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February 2012

The Secret Life of Bees

Submitted by Joann on Fri, 2012-02-24 14:24


One summer when I was about 5 or 6 years old, I obsessively collected bees. My favorites were bumblebees – fat, fuzzy, and all around adorable. I kept them in glass canning jars – one bee per jar – that had been filled with red clover and had air holes punched through the lids. I loved looking at them, watching them suck nectar from the clover, and buzzing around the jar. Sometimes I had pangs of conscience, watching them in their little glass prisons, and always let them go after a day or two of captivity. There were some casualties along the way for which I felt guilty, but my fascination with them was too strong to give up the collecting.

Peggy's companion column: 
Finding the POSSIBLE in Impossible: Flight of the Bumblebee
Resources mentioned in this post: 
Honeybee
Cause and Effect Relationships - Silence of the Bees
Predators and Pollinators: Smells of Danger

Cracking the Code: Fun with Codes and Ciphers

Submitted by Joann on Fri, 2012-02-17 17:12


In fifth grade, some of my friends and I created a cipher in order to pass notes in class. It wasn’t a terribly sophisticated cipher, but it was effective enough to foil the class busybody, who constantly scanned the classroom for miscreants. Many years later, I ripped through the Sherlock Holmes story The Adventure of the Dancing Men, which reminded me of how much fun codes and ciphers can be. It’s a topic that has a long and interesting history, and instantly captures most students’ attention.

Peggy's companion column: 
deCIPHERing Codes in the Classroom
Resources mentioned in this post: 
Codebreaker Math
Caesar Ciphers: An Introduction to Cryptography
Protecting Their Nation: The Navajo Code Talkers in World War II

Taking Matters Into Your Own Hands: Project-Based Learning

Submitted by Joann on Fri, 2012-02-10 13:15


At some point or other, a teacher is bound to hear the dreaded student comment “What good is this? When will I ever need this in life?” When students don’t see how subject matter applies to their personal lives – either now or in the future – they often become disengaged from the material and tune out. It’s a frustrating experience for both teachers and students, and a problem that’s plagued educators for centuries. How can teachers demonstrate the importance and relevance of subject matter to their students?

Peggy's companion column: 
Learning by DOING
Resources mentioned in this post: 
The Vietnam Experience
Community Building
Innovation - How to Make an Artificial Organ

What’s Special about SPED Resources?

Submitted by Joann on Fri, 2012-02-03 21:50


Special education is a term that covers a large range of student abilities and disabilities. Most special education teachers work with students with mild to moderate disabilities, which allow the students to learn alongside "regular" students in inclusive classrooms. The teachers and aides that work with students with special needs generally modify the existing curriculum in order to meet the student's individual needs. These students may require additional time when completing tasks, as well as adaptations in the way the content is delivered and how work is completed.

Peggy's companion column: 
"Special" Learning Conditions
Resources mentioned in this post: 
Let's Talk!!
Don't Take It Literally
Giving Voice to Students Through "This I Believe" Podcasts