MrAlex2

Conversations or Dumping Words "The important thing is not just to talk to your child, but to talk with your child.  It's not just about dumping language into your child's brain, but to actually carry on a conversation with them."  Rachel Romero, a graduate student at Harvard and MIT. This is in contrast to the '30 million word gap' so many thought was the problem in regards to reading comprehension and vocabulary with kids entering kindergarten.   The 'gap' refers to the head start higher income students were believed to have when entering Kindergarten because they had heard 30 million more words before entering school than lower income students.  According to this research, things have changed.   If true, the playing field will start to become much more even.  The new research suggests parents should engage their kids in actual conversation rather than just feeding them words.  Crazy to think this is new and innovative.  The research is encour

I  Googled    "What are Real World Problems?" - the following two paragraphs are from the first article that popped up from Education Week.  Interestingly though, it brought up a STEM article despite the search containing nothing about "STEM."   "If you want to engage students and get them excited about what they are learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics classes, ask them to tackle a real-world problem. Then watch their amazement as they realize what they are learning in class actually has real-world applications. Working on solutions to real-world problems is the heart of any STEM investigation. These solutions may include devices and designs that improve our lives, fulfill our needs or wants, and make our world better. From designing a better pen to figuring out how to assist areas lacking access to clean drinking water...." As we try to make things better in the classroom for all, I sometimes think we are creating a greate

(My latest modeling project, Cub timeline) I used to ask myself all of the time what is the most important thing I do in the classroom?   Things like communication, preparation, classroom management, delivery, and relationships are common things I would think about.  But then it hit me,  getting the kids excited to learn is just as or more important.  And what better way to get students excited about they are doing than showing them that I am just as excited as they are?  Modeling is turning into my new best friend.  It’s been amazing.  I get to spend time creating and sharing my excitement with my students (see above).  As a result, my students have been super excited to create and share with each other and with their parents on Seesaw.  I tried to come up with a creative way to share my Seesaw app from my classroom on the blog but really wasn't able to because of privacy.                 While I didn’t think my epiphany was anything super original, I was curious to see

        After happily using Dojo for a few years, I think it's time to consider a new platform (or not).  I'm looking for something more interactive that will build a better foundation for their eLearning future.  I've attached a PREZI comparing and contrasting each.    Class Dojo or SeeSaw

Two things crossed my mind this week.  Well, two that are worth writing about.  Normally I’m not afraid to try new things and make mistakes (in the classroom) because learning opportunities happen when we mess up.  But today a trip to the grocery store made me think about how I do things.  Of the 20 places I could have stopped for detergent and milk, I choose the one with 4 of my students selling Girl Scout cookies.   So I stop, buy a couple boxes and make small talk with their moms.  It really never crossed my mind but when I make changes in the classroom or use new types of technology, it reaches far outside the wall of our school.  Parents set up rewards and consequences at home based on what we do at school.  If I make changes and keep the parents out of the loop, it makes it tough on the students and their parents.  So thank you to Kroger and Thin Mints for making me aware of the changes I will make Monday.    We started writing reflections this week.  I was careful not to g