A Swinging Pendulum...

It's that time of year! School Supply time! Yay! And there was great rejoicing.....NOT! To many parents, school supply lists are crazy! Gone are the days kids needed just pencils, erasers and paper! However, the history of school supplies is kind of interesting, well, to me that is!  The earliest school supply list dates back to 1450 in England when students were required to provide their own Hornbook .  What's a hornbook? It was a wooden tablet (think of a board with a handle at the bottom or top to hold like a fan.). Then thin paper was placed over the letters for the student to copy the letters. Quotes, scriptures, or sayings may also have been on different horn books for students to memorize. In the early 1800s, students in America would need slates , chalk and books. Slates are the original version of our handheld dry erase boards! Students practiced writing spelling words, math problems and answering other questions. The teacher would review the work for accuracy and...

PBL vs. PBL Project-Based Learning vs. Problem-Based Learning Is there a difference? Yes! Project-Based Learning is a learning process in which students learn through completing projects that revolve around real world problems. Project-Based Learning is when a problem is presented to a student, group of students or a class, and they discuss possible solutions. Project Based learning is focusing on the problem, identifying affected parties, and determining a solution to resolve the problem. Now, the solution could lead into a prototype, working model, poster displaying solution ideas, writing letters, making web pages, informing the public, and more.  Project-Based learning can also occur when student(s) identify their OWN problem to study, or identify their own problems in a given topic. Project-based learning span over time - a few weeks and up to a school year. Examples of Project-Based Learning are science projects that address a question students have and the stude...

Please note: I have taught 26 years in 2 districts and in 4 schools, and in seven summer school settings;  I attended seven schools in five different school districts before graduating from high school; I have worked in residential camp settings, children's homes, after-school programs, and enrichment programs; I have worked with students from various economic groups; I have taught as an adjunct faculty member at three area universities; I have read over 500 books since 2010 and countless journals. When reading my blog, please realize I am not writing about current teaching experiences. I read, research, talk, and have varied educational connections from which I learn about educational practices and experiences of others. Not all of what I write is personally affecting me; but it is touching someone in the world of education.

Let's face it. Educating children takes a lot of stuff. Sure, we could be boring and use worksheets day in and day out, use a set standard of textbooks in all subjects, fill in the blanks and go through a daily mundane routine all to limit what we use. Great educators do not teach that way. Educating in a fun, engaging way uses things - markers, crayons, paper, poster board, boxes, craft items, LEGOS, K'Nex, building items, marble runs, games, rubber bands, duct tape, ribbon, buttons, clay, and the list goes on and on!  Then there are the displays of projects, the word lists, the class charts and diagrams, the colorful bulletin board materials, and the neat teacher idea books. But, eventually, the stuff comes down off the walls, the projects need to be taken apart, the idea books have been used up and you as a teacher need new ideas...and where does the used stuff* go? Well, it better not go in the trash! Educators and other adults need to realize that we are teaching all o...

You are at work and suddenly realize you didn't send in your car payment. It was due yesterday. What will happen?  Nothing. You still have your car; you legally have 30-90 days to pay without penalty. You are at a baseball game and it goes into extra innings. Now what? Nothing. It makes the game more exciting! There is a community center being built in your community and it is supposed to be finished by October. In March of the following year, city residents are wondering if it will ever open.  Grand Opening occurs in August.  Several deadlines are missed. What happened? The Center still opened and people still came. The contractors just didn't get bonus for finishing on time or early. A company is late by several days getting paychecks out to its employees. What happened to the company? Nothing. No one quit, because the employees need to job. The company did not give more money to make up for being late. It just happens. An employee misses a deadline for a projec...

Holiday parties in schools can be a very fun time.  It is a break from the daily routine of class. Students get to socialize freely.  There are no restrictions on time usage. However, there are many problems that arise due to parties. For those with food allergies and religious concerns, room parties can be isolating.  Peanut, gluten, sugar consumption concerns, and others which can be found in party food is a great concern, sometimes it is life threatening. With the growing concern of obesity rates of children, removing this unnecessary calorie consumption needs to be considered. In addition, with so many families of different religious affiliations, the origins of the room parties cause problems in schools. Even when the Halloween, Christmas and Valentine's Day parties are renamed Fall, Winter and Spring parties, families often see them as the same parties, just renamed. Next, besides the food concerns and religious contradictions, the children who cannot particip...

Welcome to my blog of random educational, gifted, STEM, and life topics!  Here is a little bit about me. See if we have anything in common and decide if you want to hang out here! I am a teacher of 26 years..... yes, 26 years.... Where has the time gone? At the present time I am a PEGS teacher. PEGS stands for Program for the Exceptionally Gifted Student. More on the PEGS program later.  I have taught in regular 4th and 5th grade classrooms. I have also been an instructional technology specialist. I really enjoy teaching math, science, social studies and writing.  I incorporate STEM/STEAM as much as possible. PBL units are a part of my year curriculum, as well.  Games make their way into our educational program, too. My husband and I have a senior and a freshman in high school. We enjoy exploring our state and country traveling by car (well, my husband may not since he does the driving) because we see so much more of our great state of Missouri and of the USA. ...