I’m a big believer in positive deviancy. This is the idea that you can be different from others in a positive way, as described by Atul Gawande in his book Better. Recently, I was facilitating some training and the teachers had “homework” to incorporate the ideas of positive deviancy in
Tech tools make learning {and lesson preparation} more fun, and often more interesting. Do you know these favorite tech tools of mine? 1. Classtools for QR Code Scavenger Hunts QR codes can be spectacularly fun in class, and Classtools has a particularly cool trick for teachers. Just type in a series
Buffer facilitates sharing. Its tagline – “A Smarter Way to Share” – reveals its mission. If you are (or want to be) a thought leader, have a multi-pronged social media presence, or just seek a pretty way to share information, Buffer can help with that. Recently, I read about Buffer and
Educators need specific resources and strategies for teaching gifted kids, and I could (and do) spend days and days on helping them find those resources an develop those strategies. (See my Speaking page for more on that). This post came about when I received an email from a reader who wrote
Tiering and compacting as differentiation strategies are underused because they’re intimidating. They needn’t be! This is an introduction to them that I think may help teachers understand them and (most importantly) be willing to try them! The two mistakes teachers make that prevents them from effective tiering and compacting are:
PowerPoint Countdown Timer Slides are slidedecks that automatically count down, advancing without clicking. They’re great for teachers who want students to be able to track progress and manage their time. While there are PowerPoint timers available, this is different in that there is an editable text box that allows teachers
The best math resources are those that are also free! If you’ve got a mathemaniac, have I got some great free resources for you. Many mathematicians agree that probability and statistics are under-taught in schools, especially in light of their use in everyday life. The Web site for the Actuarial
Confession: I loathe Accelerated Reader. Perhaps the title of this post was a spoiler. My friend Jen Marten wrote this terrific article about what’s wrong with Accelerated Reader. I would like to add a few points to her wonderful list. Much has been written about the problems with Accelerated Reader,
This free printable can help you infuse a little choice into school or home tasks. Simply download the free PowerPoint printable, and edit it to meet your needs. First, I did not invent this strategy. I read it somewhere. I wish I could remember where so I could credit it.
This simple yet cool one-slide PowerPoint lets you “spin” a wheel, and it even includes a satisfying “spinny” sound. Uses, you ask? choose teams choose assignments select number of seconds or minutes or times something will be done anything requiring an element of randomness take the place of dice in
Let’s be honest: working in groups is not typically a strength for gifted learners. That doesn’t mean that we just shrug our shoulders and say, “Oh, well I (or my child) just prefer to work alone.” That’s simply not practical in today’s cooperative learning and work environments. So how can we
A gifted fifth grader received this advice on his report card: “You could work on ways to exhibit patience for others who don’t work at your same fast pace. Also be aware that you don’t overstep boundaries by helping people when they are trying to discover something on their own.”
