Archive for February 2016
Nurturing the "Cognitive Enterprise" of Reading
Reading has been called a “cognitive enterprise” and it happens as a result of the connection between the reader and the text. – What do I visualize? What connections can I make? Does this make sense? – Successful readers monitor their reading, use strategies for understanding, and evaluate their efforts. To comprehend a text, a reader…
Read MoreLet's Think About It
How many times a day do you think about how you process information? If you’re like the majority of people, the answer is rarely. However, every time we make a decision or learn new information we are thinking about our own thinking. This is known as metacognition, and metacognitive strategies are what we use to…
Read MoreMath Talk = Deeper Understanding
Creating a classroom environment where students are immersed in real life math tasks and quality math talk is essential for creating deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. The first Standard for Mathematical Practice is to Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Daily math talk puts this standard into practice and creates a safe setting…
Read MoreMay the Force Be With You
Star Wars fans know Yoda, the legendary Jedi Master – small in size but wise and powerful. He trained his Jedi students to think – “Mind what you have learned – save you it can.” The ability to think critically is a powerful skill. It is the force that allows us to actively analyze, synthesize,…
Read MoreWriting a Message
Writers like Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, don’t know where their characters are going or what they are going to do when they begin writing. They simply let the characters take over. Very few children are able to accomplish this though many try. Usually these stories end up rambling and without a purpose.…
Read MoreTraining the Mind to Think
“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” – Albert Einstein At one time, the expectation for an effective classroom climate was one where students were expected to sit quietly, listening to the imparting of knowledge – the outpouring of facts – the monologue from the teacher. Now we…
Read MoreFinding Winnie
Who doesn’t love Winnie the Pooh? He has been delighting children for decades, and his sweet nature makes us continue to adore him. However, the story of Pooh doesn’t begin with the A. A. Milne books. This story really begins back during World War I. Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian and soldier in training, sees a…
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