What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?
Something to think about on this Fourth of July… * * * * If you found this post...
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Category: Teachable Moments
I Have Been Made a Superhero
One of my online students has started a website, WhackadoodleWorld.com, where she intends to Cut...
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The Classroom of the Future?
As back to school season nears, each of us must face a decision. Do we trust that the shutdown has done its job, that testing and tracing are adequate, and that returning to school will be safe for our children and staff; or not?
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Teaching Logic in a Whackadoodle World
In a world swirling with illogic, a frustrated mother hires an online tutor to help her daughter make sense of it all. The lessons they share provide a blueprint in critical thinking that we can all use in a wold surrounded by fake news, non sequiturs, ad hock excuses, and poor reasoning. Part story, part logic class, Teaching Logic in a Whackadoodle World takes its readers on a humorous journey though the many logical fallacies that permeate our politics and our world.
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Teachable Moments: The Day My Kids Took Me to Court
My after school program has a Supreme Court. In fact, we have a government complete with Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches.
So anyway…
A Spoonfull of Empathy Helps the Medicine Go Down
I came home from work today and walked into a bit of a quagmire. My Dad caught me before I could even drop my bags and said with a face full of concern, “Your Mother and Tani had a huge fight. They aren’t talking, and your Mother keeps crying and saying that she just wants to die, so she can be with your brother.”
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Cultivating the Curious Mind: I don’t mean to go out on a limb here, but…
Learning opportunites are made whenever we encourage kids to ask questions and to look for answers. Here is a fun learning moment I shared with my after school kids.
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How to Impeached a President: Kids and the Constitution
A True Story
It all began when I took out the Presidential Cards that I made a few years ago in order to provide a “Knowledge Challenge” in honor of Presidents Day for my Passport Kids. I love the spontaneous learning that occurs during the conversations that these challenges inspire…
Well Aren’t You The Smart One, or What Makes a Bad Word Bad
Today in my after school class, one of my kids spilled what I called, “a heck of water” on the floor. As we were cleaning it up, one of my girls, we will call her Gecki, casually asked, “Is that a bad word?” She was of course referring to my use of the word heck…
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A Daily Mantra For a Divided World
“There is always something I can learn,” will be my Daily Mantra for the foreseeable future. Mantras are simple phrases, or words, or sounds, that people use to help themselves stay focused on a particular state of mind. In my case, I need to focus on what unites us rather than divides us. As our upcoming election approaches, I find it easy to take a side, but everything I know about riding life’s river reminds me that it would be wiser if I did a little more listening and learning with an open mind to the people with whom I disagree…
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Oceania Fun for Passport Kids
After my month of “Everything Africa” went so well, I decided to head to the other side of the world and spend a month on “Everything Oceania.” My journey began at the library where I raided the kids section on everything I could find on Oceania’s countries and cultures…
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Facing Prejudice in the Classroom
“I don’t want to be a Global Citizen. I just want to be a Good Citizen,” she told me for the umpteenth time as she trailed me through the classroom. I was too distracted helping other kids, who where filling out their passports and taking their friendship oaths, to notice her quiet determination…
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