Mar 25
I need a fresh perspective on something I’ve been struggling with this school year. My reason for gamifying my courses was to motivate and engage more of my students whether they are gamers or not. Last week I reiterated something in blog post that I’ve learned in over 22 years of teaching, that no ONE …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/03/25/what-am-i-missing-here/
Feb 09
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 …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/02/09/inquiry-in-science/
Jul 08
I have experienced video game addiction. When I first played World of Warcraft (WoW) I was addicted. I was addicted to leveling up and to gaining the next best skill, attribute or ability. With other games if there cheats I would use them. I had to level up, get to the top level and win. …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2013/07/08/game-addiction/
Feb 01
So I am continuing to survey my students. It’s our midterm and halfway through our school year so I wanted to check in and see how they’re all doing. After the positive exit slip experience I had last week I thought this week’s survey would be cool. It was cool but not so easy to …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2013/02/01/change-is-hard/
Jan 29
We got an opportunity to go naturemapping so I volunteered our 8th graders since they’re all learning Life Science this year! An amazing AmeriCorps Volunteer, the one who taught my 8th graders last year about Rain Gardens, organized the whole trip for us! We were very fortunate indeed. We took over 70 kids on a …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2013/01/29/naturemapping-field-trip/
Sep 17
I teach 6th and 8th grade Science. I have all three of our school’s 6th grade Science classes and two of the three 8th grade Science classes. I’ve been teaching 6th and 8th grade Science for a few years now and I really enjoy getting kids as they enter the middle school and getting many …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2012/09/17/beginning-of-year/
Apr 01
I wrote two grant proposals this year and did NOT get either of them. With that came an end to an incredible 13 year streak of getting at least one grant per year. I have been very fortunate. But with failing and broken equipment and the threat of losing the 1:1 environment that I have …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2012/04/01/the-end-of-a-great-streak/
Mar 14
Friday, March 9, we had six Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) crew members visit all five of my Science classes to talk conservation, watersheds, pollution, our creek and to share a rain garden they planted on our campus. It was a great experience for my kids to see a group of highly motivated young people who …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2012/03/14/rain-gardens/
May 31
After a stimulating faculty meeting we were given two prompts to respond to as a closing activity. Here is the one I chose and my response. What is it you really wish your students can learn from you? If I had only one thing all year that my students would take away from their time …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2011/05/31/love-learning/
Apr 09
What does on-task look like in a 21st century classroom? How do you get your students engaged in learning? I think about the types of learning that take place in my classroom a lot because I don’t know if the things I’m doing actually help my students learn. Is it enough to abolish grades so …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2011/04/09/what-is-on-task/
I'm a Curipod Ambassador! :)
I've presented at NCCE
2016, 2017, 2019, 2022,
2023, 2024, and 2025!
I presented at WSTA 2015!
