The Learning Journey

I recently learnt of QR codes last year. I never really took much notice. I saw them on soft drink cans I think. At first I thought it looked like a strange bar code. Thanks to a few trailblazing educators I now have some ideas as to how to use these with my students. If you are not sure what a QR code is check out Jeff Utecht's excellent blog The Thinking  Stick http://www.thethinkings...

Learning Measurement- what are we trying to measure anyway?

My niece in grade2 attending a local Indonesian school is currently learning measurement conversion from meters to centimeters. My daughter who is also in grade 2 is NOT learning how to convert metres to centimeters, and she goes to an international school. ‘What’? My relatives say ‘Why is she not learning this important skill in grade 2, AND she goes to an international school’? I argue tha...

Have any of your students come into class with a new piece of learning technlogy lately? No, not a netbook, iphone, i pad or any of the newest apps that seem to pop up every second day but a little piece of plastic. Yes I’m talking about those wrist bands- Power Balance. For those of you who do not know what these are they are hologramedwristbands http://www.powerbalance.com   that promised enhanced performance, and the professional at...

So I’ve been thinking about the STUFF we teach. We have the core subjects that are assessed at every grade and are looked and held in such high regard by universities, discussed at the dinner table and compared by parents and classmates. It’s what makes us ‘smart’. It was makes us successful. They are of course Math, English, Science….and the ‘other subjects’. So that’s great we can do long division or some complex trig question. That’s fa...