Tinkering

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In Tinkering with Intent, Rushton features Blair Somerville. “He uses found materials and other curious objects which he re-purposes into magical moving artworks.”

He gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“Try and recall a moment when you saw something amazing that others didn’t. Whether you talk about that moment or keep it to yourself, there’s something interesting and perhaps even special about you for that connection.

We all have the ability to see beauty in the ordinary. The question is whether we let such moments happen.”

My husband and I love going to local festivals and we always are looking for something new and different. I always wonder how people come up with these ideas. I love to meet people who come up with these new ideas and learn more about them. I would love to challenge my students to research and find something different that we don’t usually see every day. They can look on YouTube, magazines, or even newspapers.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

It’s Not Fair

Another question came up into my special education forum:

“Does anyone have recommendations for children's books or social stories that address the "why" some students get certain supports? Getting some resistance from general education teachers being concerned about their students feeling things are not "fair" when a student has a positive reinforcement system (e.g. token board), fidget, etc. "Why does he get a token board and frequent breaks?" "What about the students who are doing the right thing and do not have problem behavior? Is isn't fair to them." Of course, other students are looking and watching what's happening with those students who are being provided academic and behavioral interventions.

Would like to have at least one good children's book and/or social story that explains that everyone is different and how some students need a little extra support.

Thanks for sharing any resources you may be aware of.”

Here is my answer:

Here is a good article that gives a link to some resources: That's not fair! How to teach fair does not mean equal - Special Needs for Special Kids

I have told my students and other teachers that support are a lot like going to the grocery store. We all need to eat in order to survive but we all have different nutritional needs and tastes. What I get at the grocery store may be very different than what someone else gets but that doesn't make someone else better or worse than me. I don't think it is always fair that someone else can eat a lot of candy and ice cream without gaining weight but I can't. People with diabetes can't eat the same things I eat. "Fair" does not mean we all eat the same things.

Do you know any resources to recommend to this teacher? How do you teach fairness in the classroom? Please share.

Photo by Maria Lin Kim on Unsplash

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 11/26/21

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Solving Problems with Simple Machines! - Jessi and Squeaks are revisiting the fun times they had when they learned all about simple machines so they can solve all sorts of problems around the Fort! (L:E;SA:S)

Quick Rubric - “​​Why can't making rubrics be simple and fast? Why can't rubrics look clean and modern? NOW THEY CAN!” (L:T;SA:A)

Five Good Places to Find and Create Story Starters for Students - “Here are some of my favorite tools for creating story starters and favorite sites for finding story starters.” (L:T;SA:A)

Reading Progress now available in Microsoft Teams - “Reading Progress is a free tool designed to help students build confidence and reading fluency through personalized reading experiences built into Assignments in Microsoft Teams.:” (L:T;SA:LA)

Hour of Code - “Celebrate computer science everywhere! Anyone, anywhere can organize an Hour of Code event. One-hour tutorials in over 45 languages. No experience needed.” (L:T;SA:C)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Thanksgiving 2021

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the US. It is time to give thanks for all the blessings in our lives. I want to thank you for taking the time to visit here and reading my content. If you have commented, I appreciate our conversation! I hope you have a safe and happy holiday! 

What Do You Need?

In The simple but difficult marketing flip from Seth Godin's Blog, Seth Godin states,

“From, “Pay attention, I want you to buy what I made.”
to…
“I’ve been paying attention, and I think I can offer you what you want.””

I have changed the way I teach from the way I was originally taught.

Some people describe this as to whether the information is pushed or pulled.

When I first started teaching, there was an emphasis on pushing information out to students. Teachers were encouraged to share their knowledge. I wanted students to learn what I thought was important for them to know. By learning the information I felt was important, I had hoped that they would have a rich and successful future.

In today’s world, students are not responding to the information that is being pushed at them.

I have learned to find out what students already know and help them discover what information they need to know. When they find out that there is a reason for knowing this information, they are more receptive to learning it.

