Author: drsueb

This is what I have been saying for years. If reading is meaningful to kids they will read. They will need the information to help with their project or activity. I have heard so many parents tell me that their kids learned to read from playing games. Many computer games provide clues or tips to help advance through the games. Following directions when building a complicated toy is another way to increase and improve reading skills. Let’s keep it real.

Should we invest our limited education resources in teaching critical reading skills or in what’s known as STEM — science, technology, engineering and math? Here’s how to do both.

Source: How to integrate literacy with STEM – The Washington Post

I have been using Google Forms for quite some time. It is a great way to collect information and have it neatly organized for you. My good friend Alice Keeler is a Google Forms guru and loves spreadsheets. She is always sharing her knowledge about how she uses Google Forms and her tips are really useful. Take a look and see what you think.

Google Forms: Collect First Names and Last Names

Attracting girls towards careers in science and math has been difficult. I wonder if it is a confidence thing or is it more of a gender thing? The research seems to be going in both directions. I think if there were more hands-on problem-solving projects that demonstrated to students how and why to use the higher-level math skills more students, not just boys, would continue in the science and math fields. Projects that allow for trial and error are important to develop strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills. STEM activities could be a game-changer.

A recent report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) took a comprehensive look at gender differences in student performance based on an exam taken by 15-year-olds.…

Source: Why STEM’s Future Rests In The Hands Of 12-Year-Old Girls | TechCrunch

Questioning takes time, fill in the bubbles does not. We need to teach kids to think about their choices and actions. Be a role model, encourage kids to think.

Source: Ed Tech on Flipboard

How are you changing education? How are your students changing education? Share some of your experiences that helped to reshape the delivery of your curriculum needs.

Jeannette Jones, dean of education at Schaumburg-based for-profit American InterContinental University, told of a time she sat in on a middle school class and a student asked the teacher a question.

Source: Technology reshapes education, ‘making thinking visible’ – Chicago Tribune

The robot sessions are going very well. The reached capacity in just over 48 hours of the first announcement sent home! I was amazed but not really surprised. Kids are asking for different ways to engage their minds and develop their creative thought processes. This week I worked with 42 students after school over three different afternoons. Each session was the same, high excitement and serious thinking to solve the presented challenges. It is time to share my excitement with others even though I am just starting down this path with the visual programming robots. I am starting with Dash and Dot and a handful of iPads. The kids and their enthusiasm for what can happen are infectious. I want to take my experiences with robots and sharing with others. My first step is Michigan. I just completed my application to present at MACUL 2016. Let’s see if I can begin spreading the word FUN!

It seems like this is the perfect plan for student engagement. Short focused lecture, an activity that is thought-provoking beyond the textbook regurgitation, then short focused lecture. Might take some practice but kids are used to bites of information not long boring lectures. Change is needed, give it a try let me know what you think.

Mini-lectures, interspersed with activities, discussions, and time for reflection, helped ensure students received the content and remained engaged.

Source: The Eight-Minute Lecture Keeps Students Engaged