A couple of weeks ago, I spend a week in professional development training for a couple pieces of software I’ll be using with students this fall. On the last day, we were able to take exams to become certified users of the software. And from my experience this week and with the exams, I’ve realized… Continue reading I’m *that* kid!
Category: Experiences
Funding Inspiration
I received a letter in my post box yesterday from a student in my neighborhood. It made me sad. It reminded me of how difficult it is to fully fund inspiring activities for students in our school systems. The letter explained that two teams from our local middle school (not where I teach) won the… Continue reading Funding Inspiration
Imagination Games: 20 Ways to Fight Post Standardized Test Boredom
It’s standardized testing season! I am sure you and your students are so excited! (or perhaps not) No matter what your feelings, they are a requirement. Since students test in groups, there are bound to be some students who finish earlier than others. We found out this year that students cannot read when they are… Continue reading Imagination Games: 20 Ways to Fight Post Standardized Test Boredom
The Great Rock Mix Up: NSTA Edition
NSTA: the National Science Teachers Association holds conferences each year: three regional area conferences each fall, a large national conference in early spring, and a STEM forum in May. This year, I had the chance for the first time to attend a national convention and to present (twice!). I have previously shared my Great Rock… Continue reading The Great Rock Mix Up: NSTA Edition
Data: It’s a four letter word
I love data. I love numbers. I love collecting data, analyzing it, drawing conclusion, finding new questions, and exploring all over again. I love data. Without data, science would be difficult to communicate. Data is beautiful. Numbers explain the world around us and help us make sense of our daily lives. I remember the first… Continue reading Data: It’s a four letter word
Beautiful Questions
I don’t normally expect to find inspiration in the seat back pocket on an airplane, but last week while flying to Boston for the National Science Teachers Association’s national conference, I found just that.An article in Southwest/Airtran’s Spirit magazine about asking beautiful questions (“Chasing Beautiful Questions” by Warren Berger) started me thinking about just that:… Continue reading Beautiful Questions
Are you listening?
Our school district has had a strange winter. We’ve been out of school for three separate events (extreme cold, Atlanta SnowJam 2014, and Atlanta Snowpocalypse 2014) for a total of seven missed days of school. We have three make-up days built into our calendar, and the decision was made to make up the remaining four… Continue reading Are you listening?