Three Creativity Lessons from Kindergarten
I’m learning a lot about kindergarten. A novel part of COVID worklife for my wife (who is her own woman) and I is that we get to teach our oldest son kindergarten. Feeling swells of exhaustion, inspiration and humility each…
Empathy is Harder than Math
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. It involves perceiving and connecting with their emotions, fostering understanding, and often responding with compassion and support. Mathematics is the language of patterns and relationships in the world. It’s…
Five Ways to Embrace Your Mortality
We are all going to die. But we also avoid thinking about our mortality. And we are likely to reflect on our deathbeds that we didn’t spend time doing on the most important things during our life. I’ve had some…
A Travel Haiku
Travel to learn. Culture. Knowledge. Connection. Oh, and lobster rolls. – A travel haiku written to reflect on the Horn family’s recent awesome trip to Nova Scotia
A Family Shenanigans Haiku
Good family vibes. Connection. Generations. Ridiculousness. – A Family Shenanigans Haiku by John Horn co-written by three generations of Hornboys
Why We Should Do Hard Things
We should do hard things because they shape us into resilient and confident learners. When we embrace challenges that push us out of our comfort zones, we not only learn more about ourselves, but we also develop the mental fortitude…
Star Wars vs. Harry Potter
Over the last week, my oldest son – he will be referred to as “The Oldest Boy” – has been fascinated by the age-old question of who would win in a battle between Star Wars vs. Harry Potter. Not only…
The Value of Interdisciplinary and Cross-functional Thinking
Nearly a decade ago I wrote this book review for Active History (reposted below). The idea was for academic books to be reviewed by non academics. While my review holds up okay, I want to underscore the idea that interdisciplinary…
Five Ways to be a Better Career Influencer
Last week I joined my fellow CERIC board members in a planning session that focused on the future of our charity, which is purposed with advancing career development in Canada. We fund and publish research, share learning and build community…
Learning Styles Do Not Exist
Learning styles do not exist. Given that many educators and students have long believed in the concept of learning styles, this probably feels like a bold statement. The idea that individuals have fixed preferences for how they absorb information –…