Sometimes students don’t know what they don’t know yet. It is this time that I have to them on their journey of exploration so they can find out what direction they want to go. Once they determine where they want to go, I can help them learn what they want to know.

Before long, students are excited about learning when they are interested in the topic. They become curious and want to know more. This thirst for more knowledge will encourage them to seek answers.

By giving students help where they need, it will improve classroom behavior and help keep students engaged.

When students are learning things that they believe will help them in the future, there is a higher chance of their success in the real world.

How has your teaching changed? Do you push information or do you let the students pull the information? Why? Please share.

Photo by Darinka Kievskaya on Unsplash

Mountain Boarding

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In A Mountain and a Board, Rushton features Jason Lee who loves snowboarding so much that he wants to do it year-round.

He gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“Is there something that you enjoy that you could do in a rather different way? That is, can you bring a creative insight that allows something totally new to emerge?

Don’t worry if you can’t think of anything now. The more important lesson is that you should be ready for a cool idea, and when one happens, write it down and then try building on that idea.

So, what might you have learned, built, and refined by a year from now? Whatever it is, there’s the possibility that it can become a path for a very cool future.”

This is a great way to have students focus on things they love to do and try to find ways that they can do it in different seasons. Or maybe they need to find different locations. It would be good to have students share their interests and they might find others who are interested in the same things. Together, they may come up with ways to make it better or different.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Universal and International Exhibition 1958 stamp

This 3¢ stamp (US #1104) was issued on April 17, 1958, in Detroit, Michigan. It was printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. It was designed by Bradbury Thompson.

Here is a video of the 1958 Brussels Universal and International Exhibition.

The Brussels Universal and International Exhibition was held in Brussels, Belgium and it was the first World’s Fair to be held after WWII. It was also the first fair to be held during the Cold War Era. The stamp features the US Pavilion.

This was the eleventh time that Belgium had hosted the World’s Fair and it was the fifth time it was held in Brussels. It covered 490 acres and took 15,000 workers to build the fair. They were able to reuse some of the buildings from the 1935 exposition since it was held in the same place.

This Expo was intended to help the world look to a brighter future and the 51 countries participating were encouraged to showcase their best technological advancements. Each country built its own pavilion. The theme structure of the Expo, the Atomium, is still open to visitors and it is constructed of nine connected metal spheres. It is a massive building that looked like the cell of an iron crystal that had been enlarged 165 billion times.

The America pavilion consisted of displays about the American Way of Life including color TVS, ice cream, Coca-Cola, a fashion show, an electronic computer, and a piece by the Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra. The pavilion was made up of four buildings.

The Soviet pavilion which was right next to the American pavilion featured a huge statue of Lenin and replicas of the Sputnik satellites.

The Congolese exhibit was a human zoo where 700 Congolese people were displayed behind an armed guard. This was a very controversial exhibit and many of the Congolese didn’t like the way they were treated and wanted to go home.

During this time, the world’s first universal film poll was held and film critics nominated films and voted on them. Citizen Kane (one of my favorite movies) was one of those chosen.

The Expo lasted for six months and had over 41 million visitors.

Class Activities:

1. Research other World’s Fairs and Expositions. Pick one and share the highlights of the event.
2. Share the history of televisions, ice cream, Coca-Cola, or computers.
3. Make a model of the Atomium.
4. What was the Cold War and why did it cause tensions between the US and the Soviet Union?
5. What were the results of the first universal film poll? Give a summary of the top 5 films.

References:
https://www.si.edu/object/npm_1980.2493.5223
https://www.mysticstamp.com/Products/United-States/1104/USA/

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 11/19/21

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

What is an Engineer? - “Mister Brown teaches Squeaks all about engineering to help him solve a problem he is having!” (L:E;SA:M,S)

Wizer - “Create unforgettable worksheets that grade themselves. Win your time back - and end overwhelming and late night prep - with fun, easy-to-make, interactive worksheets students love.” (L:T;SA:A)

Splash Learn - “Kids see fun games. You see real learning outcomes. Watch your kids fall in love with math & reading through our scientifically designed curriculum..” (L:E;SA:M,LA)

