A few months ago I read Brian Aspinall’s Block Breaker, and I knew I wanted to try a project using Minecraft with my Grade 2 class. Had I ever played Minecraft before? Nope. Did that ultimately matter? Not even a little. Though I had next to no experience with Minecraft, I knew that at least […]
I recently completed a University course for teachers titled, Integration of Information and Computer Technology, where the focus is on improving the teaching and learning process through technology-driven learning. I thought I was signing up for a routine online learning experience, where I may have struggled to find the time needed to complete the assigned […]
As a recent graduate from the Concurrent Education program at Brock University, I felt well-versed and prepared to integrate technology within my future classroom. My universities’ “Teaching with Technology” course, placements with 1:1 student tech, and various professional development sessions had given me the experience, knowledge and confidence to meaningfully utilize these tools. However, when […]
As an adult, I am passionate about my family, my daughter, reading, and the awesome Kentucky Wildcats (one very proud alum). As an educator, I am passionate about a lot of things in the classroom. This is a question I face everyday in and out of the classroom. I love being a special education teacher […]
As teachers, we have all known a child who claims to “not like school”. Often when asked why, that child may claim “because. I just don’t like it” and leave it at that. When I first began teaching 6 years ago, it was like I was setting out on a mission. My goal was to […]
I was assaulted by a student this year. Twenty-two years in the classroom, and I never thought it would happen to me, but it did. Though it is an event that is in the realm of possibility when teaching secondary level education, even writing the words now it seems surreal. Yet, that is not what […]
Kindness grows in a classroom environment through modeling, open discussions and cultivating relationships. It is not simply taught but absorbed by students through continual exposure. It needs to be immersed in their everyday life through moments. As a Kindergarten teacher I am always looking for new ways to help children practice kindness and cultivate positive […]
Coding is everywhere! Follow along with a girl and her dog as they explore computational thinking in their everyday activities. Colourful illustrations and easy to access text help readers recognize that many of their daily explorations – cooking, playing, and even being outdoors – provide opportunities to explore and problem solve. Readers will be entertained by the antics of the girl and her dog, and parallels can be drawn between their daily work and that of computational thinkers. A great text for anyone wanting to introduce, and learn more, about computational thinking in the world around us.