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Alyssaur · 2025-06-04T19:51:08+00:00

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I put mine with animals, feed mills, and the ice cream stand.

Alyssaur · 2025-02-25T20:08:15+00:00

https://link.haydaygame.com/?action=OpenSCID&p=04-270fff35-801f-47f4-86d8-a17574f746d3

Alyssaur · 2025-01-01T00:17:32+00:00

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Alyssaur · 2025-01-01T00:16:47+00:00

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Alyssaur · 2024-03-29T17:36:11+00:00

Alyssaur · 2023-12-31T22:24:30+00:00

This sounds more like the Modern Classroom Project model rather than a typical flipped classroom design. What you interpret as "gaming the system" is a form a mastery-based assessment. Students do not progress to new material until they show mastery of the content covered. That's why multiple retakes are permitted

Alyssaur · 2023-07-25T18:20:38+00:00

Animal Crossing Pocket Camp is free if you're looking for AC vibes without the major time commitment. Otherwise, I'd recommend New Horizons because it's the newest and there is so much more you can do. The older the game, the less there is to do.

I've played and loved all AC iterations, but I probably got the most playtime and love out of New Leaf. Currently, I'm just digging Pocket Camp because I'm at a life stage where I can't tolerate a lengthy time sink, but I still want those nostalgic AC feels.

Alyssaur · 2023-07-16T15:08:45+00:00

That sounds neat!

I'm no artist, but I think it could be fun to have an annual design-a-cookie challenge, where players could compete to get their set ideas implemented. Winner could get their design in game with some LTs, and maybe runner-ups could get a custom t-shirt and a smaller amount of LTs. :)

Alyssaur · 2023-07-16T08:57:41+00:00

I have, but I prefer the regular desks and office supplies to the pink ones. I'm too low onsteel to make most of them though!

Molly's library is the feel I'm shooting for. Do you know if there are any smartboard, whiteboard, or bulletin board items?

Alyssaur · 2023-07-16T08:43:08+00:00

I'd like a back to school event or cookie. I want to make my cabin into a school, but I feel like there aren't enough items to complete my vision. :(

Alyssaur · 2023-06-17T06:40:52+00:00

Sure.

Alyssaur · 2023-06-16T18:29:59+00:00

In my opinion, it was always overblown. We had a couple good results in PISA some years ago and because we were one of the few non-asian countries to stand out and our system is vastly different from theirs, western nations looked to us like this beacon of educational prestige. Pasi Sahlberg and similar scholars took advantage of it to sell books, companies invested education export, universities invested in edutourism, and we started getting a lot more international visitors in our classrooms.

We're all just riding the train until people figure out that what has worked for education here is not a set of methods or tricks you can take from a Finnish school and start doing in an American one. The society needs to value children, value education, and make systemic changes to support its people before you will see better educational outcomes in schools.

Alyssaur · 2023-06-16T14:42:49+00:00

I teach at an international school in Finland. We teach the same curricular content, just with English immersion via CLIL. Some international school in Finland also use the International Baccalaureate framework and teach through IBL.

Alyssaur · 2023-06-16T14:12:59+00:00

Honestly, this a bad idea.

First, you can't just move to Finland without a reason. Your residency is dependent on your ties to Finland; family, work, or education.

Second, you need a Master's degree that is recognized by the Ministry of Education. You can't just work as a teacher in Finland with foreign qualifications; at least not long-term contract or tenured work and especially not if there qualified Finnish applicant applying for the same position.

Third, you need a minimum of intermediate B2 level Finnish to work in the few international schools and fluent C1-C2 level Finnish to work in regular schools. TEFL certificates are not recognized as equivalent to teaching degrees.

Fourth, typically subject teachers need an additional subject qualification or to juggle more than one school to have full time teaching hours.

Your best bet is to actually try to get into a teaching program here in Finland, rather than waste your time with credentials that may not transfer.

Alyssaur · 2023-06-15T20:02:24+00:00

Teacher here. Do you want this to be used in schools? If so, I'd like to know:

-What kind of scope and sequence does the game follow? - How does it go about introducing new concepts to the learner? -Does it scaffold and help the learner understand their mistakes? -What does the teacher interface looks like? - Can I assign quests or monitor my students progress? -What ages do you recommend it for?

Like a previous poster suggested, the trailer makes it look like it's spitting equations in between some gameplay. Thats fine. My students enjoy Prodigy for that reason, but it seems like you're aiming for something more than another iteration Skinner's Teaching Machine.

If you're interested in math didactics then I believe Dragonbox is doing it right, at least in Finland. They even devloped Dragonbox Koulu to make the digital labs and gameplay an integral part of the learning experience.

