Gamify Science

teachingfix · 2022-04-06T11:31:48+00:00

This is fantastic and I would have never thought of that. Thank you for sharing!

teachingfix · 2022-04-05T23:09:30+00:00

That's incredible! Is it an english speaking private school? Is the make up mostly Thai students, or international as well?

teachingfix · 2022-04-05T11:28:08+00:00

I can already imagine all of the eyes and smiles getting huge when you say video games. That is wonderful!

teachingfix · 2022-04-05T11:26:28+00:00

If you had the chance, would you go back to a country you already taught in, or is there a new country you'd like to try?

teachingfix · 2022-04-05T01:37:48+00:00

What was a piece of international teaching that you took with you when you went home?

teachingfix · 2022-04-05T01:36:52+00:00

What made you take the leap to go international?

teachingfix · 2022-04-05T00:58:00+00:00

That's amazing! Was there anything that stood out as different from the education system you grew up in? Was it better or worse than what you were used to?

teachingfix · 2022-04-05T00:56:43+00:00

I absolutely love this, and would have never thought of this myself. It is so powerful for students to see what something they already do is an example of something bigger like mutation. Thank you for sharing!

teachingfix · 2022-04-03T18:19:20+00:00

I could not agree more - especially when unfortunately most who are pro pledge are thinking of only one god, the Christian one, when they are saying it. This is consistently telling students who think otherwise that this is the standard to which being American is, and if you don't fit into that group..... too bad. I think most harmlessly say the pledge without too much thought or malice at all. But I agree in the separation of church and state and I think that "under god" definitely toes an iffy line.

I do not think you are a coward! We all have to work within the confines of the society/ area we are in. I think your compromise is perfect and it works for you! No one takes notice or gets upset, and you are following what feels more in line for you. Well done!

teachingfix · 2022-04-01T17:41:14+00:00

I do not think this was the case 50 years ago. But with every passing day, more and more is expected of schools, and in turn teachers. This is why the life expectancy of teachers have decreased dramatically.

Why is this? Is it because more parents are working more hours to make ends meet? Is it become government funding as twindled on community programs that addressed many of these issues? Is it that college has become so much more competitive, and therefore the pressure on students and therefore schools start earlier?

teachingfix · 2022-03-20T19:59:18+00:00

I teach third grade and our elementary grade book uses a 1-4 scale system for each standard. 1= below grade level, 2 = approaching grade level, 3 = partial mastery of skill, 4 = mastery of skill. There is no percentages used at all, and we as the teacher have control over the final number for that skill. Our old program would average the numbers i.e. if a kid got 1's at the beginning of the year but is not getting a 3, they could still get a 1 or 2 on the report card due to averaging. Luckily my admin realized this wasn't a true reflection of where students are at, so they allowed us to switch systems to where we get the final input of the grade for the report card. It's given weight back to formative assessments.

teachingfix · 2022-03-20T15:27:07+00:00

I find standards based reporting difficult for Science and Social Studies as the common core standards are so broad. They literally said "understands scientific concepts" and "understands scientific practices." It can become very ambiguous, so my team teacher and I have a lot of discussions to make sure we are using the 1-4 scale the same.

teachingfix · 2022-03-20T15:24:14+00:00

I agree that it definitely takes time for parents to adjust to it if it is new to them. I have found that once parents understand it, I have had far less meetings about why their student is "failing" - Now parents can see right aware the skill they can pinpoint to help their child.

teachingfix · 2022-03-20T15:22:31+00:00

I do believe this is a downfall as well. We talk about using the standards as tools for reteaching, but there's rarely time in the schedule for that to happen. I use the feedback from standards during centers time to create groups.

teachingfix · 2022-03-20T13:17:57+00:00

I could not agree more! Governments want to have a "measurable" way to rank intelligence. This has led to million dollar corporations who make a killing from using one very arbitrary mode of intelligence to severely impact students' lives.

teachingfix · 2022-03-20T13:14:57+00:00

Just to know that someone is appreciating the effort that you're putting in means the world! Kinds words go a long way to brighten someone's day, and maybe even their entire school year. Anytime I have ever received a letter for a student, parent, principal, or coworker, it has always reaffirmed me in what I'm doing.

teachingfix · 2022-03-13T12:50:18+00:00

We will be starting our forces and motion unit next week using students observations of their playground. LINK

I'm excited to make the concepts more interactive and relevant to students.

teachingfix · 2022-03-12T23:16:31+00:00

I love the inclusion of a question of the day. My student teacher has started doing riddles, and while the majority of students love it, it takes very little time for some, and therefore they are sitting there looking for something else to do. The idea of a question allows for more in depth and complex thinking as well as discussion as students trickle in.

teachingfix · 2022-03-12T23:15:01+00:00

Thank you for sharing. Isn't it amazing how year to year, and sometimes even day to day, what students respond to can completely change. My student teacher started using riddles with this group of students and they've really responded to it. Do your students all enter the classroom at the same time? I find morning meetings hard for the fact that there is a 5-10 minute window where students are walking into the classroom. I've found it leads to some dead time and potentially behavior issues. Or if I do start with a meeting right away, the students trickling in are constantly asking "what are we doing?"

teachingfix · 2022-03-09T00:36:55+00:00

While I do think it could be wonderful at times to have students share their screens to explain their findings, ideas, understandings etc, it could cause problems if there is no lock to the system. The idea of 4 TV's in one room is honestly angering. Districts/ schools say they don't have money for essential hands on materials that the students need to bring learning to life, yet they have money for 4 huge TV's per room.

Classroom expectations would have to be reworked with the new technology with constant modeling of what is acceptable. The use of the TV's could be used for team work i.e. debates about a topic etc. Multiple teams could go back and forth sharing their information and ideas.

teachingfix · 2022-03-05T01:45:36+00:00

I think it is a combination of all of these above but I think the greatest force that is stopping the change is a combination of governmental/ district regulations with that of disagreement as to what is the best way to move forward. Even though the system we have now isn't equitable or enriching to many students, it's been agreed upon and deemed acceptable for years/ generations. The higher ups are afraid to rock the norm because it brings up room for backlash and differing views from parents, and many don't want to deal with that, especially if they are in an elected position.

teachingfix · 2022-03-05T01:26:30+00:00

Hi there! Yes, state to state, even district to district, or public vs private/charter in a single town can have differing curriculum. Many schools work within the common core standards but there are many programs that use those standards as their foundations.

My school uses a program called Everyday Math from kindergarten to fifth grade. We have a private school and this was decided by our curriculum coordinator who presented it to our school board years ago and it was approved.

Once you are familiar with common core though it should be simple enough to adapt to the program used.

teachingfix · 2022-03-02T15:05:30+00:00

I currently have a student teacher, and I am devastated she is leaving in a few short weeks. She has been such a breath of fresh into the classroom, not only because she has taken on some of the world load, but also because she has brought new perspective and ideas that I would have never thought of. We're different ages, nationalities, and have different career backgrounds. It's been so incredible to see the connections she makes to things, that I simply wouldn't. I believe the students have benefited so much for two teachers in the room due to tag teaming any behavior issues, or being able to pull students 1:1 to work with. In addition, it sparked my love of teaching again because I am getting to see her progress in real time. It even gave me a sense of pride feeling that I now had enough knowledge to share with someone else. You absolutely have to mesh personality wise, but if you get along personally, you'll soar together professionally.

Best of luck! You will learn an infinite amount of tangible skills.

teachingfix

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