While my current projects are interesting, I can't help but look to the future. I may never finish these, but here are a few things that I'd like to take a stab at.
What Does the Research Say?
This might be a book or a class, but the evidence-based practice culture is sorely needed in education. We are guilty of iatrogenic crimes. We no longer sin in ignorance.
The King and His Gifts
My son asked me to write a book with him--shockingly, a book about two boys and a loving king (I suspect he might have had his brother and him in mind). It started with lasers and unicorns and a few space monsters, and now is a story about stories and kings and the very best gifts; the story begins as the king decides that he wants to give to every boy in his kingdom a gift--and the gifts for some of the boys will be the gifts that they choose. What is the greatest gift?
Let's Talk About: The Disciple's Obligation of Peacemaking
During Mitt Romney's presidential run, someone at Newsroom.Mormon.com wrote a piece that changed my life: "The Mormon Ethic of Civility." It dawned on me, at that time, that the article was explaining to me something that I'd always felt, but never had words for: that Latter-day Saints have a unique obligation to be kind, come to agreement, and mediate. Times have changed, of course: the title of the article is now "The Latter-day Saint Ethic of Civility," as one example. As another, however, President Nelson has raised our sights: it isn't just about niceness or manners, it's now about peacemaking. How do we make peace? How do we do it in the internet age?
Dissertation: How to Improve Teacher Preparation Programs?
Schools of education (in the literature known as Teacher Preparation Programs, or TPPs) are pretty boring. I don't mean the topic--I love the topic! I mean the schools results! They're flat! Whether you go to the best school or the worst school in a state, you're going to be doing roughly the same. Imagine what that means, however: once you account for the GPA and test scores, there are no differences between programs? How on earth will we improve them then? Excited to get at some interesting questions on this.