A few years ago, I thought I would help out the parents of my gifted and talented students by writing about some games, toys, or books that I thought might make good purchases during the holiday season. I called the series of posts, “Gifts for the Gifted,” and I have continued to do it annually on every … Read more
My students, particularly those in the K-3 grade levels, have really enjoyed using GoNoodle for brain breaks in our classroom. The kids enjoy the music, the great variety of videos, and the movement. Now students can log in to their own iOS devices at home to jump, dance, and sing with their favorite GoNoodle tunes. … Read more
Decisions, decisions. Some are certainly easier to make than others, as many people are discovering on this 2016 Election Day in the United States… Kid President just released a timely video for the occasion. Happily, it doesn’t just apply to election decisions. In fact, my 2nd graders have been discussing “Thinking Hats,” and “Making Tough … Read more
Rachel Lynette, over at the “Minds in Bloom” blog, offers some fun Halloween activities for critical thinking. One of them is a Halloween-themed list of “Would You Rather?” questions. For these, I would recommend that you encourage your students to justify their answers, and possibly have a contest for who can give the most unusual … Read more
Last year, Class Dojo produced a series of short animated videos that taught about what it means to have a Growth Mindset. Yesterday, they released the first video in their new “Empathy” series, with two more expected during October. Each video is around 4 minutes long and includes a discussion guide that also has suggestions … Read more
Andrea Beaty and David Roberts have outdone themselves with their latest book, Ada Twist, Scientist. Beaty (author) and Roberts (illustrator) made their mark in children’s literature with their two previous books, Iggy Peck, Architect, and Rosie Revere, Engineer. Demonstrating the sometimes exasperating, but always creative, personalities of inquisitive and innovative children, these books have become favorites … Read more