One Size Does NOT Fit All

I have to keep reminding myself that one size, of anything, does not fit all. I have to remind myself of this when not all my students come to me loving Science. When not all my students want to make a video to show what they are learning. When not all my students want to …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/03/17/one-size-does-not-fit-all/

#NCCE2014 and #csd49

I haven’t been to a conference in a while. I haven’t entirely isolated as I have able to attend trainings outside my school with the North Cascades and Olympic Science Partnership (NCOSP) and the Olympic Math and Science Partnership (OMSP) and West Sound GreenSTEMs and Washington STEM as well as working with my Science PLC, …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/03/15/ncce2014-and-csd49/

I’m going to #NCCE2014 !

I haven’t been to a conference in sooooo looong. And tomorrow I get to go to the NCCE 2014 Conference in Seattle! Just two hours away, and a ferry ride, from where I live and I’ll be there! Tomorrow morning! I’m so excited! Our new Superintendent, @Rich_Stewart1 , is sending our District Tech Committee to …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/03/11/im-going-to-ncce2014/

The Tao of Blogging

Oh I fall into the trap. I spend every morning and every evening checking my Feedly RSS feeds and reading many awesome blogs. Lately I’ve been reading a few who apologize for not having blogged in a while and I start to feel it. Holy cow! I haven’t blogged in a while! I need to …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/03/11/the-tao-of-blogging/

Are Students Learning?

In our last round of training on our new WA State evaluation system, Teacher/Principal Evaluation Project (TPEP), many of our small group discussions came back to the question of student learning (as it should!). I became fixated on one particular core idea from the CEL 1 Foundational Ideas Applied to Instructional Frameworks that read: “If …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/02/10/are-students-learning/

Inquiry in Science

In response to my questions on the Inquiry Dry Spell post I wrote Edna (@whatedsaid) posed some questions to get me thinking about inquiry in my Science classes. She wrote the following on her post, Response to the dry spell… Inquiry encourages students to be actively involved in and to take responsibility for their own …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/02/09/inquiry-in-science/

Adding Inquiry

Peg Board Assembly

I use Carolina’s STC/MS Energy, Machines, and Motion kit (EMM) with my 6th graders. The lessons in this kit are well structured to take advantage of how people learn by making sure every lesson starts by eliciting prior knowledge of students with questions that students investigate through different labs. The procedures are laid out, step …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/02/09/adding-inquiry/

Test Remediation

I have question about standardized test remediation courses. I know the answer to my question but I still have a strong, almost masochistic, desire to ask it. So let me start with the answer to my question. “You’re right, Al, and I agree with everything you say but (yes, I, Al, know there is a …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/02/07/test-remediation/

Let Nature Take its Course

I’ll be the first to admit it, I don’t seem to have much of a green thumb. I have to work hard (see the growth mindset there) at successfully growing plants, especially from seeds, even though in nature they seem to grow just fine. Something about me meddling or maybe over thinking it. I also …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/02/04/let-nature-take-its-course/

Another Problem with Standardized Testing

Our 6th graders are tested once a year, usually in the Spring around April or May, on Reading and Math. Our 7th graders are tested once a year on Reading, Math and Writing. Our 8th graders are tested once a year on Reading, Math and Science. We get the results of those tests usually in …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/01/30/another-problem-with-standardized-testing/

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