Author Archives: Bill VanLoo

summer reading 2010

As I did last year, I’ve compiled a list of what I read this summer. The summer months are always a chance for me to unwind (one of the benefits of being a teacher!) and catch up on reading. This … Continue reading

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on priorities

I’m taking a 21-day break (minimum) from Facebook. Here’s why. I’ve been spending too much time obsessing (there’s no other word for it, really) over whether people are reading my posts, commenting on them, etc. This is self-obsession, and it’s … Continue reading

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favorite albums of 2009

At heart, I’m still a DJ, and what good DJ goes without making lists of favorite music? (examples: 2005, 2006, winter listening, some favorites from early 2009). As such, I’ve come up with my top records of the year. Here’s … Continue reading

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an Ypsilanti day

Today’s activities have all been strongly grounded in my hometown of Ypsilanti. This afternoon, my wife and I saw the movie Whip It, much of which was filmed here in Ypsilanti. It was odd, and inspiring, to see familiar places … Continue reading

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Summer wrap-up

In a few short hours, a new school year will start. I just finished reading my last book of the summer, and so now it’s time for a bit of wrap-up about how I spent those 3 fantastic months called … Continue reading

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current reading list

Here’s what I’m currently reading: 1. Work Hard. Be Nice.: How Two Inspired Teachers Created the Most Promising Schools in America, by Jay Mathews This book charts the creation of the KIPP public charter schools. I picked this up to … Continue reading

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gearing up for ITEA

I’m in the process right now of gearing up for the ITEA national conference next week, which takes place in Louisville, KY. I’ll be co-presenting along with Tom Pachera and Rachel Pokrandt of Beyond Benign, at a pre-conference workshop entitled … Continue reading

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this blog, visualized

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Some recent listening…

Being a DJ at heart, I tend to clump music together in terms of like-mindedness, and I’m forever putting together playlists in iTunes. Here are a few sets of music I’ve been listening to lately. First off, some London bizness. … Continue reading

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“All you have to do to cook is want to do it. The kitchen is never the problem.”

I was reading an article about tiny kitchens in the New York Times today, and the following quote really struck me: ““All you have to do to cook is want to do it. The kitchen is never the problem.” In … Continue reading

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