One of my main goals as a music educator is to provide authentic music-making opportunities that live in the real world for my students. I want my kids to see themselves as part of a larger community of musicians and composers, because we know that when students feel a part of something beyond the classroom walls, they are motivated to make discoveries and go deeper into the world of music. Continue reading Community Music Making in the Classroom with Soundtrap and Noteflight
The news ruined my curriculum planning.
My plan was to continue our medieval Humanities studies by learning more about Feudalism and Christianity in Europe for the remainder of the second quarter. Then, after Winter Break, we would dive in to the origins of Islam and study the Middle East. But the news of the bombings in France could not be ignored. Continue reading Global Shift
It’s been an exciting start of the year for students, faculty and families at LREI. I’m privileged in my new role as Director of Learning & Innovation to be able to discover each day more about the rich learning experiences that weave their way through and between our lower, middle and high school and afterschool programs. Continue reading Exploring Our Progressive Purpose
This summer I travelled to Cuba with a group of educators and fellow leaders of school groups abroad. Eight of us were Spanish teachers and we had a great time immersing ourselves in the culture.
Dear Colleagues,
Consider this as an open letter from our newest colleagues to those of us returning for the beginning of a new season of learning at LREI. In a short ideation session, new faculty identified essential elements of our progressive purpose, stated goals for “being” at LREI and uncovered some questions for which they will look to you for support and guidance.
I’ve recently been thinking a lot about Tom Little’s new book Loving Learning: How Progressive Education Can Save America’s Schools. In it he highlights a number of progressive school values that prepare students for success. Continue reading Original Group Song Performances
Max explains and demonstrates his interpretation of the equal symbol by saying, “This (the equal symbol)…is telling you the answer.”
What does:
1 + 7 = ___ + 6
have to do with:
3x + 9 = 5x + 5
…and why are first graders arguing with each other over the meaning of the equal symbol? Continue reading A rich student-to-student discussion by first graders on the meaning of the equal symbol.
This entry was originally posted at https://kellyoshea.wordpress.com/2015/04/27/what-if-we-didnt-finish-all-of-the-questions/
My Physics 10 (a trimester-long class exploring E&M topics for 10th graders who haven’t yet studied mechanics) was wrapping up some extensions to an electrophorus activity. They were already pros at explaining and predicting electrostatic phenomena, but this activity gave them yet another way to test out their thinking, practice their charge diagrams, and add depth and subtlety to their understanding. (I adapted instructions and ideas from this activity that I found in a quick search and that I had left for students last trimester when I needed to miss a day of their class.) Continue reading What if we didn’t finish all of the questions?
Young mathematicians need to be able to “Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others”, according to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. This philosophy aligns with LREI’s progressive educational goals of placing an emphasis on student voice, and creating a classroom culture of engaging student-to-student discussions. Students take on the role of leaders who believe that they can actively defend their own mathematical ideas, and help shape the ideas of their colleagues in a supportive, nurturing environment. Continue reading Student-to-Student Mathematical Discussion in the Classroom
One of the best things about working in a school like LREI is having control over my own curriculum. I am free to change and tweak things as I go. Last year I decided to make a change in my 2nd grade curriculum. In the past I had done a Caldecott study with my students. We would learn what the award is about, and read some winning titles and honor titles from years past. We discussed the art and criteria at length and the culminating event was the 2nd graders voting on their “Caldecott of Caldecotts”. This was a fun and interactive study, and while there was great enthusiasm and nothing wrong with it, I felt I needed to shift the study. Continue reading Changing Up The Curriculum
This is a guest post from Monica Snellings (@InquiringMonica). The original posts can be found here and here.
Mark Silberberg, middle school principal at LREI (and a big supporter of Inquiring Minds), integrated our lesson, My Future Self, into a class on values. The student’s schedule for this class is only once a week so getting 5th graders to retain their focus and stick with this provocative thought experiment took some ingenuity on his part. Continue reading Considering Their Future Selves
The following “conversation” between Ana, Michelle and Dave appeared on one of the whiteboards in my office: Continue reading “Splat” — On making mistakes and meaning
It’s November in NYC, I have been feeling disempowered, confused, and angry with so much about our country and it feels so large and overwhelming. So I brought it back to something tangible. It’s called WHAT CAN I DO? Continue reading What can I do?
The eighth grade social justice project “Choosing to Participate” is a cornerstone of the eighth grade humanities curriculum. Through this project students study those who have stood up for justice by becoming/being active citizens themselves. Continue reading A Collaboration for Social Innovation
