Training 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…

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3 Ways to Build Thinkers

It was Socrates who said, “I cannot teach anybody anything; I can only make them think.” Meaningful learning takes place when our students are engaged and genuinely thinking – not simply spitting back facts.  At ERG our focus is growing all learners, so we encourage students to question, ponder, contemplate, deliberate, reason, defend, and create.  Effective…

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Drawing Pictures/Counting Fingers

The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple. -S. Gudder What a true statement!  While we need to learn math facts and rules, they are not an end unto themselves.  Math is about discovering new ways to think about numbers.  Counting fingers and drawing pictures are…

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Hour of Code

From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . “An understanding of computer science is becoming increasingly essential in today’s world.  Our national competitiveness depends upon our ability to educate our children – and that includes our girls – in this critical field”   – Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer, Facebook To develop globally competitive students…

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Open the Gate

From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . I just finished reading an article that called math “the gatekeeper of success.”  Sounded a little scary to me, but got me thinking.  A lack of skill and confidence in math problem solving can affect the ability to make some critically important decisions.  Often when people…

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Modeling the Sounds of Learning

From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . One of my favorite classroom signs reads, “Pardon our noise.  It’s the sound of learning.”  A class of enthusiastic learners is not silent, but filled with meaningful conversations about all aspects of the curriculum.  Classroom talk is a powerful tool and is critical to teaching and…

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Enlarge Your World

From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . “There are many ways to enlarge your child’s world.  Love of books is the best of all”   – Jacqueline Kennedy One of the most important things we can do to help instill a love of learning in our students is to read to them every day.…

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Teaching There

From the desk of Alice…   After writing about the way my own children have fallen in love with learning, I started wondering about the teachers who are nurturing this along.  Given all the demands of the current classroom, how are they sorting through the ideas and requirements to keep the student in mind?  …

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Burkins & Yaris: Reading Wellness Workshop

Join us in July to spend the day with Jan Burkins & Kim Yaris! Their workshop will be focused on Reading Wellness: Lessons that Teach Independence and Proficiency Thursday, July 24, 2014 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM (Registration & continental breakfast at 8:00) at The McKimmon Conference & Training Center, NCSU Campus, Raleigh, NC Click…

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Laney Sammons- Guided Math Workshop

ERG is proud to continue a tradition of excellence for the Summer of 2014! Laney Sammons, an expert in Guided Math, will be with ERG on Tuesday, July 22, 2014 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM (Registration & continental breakfast at 8:00) at The Hawthorne Inn & Conference Center, Winston-Salem, NC Click HERE for full details…

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