Alexander the Great was one of the most successful military leaders in history. In just over ten years he conquered most of the known world, while remaining undefeated in battle. As king and conqueror, Alexander the Great recognized the value of education. After building a three-continent empire, he gave his favorite teacher, Aristotle, a shout-out: “I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well.” He was also really good at untying knots.
This kid's going somewhere.Today we’re giving a shout-out to all the modern-day Aristotles who are starting up the new school year right and doing all they can to make a difference in the lives of their students. You may not be educating kings, but we know you’re giving your all to cram knowledge into the heads of every Alexander, Emily, and Jacob in your classroom.
A 2011 study published by researchers from Harvard and Columbia Universities (and discussed widely by educators, the media, and even the White House) quantified the value of good teachers. It concluded that a “value-added” teacher made students more likely to attend college and to earn higher salaries. The study failed to ask whether good teachers made students more or less likely to want to rule the world. Go figure.
While we at Instructure don’t claim to know the best ways to evaluate teacher effectiveness (or world-ruling potential), we know an awful lot about the tools teachers need to be effective. So, this school year, whether you’re leading a desk-filled classroom, an online discussion, or an expedition to Persia, Instructure is pleased to provide Canvas as a platform for all your difference-making, life-changing, empire-building teacher magic.
And in case you need a bit more motivation, here’s a video about Virginia Watson, a teacher at National City Middle School in California, who uses Canvas to empower students with the message that “life is good.”
Keep learning,
Brian
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