Lesson plan: After helping Pilgrims, today’s Wampanoag tribe fight for their ancestral lands - “In this lesson, students will learn about the Wampanoag people, the ancestors of the Native American tribes who welcomed the Pilgrims at Plymouth nearly 400 years ago. Then students will examine current issues facing the Wampanoag tribes, including the continued fight for their ancestral lands and the preservation of their native language.” (L:H;SA:SS)

Mote - “Fast, friendly voice messaging. Mote is voice messaging for the web, integrated into the products you already know and love.” (L:T;SA:A)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Don’t Run Out

In Fill before empty from Seth Godin's Blog, Seth Godin shares

“When the cost of topping off your battery is less than the catastrophic risk of running out of juice, it pays to add to your reserves.”

This is so important for teachers! We can’t help our students if we don’t take care of ourselves. Too many times I have seen young teachers work through lunch, spend their evenings grading papers, and working through the weekend. As each day goes by, their energy reserves get lower and lower until they get totally burned out. No wonder so many new teachers leave the teaching field and move on to other careers.

I think we need to impress this onto those just entering the teaching field. They are so gung ho and want to do the best they can so they think that by working harder, they can make it happen. Sometimes only time and experience will help you become the best teacher you can be. Everyone needs to work smarter and not harder.

I believe those that stay in the teaching field have learned to do this. They have learned time management and have balance in their lives. New teachers don’t automatically know this and have to learn this.

When I meet with any teacher in the education courses that I teach, I encourage them to get a hobby or find an activity that they like to do. Start an exercise routine that they can follow. Do something creative. Schedule in time to do fun things on a regular basis. Make sure they spend time with their families. Don’t let their work keep them from watching their children grow up. Don’t sacrifice their families for their careers.

I tell teachers to think about what they are teaching and don’t give busy work to students, especially if it has to be graded. Find ways that students can self-check their work. Have students create things that show off their understanding of new knowledge. This knowledge is applied to creating something. Use rubrics to grade projects.

I encourage new teachers to develop an organizational system. This may take some extra time in the beginning but once they find a system that works, it will make their life easier.

New teachers need to be prepared and not run behind. Staying ahead of the game is vital to being effective. I encourage teachers to make sure they have their necessary materials for a lesson at least 2 days in advance. This allows them to find out if they have missed anything they have forgotten. It’s better than to gather materials the same day of the lesson only to find out that they have forgotten something.

I encourage new teachers to find a mentor and develop a support system. This is important when they are feeling down and discouraged.

All of these things will help them fill their energy reserves. When they need to recharge their batteries, they will always have something there to dip into. Don’t let the energy reserves ever get depleted!

How do you fill your energy reserves? Please share.

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

Building Self Concept

Here is another question from my special ed forum:

“My partner teacher and I teach high school students with disabilities in a cross-categorical program called Occupational Course of Study (OCS), in which these students learn job skills along with academics in pursuit of a standard high school diploma. This school year we have a number of students who are latino/latina that have anxiety and feel extra social pressures around being identified as in a special education program, and do everything they can to "hide" that fact from the rest of the student body.

I thought it would be helpful for these students to get perspectives from other current/former students in a similar demographic, and have been searching YouTube, social media, and other places online. I found a site called respectability.org, for example, which has resources but they appear largely geared towards representing people with disabilities other than specific learning disabilities or intellectual disabilities.

I'm hoping one of my illustrious colleagues on here has some hidden gems they'd be willing to share, or something or someone they could point me towards. Please let me know.”

Here is my answer:

I taught an Occupational Diploma High School class in SC for years and I know my students acted the same way! I don’t have any specific resources for you other than to share things that I did to help them.

I explained to the students that a disability is not something they can control, just like diabetes or thyroid problems. If they act like they are ashamed of it, then people will treat them that way. A lot of people act this way because they don’t understand specific disabilities and this is an opportunity to educate others. I explain that a disability is just like being on a highway with other cars. But a person with a disability gets to the point where their part of the highway is washed out and they have to take a longer side route. It doesn’t mean their car doesn’t work, it just means the route is longer and with more obstacles on the side roads than the highway.

