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Category Archives: Learning
Savanna Safari Sorting Mats and Cards
Boy–it’s taken me a long time to finish this newest piece of the Savanna Safari Maps, Mural, and MiniMuseum. Life has interrupted things in a big way for the last few months, but I think I’m back on track and I’m … Continue reading
Posted in Inquiry Based Learning, Learning, Savanna, Science Themes
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Structuring for Choice—The Teacher’s Role
In the last post, I wrote about the steps I took as I gradually gave students a greater stake in their learning. In my experience, giving students more choice requires a great deal of structure. Today I want to talk … Continue reading
Objectives and Inquiry
I don’t think directed, structured instruction has to look as if it is directed and structured. I believe in inquiry-based learning, learning where a problem is put out there and children dissect, investigate, observe, manipulate, explore, construct, test, analyze, evaluate, … Continue reading
Playful Learning with Classroom Museums
Classroom museums and research centers provide materials to set up classroom centers that allow students to study themes through exploration, manipulation, and inquiry, based on their curiosity and interests. Abstract concepts become more accessible by presenting them as concrete activities, objects, and … Continue reading
The Power of REAL
I learned about the power that REAL learning can have on motivating students during my Master’s Degree training and later experiences with my own students. I started my Master’s Degree in Special Education after I had been teaching elementary school … Continue reading
Choice in Student Motivation
I have always found learning to be intensely motivating in itself; the problem comes when students are learning something different from what I want them to learn. They are always learning—it’s what their brains are designed for—but unfortunately they can … Continue reading
Posted in Learning, Student Choice
Tagged learning, Motivation, student choice, support
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Including All Students in General Education Classrooms
Inclusion of special needs children into classrooms of general education students seems to be a difficult area for many teachers. Throughout my career, I was involved in many conversations about how to accomplish this very worthwhile task while meeting everyone’s … Continue reading
Inclusion: Language at the Center
Language is the center of learning. In fact, it’s at the center of all we do. It’s how we express our needs, and work together. It’s not a strange idea that language should be the core of classroom life. Language … Continue reading
Interdisciplinary Teaching Impossible in US?
I was really surprised to read on another teacher’s blog: “standards and testing have made interdisciplinary teaching almost impossible in the US.” HUH? Interdisciplinary teaching just requires that all subjects be organized to correlate with and compliment each other. Today’s … Continue reading
Inquiry, Project Based Learning
I have always found children learn better, faster, deeper, and stronger when they do stuff, real stuff. Curiosity, interest, desire, and control are the bedrock upon which true learning grows. Children who build, create, construct, and design in order to … Continue reading
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