Our Tribe

By

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Engineering Innovation

By
Innovation, in our classroom, happens when the students are solving real-world problems and answering questions using their own ideas and their own designs. Over the past two weeks, we have been discussing weather and its effects on climate.  Yesterday, the students worked in small groups to put together a paper house.  The same materials were given to each group to ensure that the houses were the same.  The groups then attempted to use wind to knock their house over.  Now, I know what you're thinking!  This is not very innovative.  Well, you are correct; it is not.  However, what the students did next was not only innovative but awesome! I set out a variety of materials that the small groups could choose from in order to reinforce their houses and make them stronger.  The students were more than eager to begin making the strongest houses possible, and they were extremely creative in how they chose to strengthen their houses! Innovation, eng...
Read more

Flexible Seating

By
Image
Call to Adventure       This year has been full of firsts for me: first time having a digital classroom; first time learning the basics of computer science; first time teaching digital citizenship; first time participating in Twitter chats; first time attending an EdTechTeam conference (which was also the first time I have been away from my husband overnight since we got together in 2014). From these firsts, I have grown to love the idea of adventure, taking a risk, and trying something new. I have loved stepping out of my comfort zone. Most of all, I have loved asking myself the question: If others can, why can’t I?      This exact question is what propelled me to implement Flexible Seating in my classroom. I was speaking to an inspiring first grade teacher who has successfully used flexible seating in her classroom. The “dreamer-alert,” as we call it in my house, went off in my brain. If first graders can do it, why can’t my third graders? ...
Read more

Passion Projects: A Lesson in Scaffolding

By
Image
You have to walk before you run; you have to crawl before you walk; and you have to learn to swim before you can dive into the deep end. Who knew? Passion Projects are an amazing way to empower students to take ownership in their learning. When we read Inquiry Mindset over the summer, I was excited to begin this journey. After our Passion Project PD, I was hyped to jump right in! (Who doesn’t catch the hype of Jamie’s enthusiasm?) We met as a team and I had the highest of hopes for my students. It didn’t take long for the daunting reality of implementing true passion projects set in. Twenty-two different projects? Twenty-two different topics to research? Twenty-two different products created? TWENTY-TWO. My face slowly morphed into that of ¨The Scream¨ by Edvard Munch. Things that helped me: To Do List: I created a To-Do List for each of my kiddos on one document that I updated each time I met with them. Students knew when it was passion project time, th...
Read more