“Fluency” can mean a variety of things in the education world. We’ve heard of reading, writing, and math fluencies, all of which demonstrate proficiency in those subject areas. In fact, well into the 21st Century, the topics of focus in education remain reading, writing, and math, sometimes known as the 3 “R’s.”
Read MoreBetsy Butler
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Topics: Instructional Strategies, Literacy, Courses, Mental Health Awareness, Self-Care, reading, science
Cinco de Mayo is an opportunity to celebrate Hispanic or Mexican heritage with your students. But Cinco de Mayo’s significance is often misunderstood and misrepresented, despite the importance of honoring the day with historical accuracy, an understanding of cultural appropriation, and rich stories of Hispanic and Mexican culture.
Read MoreTopics: Holidays, Digital Resources
April is National Poetry Month, so I wrote you a limerick! Reactions to poetry are varied. Some people find great joy in the creation and sharing of poems. Others don’t embrace it as fully. Poetry can take on a variety of styles and voice; you don’t have to stick with Emily Dickinson or Walt Whitman to get excited about poetry- there’s a poem for everyone!
Read MoreTopics: Instructional Strategies, Literacy, Digital Resources, reading
Omne Trium Perfectum: Everything That Comes in Threes is Perfect (Like These New Courses!)
Posted by Betsy Butler on Mar 22, 2022 7:00:00 AM
Topics: Social Emotional Learning, Courses, mindfulness, Culturally Responsive Teaching, Equity, Teaching with Equity
The “New” Digital Citizenship
Read MoreTopics: Teaching with Technology, Technology, Digital Resources
Training for future jobs garners images of factories cranking out workers with the perfect skill set to function on an assembly line or cubicle. The focus seems to be on technical knowledge to produce and make money, but education is so much more than that!
Read MoreTopics: Content Areas, Student Engagement
Originally Posted by Meg Richards on December 14, 2017, and Revised on Jan. 28, 2022.
Teaching in the winter can be tough. Many of us find ourselves at school before the sun makes its grand appearance and are still there long after it quits for the day. What is it that's causing the daylight hours to hasten by providing us additional hours of darkness?
Read MoreBring Wonder to Your Classroom With a "Phenomenal" New Course!
Posted by Betsy Butler on Jan 26, 2022 7:00:00 AM
Remember your curiosity and wonder as you watched lightning in the sky, the blood pool in a cut on your finger, or even the aurora borealis? You may not have known how it all worked, but you observed it, allowing your brain to ask questions in an effort to make sense of the phenomena.
Read MoreTeach Students (and yourself) How to Ask Questions to Drive Their Own Learning
Posted by Betsy Butler on Jan 19, 2022 7:00:00 AM
The research is clear: student-driven learning is effective; students have the freedom to develop questions, connect to a real world issue, problem-solve, and arrive at an answer. When students have this freedom, they are more invested and driven, more likely to apply their learning in other areas of their life, and can be reflective of their own learning process. The teacher is a resource and guide, but the students are propelling the learning.
Read MoreTopics: Courses, Student Engagement