My Favorite Middle School Ice Breaker
It’s that time of year, again. Most teachers will find themselves coming back from break refreshed and ready to take on the second semester. For some of us, that means a new class or two. Thanks to my...
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Door Decor II
It’s Me! Maaaaaario! See here for previous versions and an explanation. A surprising amount of students didn’t know what game this is from. RIP Mario. Not actually on the door, but you get the idea. My...
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New Unit; Food Packaging
Rewind. A year ago I was at Qout Market with some friends and noticed a couple eating some delicious looking pizza. As I walked by, I tried to look at the box they were eating out of, but it was blank....
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Graphic Notes
Achievement; unlocked. I was in Bahrain this weekend presenting at the GAFE Summit and had the honor of having Lisa Finch in my audience. Lisa takes graphic notes and was kind enough to share the notes...
View ArticleConstructing Experiences
All aboard the constructivism train. I’m a big fan of constructivism, so much so that I quote Frank Noschese on my resume when he says; “Teaching is really about creating experiences that allow...
View ArticleJust Ask.
The Details. I’ve been doing the same unit in 6th grade for the last 3 years. Inspired by an activity I saw from Agency By Design, this is a pretty simple and beginner friendly Design task. I’ve...
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Efficiency in MYP Design; a lesson plan-ish.
Here’s my problem. My students aren’t great at efficiency. They’re 11 and 12, so this should come as no surprise, but it still doesn’t sit well with me. This happens a lot; That is simultaneously a...
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Teaching ATL Skills in the MYP
MYP Realtalk. Of all the elements in the teaching of the MYP, I’d bet a dollar that ATL skills are the most frequently overlooked. These soft skills are often assumed, and it’s easy to say we’re...
View ArticleWhat skills do you teach in Design?
Department meetings can be useful. Last week in a meeting with my department our conversation drifted to explicitly teaching the skills that we are required to assess by the MYP. Are we taking enough...
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“I don’t have time to teach technology”
New year, new classes! I’m teaching grade 8 and grade 10 this year – my first time teaching high school ever! I’m excited, and so far it’s been great. As you can imagine, going from grade 6 to grade 10...
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