Tag: learning

Summer Learning – Dominated by AI

AI generated LMQL Python Code Image by Midjourney

It’s safe to say that I’ve been obsessed with AI this summer. Going into my fifth week of summer break when I’m not out hiking or eating with my wife or hanging out with our daughter and her boyfriend I’ve been reading and taking online courses. While not all my summer learning has been AI …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2023/07/10/summer-learning-dominated-by-ai/

2022-2023 School Year – Exhausting, Confusing, Rewarding

Photo of Mr. Gonzalez's 22-23 homeroom class posing for a class selfie with fake mustaches for spirit week mustache day.

After COVID it was nice to start the school year like almost normal. Kids were in full classes of 24 or 25 giving us 75 students (14 5th graders and 61 6th graders) in three classes and they were coming to school all day, every day. I was teaching only Science, another teacher taught ELA …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2023/06/25/2022-2023-school-year-exhausting-confusing-rewarding/

Students Excited by Robotics and AI

6th grade students building their Lego Mindstorms EV3 robot.

My 5th and 6th grade STEM classes have been working on robotics using the Lego Mindstorm EV3 kits since December. Students built their first robot then took the Lego Mindstorms programming lesson tutorials before we began some activities and challenges. We still have two major challenges left in this unit before we transition to our …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2023/02/19/students-excited-by-robotics-and-ai/

Senate Committee Session on Gamification

Screenshot of the senate committee video recording during my part.

Thursday, December 1, I had the honor of being invited to present at one of our state’s Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee meetings! Thanks to my WEA workshop partner, Tammie Schrader, who introduced me to the Senate Committee chair, Senator Lisa Wellman, and recommended me to speak and share I got to speak …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2022/12/04/senate-committee-session-on-gamification/

Best Math Combo EVER!

I wrote about struggles I’ve always had with reading before, but I’ve never really reflected on my struggles with Math. Reading is more prevalent so I face my struggles on a daily basis. My struggles with Math are not as obvious, especially because the types of Math I use daily are Maths I can do …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2022/08/01/best-math-combo-ever/

Reflecting on 21-22

As part of our Ocean Guardian School’s Environmental Stewardship Project, I give students a pre and post project survey. In addition to questions about their perceived understanding of the topics we cover before and after the project, I also ask questions about the project and what they liked best and least. It helps inform any …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2022/07/11/reflecting-on-21-22/

Do your students have tech fatigue?

Image of Richard Culatta's Four Shifts for Education.

I thought it was just me. Just my students. Then I read this EdSurge article, Students Got a Crash Course in Tech During the Pandemic. Now Some Want a Break. I had been experiencing a bit of cognitive dissonance because I envisioned more and more teachers and students using tech in school because they experienced …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2022/07/05/do-your-students-have-tech-fatigue/

Building for Hours!

Photo of students using Minecraft for the 2021 Global Minecraft Challenge.

My 5th and 6th grade students are participating in this year’s Minecraft Education Edition and UNESCO Sustainability Development Global Build Challenge: Peace with Nature. When using Minecraft Education Edition, or Minecraft:EE or just M:EE, in the classroom teachers have access to ready-made worlds for all subjects and different grade levels. It’s amazing how much is …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2021/11/20/building-for-hours/

Minecraft Education Edition’s Building Competitions

Minecraft House Build

At the end of August, after attending an amazing Minecraft Education Edition Esports Camp, I shared their new esports worlds and how to access them. Yesterday I finally got the chance to try one of the Make and Model worlds to have my students practice building together in their teams! It was so much fun! …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2021/10/29/minecraft-education-editions-building-competitions/

Sustainability Development in Minecraft

Pirate Ship with Yellow and Green Score image.

The Challenge! That is this year’s Minecraft Education Edition’s Global Challenge: Peace with Nature, a challenge partnering MinecraftEdu with UNESCO! Intro Deck In addition to the video, to get students excited and curious about this year’s challenge, here is a slide deck that comes with the challenge for teachers to introduce it to students: Perfect …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2021/10/29/sustainability-development-in-minecraft/

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