So, I was a little slow to pick up on the Pinterest craze, but now that I have, I'm hooked! This is such a great resource for teachers. Teachers from everywhere share their best ideas.
I am busy "pinning" the great ideas I see. Check out my "education" board and follow if you want to see what I pin. http://pinterest.com/caribegin/education/
And as they say... Happy Pinning!
Performance ED- Ramblings and Resources- A place to discuss and share ideas in the world of education.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Friday, December 16, 2011
The Nintendo Effect
Doug Reeves speaks about the Nintendo Effect (Jeff Howard) in his recent blog post titled From Differentiated Instruction to Differentiated Assessment . This is the perfect way to describe when students are so engaged in their learning that their focus is as if they are playing a video game or watching the best movie ever. Who wouldn't want this to happened in their classroom? According to Reeves, all students need is choice, power and competence to achieve this effect. Just two of these will lead to engagement for a short time, but will not be long lasting.
This article is definitely worth reading, because he gives teachers practical ideas for differentiating homework and class work that will lead to assessment of learning.
This article is definitely worth reading, because he gives teachers practical ideas for differentiating homework and class work that will lead to assessment of learning.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Kids love science, why wait??
Reading the article in this link, made me wonder why we have been waiting to really teach kids about science. This article, Educators are taking a new approach to teaching science, reminded me that in the U.S. the big emphasis on science doesn't come until after 3rd grade. In many places it doesn't happen until middle school. Young children love science, it is exciting, rewarding and interactive. Why is it viewed as an "extra" in early grades?
I understand the time argument. We need to teach them basic skills first, yes. Why can't we infuse science into more of what we do?
I appreciate that in Florida it is being recognized that even though the students are not tested on science content until 5th grade they need to be teaching the material much earlier. Florida, I'm sure, is not the first state to deal with this issue. What is more important to me, is that kids are missing out on the fun of science from the get-go. We are missing out on a ripe opportunity to foster a thirst and love of science and learning when we don't offer our kids these experiences at an early age. I love science, all kinds, and see it as the glue that holds everything together. I'm a little bias since I taught science for 10 yrs. at the middle school level.
A bigger issue is that our country is struggling in a global job market. Many other countries are beating us when it comes to math and science. Anyone see a connection here? What are your thoughts?
I understand the time argument. We need to teach them basic skills first, yes. Why can't we infuse science into more of what we do?
I appreciate that in Florida it is being recognized that even though the students are not tested on science content until 5th grade they need to be teaching the material much earlier. Florida, I'm sure, is not the first state to deal with this issue. What is more important to me, is that kids are missing out on the fun of science from the get-go. We are missing out on a ripe opportunity to foster a thirst and love of science and learning when we don't offer our kids these experiences at an early age. I love science, all kinds, and see it as the glue that holds everything together. I'm a little bias since I taught science for 10 yrs. at the middle school level.
A bigger issue is that our country is struggling in a global job market. Many other countries are beating us when it comes to math and science. Anyone see a connection here? What are your thoughts?
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