I had a class motto for 30 years - “I am a Born Winner!” that they had to write on every paper they turned in for a grade. I also ask them when they come into the room to say it out loud. I have them say it before every test they take. Sometimes they have to say it as a group before they leave the room. They have learned to believe that they are losers for so long that I try to break the cycle of the “stinkin’ thinkin’” I met a student from 20 years ago that pulled out a slip of paper from her wallet with that motto on it. She said that it helped get her through tough times.

I got permission from the administration to do some landscaping around the school and wrote a grant for flowers and bushes and tools. Students researched prices and the types of plants we wanted to get. We had so much fun doing this! General ed students saw us doing this and even asked my students how they could get in my class so they could have fun!

Eventually, some of my students even felt comfortable enough that they were willing to go into other classrooms and explain about their disability and how it makes them feel.

I don’t know if any of this helps but it took time to overcome the learned negative thinking that they believed and replace it with positive thinking.

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

Putting Some Effort Into It

In Effort toward quality from Seth Godin's Blog, Seth Godin states,

“Effort is what happens when we go beyond our normal speed. When we dig deep and exert physical or emotional labor and focus on something that is out of the ordinary. Effort is the opposite of coasting.”

Going through the motions will not help anyone be successful in the classroom or in life.

As a child, I remember having some chores that involved cleaning. I would go through the motions and act like I was cleaning but I didn’t really do a good job. My mother would come behind me and tell me that I needed to put “elbow grease into it” if I wanted to be able to go play. I learned early that if I didn’t put some effort into it, I would never get finished with my chores.

As an adult, I know when I’m just coasting or really putting effort into a project. When I put effort into it and the project gets completed, I feel proud of the hard work that I have put into it. When I complete something without putting much effort into it, I don’t feel the same amount of pride as I do when I have to work harder for it.

Students need to learn this also. Putting effort into something is not a reflex and it has to be learned. When I see students put effort into something, I give them a lot of praise. When the project is complete, I share their success with others. When I don’t see them putting a lot of effort into something, I help them reflect on what could have been done differently and how it might make them feel.

I also try to teach them by example. I want them to see me learn something new that does not come easy for me. I want them to see me struggle to overcome obstacles and not give up. I want them to see how proud I feel when I’m successful.

How do you teach students that putting in the effort is important? Please share.

Photo by Clique Images on Unsplash

Being Creative

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In Art and Imagining Self, Rushton features the delivery of a batmobile to a boy in a wheelchair.

He gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“In this video of a delivery of a batmobile, how many characters can you identify who are part of the story? For each, how does the world change because of the art that went into making the batmobile?

Do you know of others who creatively make the world a better place? Is there a need in your community that a group of creative students could find a cool way to address?”

I love how we are getting students to be creative and use their imagination. When people can be creative, the impossible can become possible! Being creative helps students solve problems and overcome obstacles. Being creative is a great way to exercise their minds.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 11/12/21

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Circly - “Circlyapp is an online organizer tool and collaboration platform for visual thinkers. Capture and organize your ideas, tasks, projects, leads, customers and work together with your team.”(L:G;SA:A)

Harvest Ceremony - “Native American people who first encountered the “pilgrims” at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts play a major role in the imagination of American people today. Contemporary celebrations of the Thanksgiving holiday focus on the idea that the “first Thanksgiving” was a friendly gathering of two disparate groups—or even neighbors—who shared a meal and lived harmoniously. In actuality, the assembly of these people had much more to do with political alliances, diplomacy, and an effort at rarely achieved, temporary peaceful coexistence. Although Native American people have always given thanks for the world around them, the Thanksgiving celebrated today is more a combination of Puritan religious practices and the European festival called Harvest Home, which then grew to encompass Native foods.” (L:M, H;SA:SS)

Toys from Trash - making toys from trash (L:G;SA:A)

ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World - “Interactive maps make learning come alive in mainstream subjects—like environmental science, math, history, and literature—and beyond.”(L:G;SA:A)

Room Recess - is dedicated to providing children with free learning games that are fun. Our online games reinforce important skills that are vital to elementary students and their educational process. RoomRecess.com was developed entirely by an elementary school teacher with the goal of reinforcing fundamental learning concepts in math, reading, spelling, language arts, typing, and problem solving. Because our learning games are free, students do not have to sign up or hold an account with us. Children can simply load up an activity and have fun learning online while they play! (L:E;SA:M,LA)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Giving Good Customer Service

In Customer service is free from Seth Godin's Blog, Seth Godin,

“Great customer service pays for itself.”

Teaching is just another form of customer service. Our students are the customers. Their parents are the customers. Taxpayers are the customers.

When I teach my students to be successful, I’m showing customers that they are getting good value for their money.

I cringe when I hear teachers ridicule students or their parents. I want to yell at them that if they were a salesperson in a store, their boss would fire them for talking about customers this way. They would be told that being in sales is not the right position for them. I feel the same way about teachers. If you can’t respect students and their parents, then you shouldn’t be in teaching.

Being patient and willing to help students be successful is my job. That is part of the customer service that I have been trained for.

This customer service has come back to me many times and helped me from getting burned out. During my low times, I have had students and parents who encouraged me and thanked me for my hard work. Those are the times that have helped me overcome my struggles and continue to work in the classroom.

Recently I met a student who was in my classroom 16 years ago! I was actually on a trip and was about 600 miles away from home when we stopped for dinner. The manager in the restaurant came up to us and she recognized me after all these years! I was so proud to see her and know that she was successful in her life. She is independent and pays her own bills. This is how I know that good customer service pays for itself.

Do you feel that teaching is customer service? Why or why not? Please share.

Photo by Blake Wisz on Unsplash

Don’t Be Afraid

In Afraid of afraid from Seth Godin's Blog by Seth Godin shares,

“Fear of being afraid keeps things on our to-do list forever, keeps important conversations from happening and shifts how we see our agency and leverage in the world.”

Everyone is afraid of failure and it doesn’t matter if they are a student or not. This fear is developed as a child when we are learning how to become independent. When we are learning to become independent whether it is feeding ourselves or learning to walk, we don’t have any fear of failure because we don’t know what failure is. As we get a little older, adults keep encouraging us to keep trying and keep learning. It seems like that once we enter the school system that we are measured against others. Suddenly we are evaluated and measured against what others believe are standards. As some fall behind, they can be classified as lacking in development or just plain lazy. The fear creeps in that we aren’t as good as the next person.

This fear can paralyze us from moving forward and developing new skills.

In my classroom, I want to help my students overcome this fear. I want to know that they are not alone and that everyone faces this fear of failure. I want my students to know that I will be there to encourage them and support them so that if they do fail, they will have the courage to try again. I want to teach the students how to be supportive of one another and to find ways to help each other be more successful.

Learning to be supportive and helpful is not something that students automatically know how to do. Once they enter the school system, they learn to be competitive and to try to be at the head of the class. This is when children learn to be cruel to anyone that is different. These are also learned behaviors so why not teach students that while competition is good, compassion is also a good behavior to have?

I begin by testing students to see where they are in their learning. I start with giving them assignments that I know will bring success. When they start feeling more confident, I introduce new things in small doses that I can be their support and help them be successful. The more successful they are will allow me to slowly back off the support. I still support them but also allow them more independence. When they falter, they will know they can come to me for help without worrying about looking weak. Soon they learn to look to their classmates for support and before long, they are willing to take the risk of learning harder skills. They are learning not to be afraid.

How do you teach students not to be afraid? Please share.

Photo by Jaqueline Fritz on Unsplash

Power of the Paperfuge

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In The Power of the Paperfuge, Rushton features a Stanford researcher who uses paper and string to create a paperfuge.

He gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“What is something you rely on that is complex and expensive? With some classmates, come up with a list. Share your list with others in the class, and then try having a brainstorming session to see if you can come up with a different way of creating one of those things.

How would you learn whether your idea can work? Can you try it yourself? Can you find someone who can help you experiment with it?

Do you learn something new just by engaging in a brainstorming session?

One thing you might learn is that the people who created the paperfuge must have been really good at asking, “What if?”

It’s amazing how simple yet powerful this creation is! It reminds me of a saying a learned many years ago - Keep It Simple, Silly! (KISS). Sometimes I wonder if we make things more complicated than they should be. Students can look at this video and realize that any of them could be the discoverer of a life-changing invention.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Veterans Day Activities

November 11th is a day that we pay our respects to all of those who have served in our US military.

This was first a holiday on every November 11th to pay respect to all of those who died for our country and was called Armistice Day. It is the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice at the end of WWI. In 1954, the name of the holiday was changed to Veterans Day to honor all veterans in all of the wars.

Terry Eicholz has a wonderful wakelet full of resources to use in the Classroom to celebrate Veterans Day. If you check out the wakelet, you will find many activities that students will enjoy. Photo by Lucas Alexander on Unsplash

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 11/05/21

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Protobot - “Protobot is very simple: it generates a product idea by matching a random product category with a random constraint.” (L:G;SA:LA)

WorldCover - “accurate, timely and high-resolution information on land use/land cover and its changes” (L:H;SA:SS)

Life on Minimum Wage - “The purpose of Life on Minimum Wage is for students to recognize how difficult it is to save money when your only job(s) pay minimum wage without benefits. To win at Life on Minimum Wage the students have to reach five financial goals that they select. To earn money the students have to complete the tasks of their assigned jobs. The students then have to pay required bills before using money for their selected financial goals. As the game progresses students will be issued "surprise" cards which require them to spend money on things like speeding tickets, trips to a health clinic, and increases in rent.” (L:H;SA:C)

TicTacTell - “the strategy is very simple to implement but it has a lot of potential for adapting to different grade levels, content, and complexity. The original focus of Tic Tac Tell was to provide a quick and easy way for kids to interact with vocabulary words. We know that to learn new vocabulary words and phrases, kids need to experience those words or phrases multiple times in a variety of contexts. Tic Tac Tell works great for that, especially with elementary kids.” (L:G;SA:A)

United Nations - “The United Nations comes up in international news a lot. But what is it? What does it do? Why is it important? CBC Kids News’s Sid and Ruby break it down for you.” (L:E;SA:SS)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

No One is Perfect

In Effort from Seth Godin's Blog, Seth Godin

“Perfectionism is a false hope and a place to hide. Effort, on the other hand, is our best chance to do work that matters.”

When my husband was a student, he spent so much time trying to make his work perfect that he was so stressed out. Instead of turning his work in early, he tended to submit his work at the last minute. It didn’t matter how much time he spent on his work, he never felt like it was good enough to turn in. While I commend him for wanting to put a lot of effort into his work, there is no such thing as perfect.

My parents were hard taskmasters and wanted my work to be perfect. I know they just wanted the best from me and the best for me but it led to many years where I felt I was never good enough. It took a lot of years before I realized that this was not what they wanted for me. Instead, they wanted me to try and do the best I could and not accept less if I knew I didn’t deserve it.

I want my students to put a lot of effort into their work but I don’t want them to be paralyzed with fear that something isn’t perfect.

I want them to know that not being perfect is okay as long as they put the effort into it. When they turn their work in, it will be evident how much effort was put into their final submission. Those who put little effort into it will be given the grade they deserve.

When my students first attend my class, I state that as long as they put the effort into their work, they will not fail my class! I want them to know that it is okay to make mistakes and not be perfect. Once this fear is put aside, they are more willing to try new things and take the risk of making a mistake.

I let my students know that as long as they put effort into their work, I will be there to support and help them when they face challenges. They are not in this learning process alone. At some point, we may be learning side by side. I want them to see learning as fun and if not fun, a challenge worth facing.

