Tag: Big Ideas in Education

  • Reflections on #TheMathPod with Cathy Fosnot: The Meaning of Context

    Reflections on #TheMathPod with Cathy Fosnot: The Meaning of Context

      I recently listened to The Math Pod recording with Cathy Fosnot and Stephen Hurley from VoiceEd Radio. This podcast really helped me to think about the different lenses that we use to teach math. This is where my thinking went. This caused me to connect with ‘lenses’ I have heard, particularly out in the…

  • Professional Learning: Does it work?

    I have been doing some research lately into Training Evaluation, and quite unexpectedly have become intrigued at how we measure professional development and whether it really works. A lot of time, money, effort, resources, blood, sweat, and tears goes into PD. We as educators provide and receive PD regularly, but does it change our learning…

  • Spatial Reasoning and Student Success

      Spatial Reasoning This year, I have had the privilege of designing a brand new makerspace for our school. In addition, I have been able to focus on visual-spatial reasoning as the thread that pulls together science, math and technology. What is spatial reasoning? According to the Ministry of Education, Spatial reasoning is the ability…

  • STEAM Job descriptions for Curriculum Planning

        Using job descriptions can facilitate program planning and student learning. A job description provides us with rich opportunities to extract content areas, learning goals, success criteria, and rich tasks for learning. It just doesn’t matter if the position is paid or not, volunteer or mandatory. The point is that you will often find key…

  • Makerspaces for All

    Makerspaces for All

        Over this last year, I have had the opportunity to understand what Education for All, Learning for All, differentiation and equity on deeper levels due to working in a Makerspace. Learning is about problem solving, creating positive math mindsets, constructing and building knowledge through hands on activities, and most of all, promoting equity. No…

  • The Big Ideas in Education and STEAM

      How do we plan for STEAM? We start with the Big Ideas.   Attached is a chart I created to link the Big Ideas in Education with S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math). Big Ideas in Education STEAM This chart is specifically geared toward the Ministry of Ontario curricula that address STEAM subjects, and specifically…

  • 5 Steps for Planning the Big Ideas in Education – with Pokemon Go

    Always start with the Big Ideas in education when you plan your days, weeks, units, and years.  Avoid starting with Pokemon Go. When you start with the technology, you risk gaps in learning – lest your practice become about the tool and not the curriculum for student achievement. Does this mean not to use Technologies…

  • Feedback Matrix for Instructional Design

    The art and science of giving feedback is complex. What may appear to be quite easy to give, while at the same time quite difficult to fit in a busy schedule- is actually a complex process that we need to involve learners in. The following is a Feedback Matrix that I created to help educators…