eduaide, Canva AI, amongst others. Feedback from a teacher today: "I want to appreciate your sessions about Curipod. It works so nicely. This program is so fantastic. I applied in my class. Students were so excited." Remember, the tool is not the magic; it's the teacher who knows how to wield the tools that produces the magic in the class. #AIinEducation #EduTech #EmpoweringEducators #Studentsengagement #AIinPedagogy #Lessonplans #Classroommanagement

𝐏𝐈𝐂-𝐑𝐀𝐓 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Following my session at #21CLHK last weekend, and gearing up for a workshop at #SSISFullSTEAM25 & EARCOS Tech Directors, this coming weekend, I wanted to share what I believe is a fantastic tool for educators: the PIC-RAT model! I've been exploring this model since it was developed in 2020, sharing bits and pieces here and there. What draws me to this model is that it highlights how students interact with technology, unlike some tech integration models that may primarily focus on the teacher's relationship with technology. I feel this framework is perfect for reflecting on and enhancing our technology integration strategies. PIC-RAT is a two-dimensional model that examines both: 𝐏𝐈𝐂 (𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲): 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞: Students consume information. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: Students engage with the content, often involving some form of dialogue or manipulation. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: Students use technology to create new content or artefacts, showcasing their learning. 𝐑𝐀𝐓 (𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲): 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Tech replaces traditional methods. For example, reading a digital textbook instead of a print textbook (PR) 𝐀𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Tech makes things more efficient and effective but does not change the core pedagogy. For example, using interactive simulations to dive deeper into science phenomena (IA). 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Tech redefines the task, enabling experiences that were previously inconceivable. For instance, collaborating on social justice projects through international partnerships (IT). 𝐏𝐈𝐂-𝐑𝐀𝐓 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞/𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐏𝐑): Reading news articles on educational apps instead of physical newspapers. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞/𝐀𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐈𝐀): Students engage in collaborative mind maps for project planning. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞/𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐂𝐓): Students design and code original apps or software as projects. For me, PIC-RAT encourages us to move beyond simple tech replacement and consider how technology can amplify and transform learning. How can we move from passively watching a video to creating an interactive video? How can we leverage technology to create learning experiences that were previously impossible? 𝐀 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫: The most effective tech integration is always context-dependent. What transforms learning in one classroom might simply replace a traditional method in another. YOU are the key decision-maker in determining what best serves your students' needs and learning goals. PIC-RAT is a guide. Always trust your professional judgment. Modify the graphics to suit your context and community! Grab them here: https://lnkd.in/ddP8i--Y

When it comes to campus hiring, technical skills and academics often take center stage. But here's the truth: They’re just the starting point. As someone deeply involved in early career hiring, I’ve noticed some underrated traits that consistently make candidates stand out: Curiosity: Do you ask thoughtful questions—not just give the “right” answers? Adaptability: Can you stay calm and creative when things don’t go your way? Collaboration: How well do you work in a team under pressure? Clarity: Can you express complex ideas simply and confidently? Ownership: Do you follow through on your commitments, even the small ones? These “intangibles” often become the deciding factor. So yes, prepare for the interview—but also prepare to show who you are beyond the résumé. To all students and early career professionals: Your mindset and how you show up matter more than you think. #CampusHiring #EarlyCareers #CareerTips #InterviewSkills #StudentSuccess #HiringInsights