This little gem by the imaginative Barbara Lehman was a Caldecott Honor Book in 2005. It has no words, so children at all reading levels can enjoy it. It has many possibilities for predictive and descriptive activities as the ‘reader’ follows an intriguing story of a book about a book. Let me know how you … Continue reading The Red Book
During Class
Gaming the Curriculum
Gaming in the classroom, gamification of education, learning apps; the landscape of educational games has certainly expanded in recent years. Wading into the waters of games in the classroom can be a daunting task for a teacher already drowning in a flooded curriculum. I recently read Mindshift: Guide to Digital Games and Learning which is a great … Continue reading Gaming the Curriculum
What is Going On?
I was reading an article for a masters course on technology in the arts and humanities classroom. The author, Kiran Subhani, describes in detail an activity that she uses where students interpret what is going on in a photo. For example, regard the picture below from 2013 Pulitzer Prize winner, Javier Manzano: First she would have … Continue reading What is Going On?
Panorama-rama
Has anyone tried Google Cardboard yet? I love how it is making VR experiences available for everyone, especially cash strapped educators. Virtual reality is really in its infancy, but the availability of VR tools, like the cheap paper goggles offered by Google and the apps that utilize its simple concept, make it easy for a generation … Continue reading Panorama-rama
What do you believe?
When I say philosophy, do you think of bearded proffessors, bespectecaled undergrads, and tedious dinner guests? It doesn't have to be that way. Some advocates, like the Philosophy Foundation and the awesomely acronymed PLATO, are trying to make philosophy accessible for public school students. The touted benefits are improvements in analytical reasoning, reading comprehension, problem-solving, and self-esteem. Teaching … Continue reading What do you believe?
Bedtime Stories
Oh, how I miss a good bedtime story. It is a reason in itself to have kids of your own, or to become a primary teacher. If you are a primary teacher or are a parent, then this site is for you. Tonight's Bedtime Stories is great for lulling the little ones off to dreamland, but … Continue reading Bedtime Stories
Explore More!
I am a huge fan of Museums and other species of exhibitionary locations. (Is there a word for the planetarium/science/interactive exhibition/type place that I am talking about?) In St. John's, my favorite school days are visits to the Fluvarium, Geo Centre, or The Rooms. I count myself lucky to have such institutions available in my … Continue reading Explore More!
Simulations!
Physics can be hard, right? Even though the idea of curved space-time has been around for at least 100 years, most of us average Joes and Joelles have a hard time wrapping our heads around the concept. And so even upon the recent proof of gravitational waves many of us still have a hard time understanding … Continue reading Simulations!
Yoga for Kids
I recently had the pleasure of teaching two days of gym to kindergarten classes. I help out in kindergarten when I have time and I have great respect for kindergarten teachers. There is a lot that happens at once with twenty five five-year-olds. So I was a little nervous to be the one leading the class. … Continue reading Yoga for Kids
Pristine Sistine
Hey, do you have five minutes to fill before recess? Would your children benefit from a little history and culture? Do you enjoy stunning feats of human achievement? Then this site is for you. The Sistine Chapel draws about five million visitors a year. Instead of flying your class to the Vatican and battling the peak … Continue reading Pristine Sistine
