Jeanne Muzi recently posted two lists of “Creativity Kickers” on the blog, Four O’Clock Faculty. The lists offer great ideas for formative assessments and creative challenges. In “Creativity Kickers, Part 1,” I found a couple I would like to try in my own classroom, such as the “Yes, And… Cards” and the “Student Created Knowledge … Read more
For many families, the second week of Winter Break is when boredom kicks in. New gifts and games have lost their luster. No one wants to return to school or work – but lack of structure is beginning to feel less like freedom and more of a chore as everyone tries to find ways to fill … Read more
Just in case you didn’t properly ration your Teachers’ December Survival Kit, and you are finding yourself desperate for ways to make it through this final week before the break, here are some more activities that I’ve found from some of my favorite bloggers: Candy Cane S.C.A.M.P.E.R. Ugly Sweater Challenge (I love the Ugly Sweater fractions!) Toys Go … Read more
As I continue this year’s Gifts for the Gifted series, I should re-iterate a few things. First of all, these recommendations are for all children – not just those identified as “Gifted and Talented.” Secondly, these gifts will be much more meaningful to their recipients if the gift-giver follows through by enjoying the gift along with the … Read more
The value of social networking never ceases to amaze me. Yesterday, I tweeted the blog post I had shared about the Hopscotch Snowflake tutorial. I received a reply from an educator in Maryland, @mrdulberger, inviting anyone interested to attend a webinar today called “Coding in the Class.” The webinar will be hosted by the students … Read more
Thinkfun periodically sends products to me for review. When Compose Yourself arrived on my doorstep, I knew that I should find someone with a musical background to give it a test drive. Our school music teacher, who is also the President-Elect for the Texas Music Educator’s conference, volunteered to try out the game with her class. Here is … Read more