Science Education in the AIMS Center
Children arrive in the classroom not as empty vessels waiting to be filled but they come as “software” installed” individuals with their own ideas about how the world works, this is especially true in science education. Children, from the youngest of ages, are “little scientists” playing, testing, and exploring the world around them hundreds of… Continue Reading
Episode 24 | Robots, Legos, & Learning: Oh Yes!
Joining me in the studio is AIMS Center Research Associate, Aileen Rizo. she is a mentor/coach to student teams in both robotics, and Lego engineering competitions. She describes the learning, and persistence that are embedded in these activities. These are profound and powerful events, that feel like play to the children who take part in them. However there are deep concepts in mathematics, and science that are made real for these students.
Second Career Teachers are Awesome!
Being a teacher is rewarding, and hard work, and an amazingly rewarding profession. Teachers play a hands-on part in the future. Do you know anyone who decided to become a teacher, but after having had a professional career in a different field? I have spent some time talking to individuals who are now teachers and… Continue Reading
An Update
Things are really hopping around the AIMS Center. Everyday becomes better than the last. I wake up and I’m challenged and excited by what I get to do during the day. As most people know, we really want to find a way to share what research tells us about children’s construction of number with classroom… Continue Reading
Composite Units
Counting-on is one of the things I have come across in Les Steffe’s research that is crucial, but not necessarily an obvious goal to have for students. It would seem that if a student could count-on (ex: given the problem 6+5, would start at six and count-on five more rather than starting from 1 and… Continue Reading
Meet the Children Where They Are: Episode 3
Narrator: “Last time on Meet the Children Where They Are: Has Mr. Unnamed nerdy-looking stereotypical math Research Associate (RA) found 5-year-old Bob’s zone of potential construction (ZPC)? Bob has counted 12 rocks and he came up with three different solutions.” (from title screen — video of construction site with concrete truck backing up) (fade to… Continue Reading
Deliberate Practice
Along with a passion for mathematics education, I am also a pretty big sports geek. Some of it is the numbers that go along with every sport. For me, it started as a kid growing up in Oakland with easy access to both the Oakland A’s and the San Francisco Giant’s baseball teams, and trying… Continue Reading
Episode 23 | Professional Noticing Part 2 Interpretation: Darrell Blanks & Elin VanVleet
Two of the AIMS Center’s Research Associates, both with years of teaching and professional development experience, come into the studio to talk about the import phase of Professional Noticing: Interpretation. We discuss some practices and implications for teachers to employ and be aware of. The role of Noticing in Formative Assessment, its use in Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s), and some challenges to accuracy are examined.
Science Happens
Contrary to what most teachers might say, I think it is easy to teach science every day in the classroom. Yes, it may be a subject that gets loud and sometimes messy in your classroom, but just the same as needing to learn to be a lifelong reader or mathematician, the same goes for science.… Continue Reading
Fingers as Math Tools – Part 2 “Let’s Get Tapping!”
In my last blog, I highlighted various ways you have probably observed children using their fingers when they are counting. In this blog I will continue that discussion and show you how observing the way children are using their fingers can help you understand where a child is in their construction of number. I pointed… Continue Reading