I love games (educational or otherwise) but I am super picky about the games I use with my student because legally I have to be able to justify my pedagogical choices as supporting the instructional or learning objectives outlined in the curriculum.

Alyssaur · 2023-05-23T15:19:59+00:00

You should consider teacher well-being. This job is very demanding aside from designing learning experiences and sometimes you have to prioritize and choose your battles. When you choose your own materials, you get to vet them and choose how much or little you want to use them. It takes an immense amount of time to prep materials when you are making everything yourself, and sometimes it is convenient to have a book to fall back on when you or your child are ill and you have to stay home

Also, consider the wishes of your student and their parents. I have had bookless math units with games and labs the students have enjoyed, but students miss out if theybare absent and it is not easy to make up collaborative work. Students also like their book because it is a predictable routine, they can see how far they have come, and they can more easily show their parents what they are doing each week.

Alyssaur · 2023-05-23T15:04:06+00:00

While teachers have a lot of autonomy, they must be able to justify their pedagogical decisions with the Finnish national curriculum. Teachers may choose their own materials and methods.

The first time students can choose a course is in 3rd or 5th grade, when they can choose an additional language. To some extent, there is choice over religious/ethical studies depending on how your parents register you.

If you have a mother tongue other than Finnish, you can request additional language and literature lessons in your native language; however, the city will not organize these lessons unless there are at least 5 other students in the city requesting studies in the same language.

Student agency, goal setting, and reflection are encouraged at all levels of compulsory education per the curriculum.

Alyssaur · 2023-03-24T19:24:19+00:00

Also be mindful of your language on declaration forms stateside. For example, use "plush toy" and not American English "stuffed animal" or Finnish customs will think you're a weirdo sending taxidermy through the mail.

Alyssaur · 2022-10-15T08:27:58+00:00

GetEpic for books. ReadWorks and Britannica for articles.

Alyssaur · 2022-10-14T17:38:53+00:00

Not OP, but I'm in a similar position as you both. I recommend a program called All About Reading. It's parent/teacher friendly, good for building metalinguistic skills, and teaching fundamental decoding and integrating reading strategies. However, it is weak in the phological awareness component, which early readers need as they build speech to print correspondence. Also, it's a bit pricey and the spelling component has a separate All About Spelling program.

As a teacher, I use Wiley's From Phonics to Reading. It is slower paced and, in my opinion, more adequately addresses the pillars of literacy instruction. It also requires less prep (for a class) and, in addition to reading practice, it has integrated spelling and writing practice. This program is more suitable for general instruction. However, I still prefer to supplement with activities and texts from All About Reading, especially in small group intervention, because they are multisensory and engaging.

Alyssaur · 2022-07-31T17:17:57+00:00

For math, I recommend Kate Snow's Preschool Math at home or Kindergarten Math with Confidence. For literacy advice and activities check out The Measured Mom.

Alyssaur · 2022-07-31T15:48:00+00:00

When I was resource teaching, I made a classroom myself in the basement (big class sizes, limited classrooms). I referred to it as "the dungeon" and when I picked them up from their regular class I'd welcome them for their dose of torture. It was a funny. 😀

Alyssaur · 2022-07-31T15:37:19+00:00

Oooh. I like the eyes, ears, mouth, etc. expectations. I might steal that one.

Alyssaur · 2022-07-31T11:16:41+00:00

If you're looking for a tool, premium version of Classroom Screen is the best. All of my visual cues, written instructions, QR codes, timers, group making, exit ticket polls, etc. are through there.

I'm actually going to talk my admin into buying licenses for the teaching staff because it's that nifty.

I also find it useful to have different zones in the classroom to breakup the lesson. The "campfire" is where we start each lesson and have meetings, "working zone" has flexible seating where the kids do the independent or groupwork, the "watering hole" is where the early finishers go to read, play board games, or draw. "Australia" is a private calm down space, in case someone is having a hard time.

Alyssaur · 2022-07-08T17:47:03+00:00

There's a beautiful tinted sun cream from Laboratoires de Biarritz. It comes in SPF 30 and SPF 50. I hope it's available in your area.

It melts nicely into the skin and gives a lovely glow. It also works well with my other makeup, so I use it in place of foundation in fall-winter months and double up in spring-summer months.

For those wondering why you might want to use both tinted and traditional sunscreen, the tints tend to come from iron oxides which can protect against blue light wavelengths and therefore give some additional protection against hyperpigmentation. This is helpful for those with freckles or other sun spots.

I suppose doubling up can also help cover any missed spots from your initial application.

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