This is Part 3 of an interview series with Barry Garelick and J.R. Wilson about Traditional Math: An Effective Strategy that Teachers Feel Guilty Using. You can read Parts 1 & 2, and the rest of the saga as it comes out, here. Q3: How does a traditional approach to math teaching offer opportunities for … Continue reading What is Traditional Math? Part 3
What is Traditional Math? Part 2
Over the next few blogs, I will be interviewing Barry Garelick and J.R. Wilson about their new book, Traditional Math: An Effective Strategy that Teachers Feel Guilty Using. You can read Part 1 and the rest of the saga as it comes out, here. Q2: I can picture students becoming very fluent with the procedures, … Continue reading What is Traditional Math? Part 2
What is Traditional Math? Part 1
In this special blog series, I will be interviewing Barry Garelick and J.R. Wilson about their new book, Traditional Math: An Effective Strategy that Teachers Feel Guilty Using. You can catch the whole saga, here. https://twitter.com/MrZachG/status/1632463582322626563?s=20 Let’s dive right in, shall we? Q1: Can you tell me what you mean by “Traditional Math”? J.R./Barry: First, … Continue reading What is Traditional Math? Part 1
Do We Want Our Students to Struggle?
Like so many buzzwords in education, it's hard to pin down what people mean by the term "Productive Struggle". Of the two meanings of Productive Struggle I've heard being used most often, the good meaning is uncontroversial, and the bad - and more popular - meaning encourages teachers to abandon principles of effective instruction. The … Continue reading Do We Want Our Students to Struggle?
Beliefs, Evidence, and Educational Technology
Frequent readers of this blog will know that I am the Director of Educational Technology at a 6-12 independent school. My role is to design and implement the strategy around online learning and train teachers how to integrate various online tools into their lessons. This post is a reflection on whether my beliefs about teaching … Continue reading Beliefs, Evidence, and Educational Technology
Is Working Memory Fixed or Can it be Trained?
Many teachers allow students to play "brain games" as part of the curriculum. When I say "brain games", I'm referring to short - often fun - activities that are unrelated to the core content, but which are thought to engage the mind or make you smarter. When I was a student, if I finished my … Continue reading Is Working Memory Fixed or Can it be Trained?
Reducing the Distance in Distance Learning
Educators continue to ask both the right and wrong questions about distance learning during this online learning period. In a recent post, I argued that instead of squabbling over which technology we use, or whether a synchronous format has advantages over an asynchronous format, we should look at distance learning through a different lens. Specifically, we … Continue reading Reducing the Distance in Distance Learning
Has the Coronavirus Online Period Proven that all Teachers can use Technology?
I love online learning. I love it so much that I decided to get an online degree in it. Working in a physical brick-and-mortar school is a pleasure, for sure, but I've long been interested in bringing the best of online learning into the face-to-face classroom. This is not because I think these tools are … Continue reading Has the Coronavirus Online Period Proven that all Teachers can use Technology?
How Can 13+ Social Media be Leveraged for Elementary Students?
I've always instinctively felt that educators are missing out on a goldmine of learning opportunities by avoiding or banning social media use in the classroom. Do a quick Google search and you'll find a large variety of opinions on social media in the classroom, ranging from "It's cool, but how to use it?" to "It … Continue reading How Can 13+ Social Media be Leveraged for Elementary Students?
Making Required Homework More Effective: An Experiment in My Class
It is increasingly common knowledge that homework is modestly effective in the upper grades, but barely effective at all in elementary. While we all have our own thoughts and opinions on how to empower students to engage in learning activities at home, most schools have specific policies in regards to homework, including how many minutes … Continue reading Making Required Homework More Effective: An Experiment in My Class
Education Rickshaw 