I get overwhelmed by choice very easily. In fact, one of the reasons I like being a pescatarian (vegetarian + fish) is that it instantly reduces my choices at restaurants. As much as I like feeling in control, I don't mind when particular choices are unavailable to me because it means less decision-making stress. Sheena … Continue reading Choice, Choices, Choices
Tag: learning
This Is Hard!
Overheard in my high school blended learning class last week... How do you teach someone something without just telling it to them? I want to play a game, but what if everyone else plays games in their lessons and people get bored of games? You're not going to bail us out if the tech fails?! … Continue reading This Is Hard!
Southeastern Brain Conference
I'm presenting at the Southeastern Brain Conference being held at my school tomorrow. I'll be talking about the blended learning class my students and I have been creating (really feels like a collaborative venture) over the past school year. Definitely one of the most exciting, challenging things I've done in teaching. Students are currently working … Continue reading Southeastern Brain Conference
Answering Questions About Education
A teacher working on her post-bac teaching certification wrote to ask me some questions for her Foundations of Education class. Below is my response. Feel free to push back/disagree or extend in the comments section. Those are some big questions! I could write for pages on any one of them, so a caveat that this … Continue reading Answering Questions About Education
First Week Reflections
We finished our first full week of school today. A few quick reflections... Mind warp at mad speed This year I'm piloting a blended learning class at our school. It's a 11/12th grade section of US History that meets twice per week in the classroom. On the other days, students have assignments to complete online … Continue reading First Week Reflections
Death By Lecture
Before my Upper School History class met for the first time, I asked them to complete a quick info form, so I could get a better sense of them as students. I wordled the responses to a couple of the questions. EDIT: I want to note that the sample size for this was 11, and … Continue reading Death By Lecture
Dr. Drew
No, not that Dr. Drew, but Dr. Drew Becker, the Paleontologist. Drew is only 5, and one of the great things about the video is how much Drew loves dinosaurs and how clearly that comes across. He's also ok with ambiguity and tells us the three different ideas about why the amargasaurus had a "sail … Continue reading Dr. Drew
Learning In Spite Of
I wrote on Sunday that my enthusiasm and work ethic were waning a bit in the final days of KSI. Given that, yesterday's afternoon session had the potential to be a total disaster in terms of my attention. The workers at Lawrenceville School had hit a water main while repairing the steam tunnels underneath the … Continue reading Learning In Spite Of
Students As Teachers
On the ride over to Raleigh on Tuesday, several students and I got into a discussion on the subject of students and teachers. (We have pretty frequent conversations about pedagogy in my classes, and it's one of my favorite subjects to talk to kids about.) One of my students suggested that she thought students should … Continue reading Students As Teachers
Student of the Tool
I find it interesting that many teachers feel like they must know the content they want their students to learn before they teach it. And yet, they are unwilling to use for themselves the tools they want their students to use in the classroom before they use them with students. It's ok if you don't … Continue reading Student of the Tool
In For Good 