Once they accept that no one is perfect, they can be successful in the classroom. They become more confident and less fearful. This success in the classroom will help them be more successful in life.

How do you feel about mistakes in the classroom? Please share.

Photo by Susan Wilkinson on Unsplash

Conducting an FBA

Here is another question posted on my special education forum. I shared the question and my answer.

Question:

Hello everyone! I am a K-2 self-contained special education teacher. And I need to do a FBA on a student in my classroom. I am familiar with the parts of a FBA (Indirect, descriptive, functional analysis). And I have 'book knowledge' of the functional analysis part of the FBA. But I have never conducted one. I cannot find a great youtube video on how to do one in a busy classroom. Btw, leaving the room and doing it elsewhere is not really an option. Can anyone share how they are doing this in their classrooms? Thanks!

My answer:

I'm a visual learner so when I start in a new district, I asked for a sample copy of an FBA that a teacher in that district has completed and used as a guide. You might ask another special ed teacher in your school if you can see a copy of one that they did. I always found this helpful. Usually, the district I was in had a specific form that they wanted us to use. When conducting a meeting, I basically followed the form and went through each item during the meeting.

I think you might be asking how to do data collection for your student. I found this great resource from https://www.pattan.net/ that I use in my graduate classes. You might find it helpful. https://www.pattan.net/getmedia/bc85494c-4fed-42e5-a846-2cab9984ea7d/funcassessobs0109How would you have answered this question? Please share.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Let the Robot Drive

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In Let the Robot Drive, Rushton features Zoox, a company working on self-driving cars.

He gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“This story is from 2018, so one challenge you might take on is to see what you can learn about the company’s progress in the last few years.
In addition to learning some pretty cool engineering concepts, this video might help you think in new ways about old stuff, such as school. If you were told to create a school of the future, would you tweak the engine, or start over?
What do you know that could use a completely new approach?”

I think this is a great video to inspire students because I believe there is a high interest in self-driving cars. With this interest, students will be motivated to find out the latest information about them. I remember watching the cartoon “The Jetsons” and believing that none of that would ever be possible. I also think students have great imaginations and they will start thinking about ways to make old stuff better or even a newer useful version of them. It would be fun to have them get in groups to share their ideas and brainstorm together things that seem impossible but may actually be possible.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

2021 Goals Review for October

This month was a great month for me. I exercised more and I was more productive. I think because the weather is getting cooler that I feel more motivated to do things. I continue to get ahead on my national park blanket squares even though I met my goal. This will make it easier for me to get the blanket finished next year. I also finished another Recalibrate sweater.  

1. Lose 5 lbs. – I’ve lost 2 lbs. this month but I’m still up 2 lbs. since the beginning of the year. This means I need to lose 7 lbs. by the end of the year to meet my goal.

2. Knit 12 squares on my national park blanket. (There are 60 squares in the pattern and this is year 4 of the project.) – 54 squares complete. I’ve knit a total of 15 squares this year. This goal is complete.

3. Knit a sweater. – I finished the Nesting Cardigan,  The Rocket Tee, Bright Axis, Recalibrate, and Recalibrate #2. – This goal is completed

4. Design 3 new patterns – I completed three designs: The Chinese New Year Cowl and the Double Happiness Sock, and Graveyard Field Socks.

5. Read 12 nonfiction books. – goal completed.

1. Counting by Deborah Stone

2. My Paddle to the Sea by John Lane

3. Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl

4. Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak

5. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

6. The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan

7. The Body by Bill Bryson

8. Kiss Me Like a Stranger by Gene Wilder

9. The Polygamist’s Daughter by Anna LeBaron

10. Sprinting Through No Man's Land: Endurance, Tragedy, and Rebirth in the 1919 Tour de France by Adin Dobkin

11. There’s a Hole in my Bucket: A Journey of Two Brothers by Royd Tolkien

12. Know My Name by Chanel Miller

How is your progress towards your goals? Please share.

 

Photo by S O C I A L . C U T on Unsplash