revised 11/26/23 We all learn best when we are motivated to learn, and the intrinsic motivation of interest, pride, and “felt need” works much better than the extrinsic motivation of rewards, peer pressure, and fear! How do you build an intrinsic motivation to learn? Anchor the learning to some bigger problem or challenge that motivates […]
This post is second in a series of six to get ready for the new year. . . . The year 2020 reminds me of perfect vision! 2019 was a year of many initiatives, goals, and needs; it’s time to put everything in focus. If you missed the first post, click here! Yes, you have […]
My relationship with technology began in the seventies, when I left teaching to pursue a career in computer science. Armed with a lot of tech skills, I returned to the world of education and was struck by how computers were being introduced in schools. Rather than being woven into the fabric of classroom instruction, they […]
There is a big paradigm shift looming in education: the need to shift focus from teaching to learning, from teacher as information deliverer to teacher as facilitator of learning. That means on any given day, the teacher’s primary focus should be not on a lesson plan or textbook page, but on a student, and another, […]
I often hear design process and design thinking mentioned in connection with STEM and STEAM programs; and yes, clearly, if you’re going to solve a design problem, it’s good to have a design process. But the type of methodical thinking involved in design process is just good for everyday life! So build it into everything […]