Bloxels is a fantastic platform that allows students to be creators of their own games. Using the free Bloxels Builder app or the physical Gameboard, students use their creativity to design a character and game. The 13 x 13 Bloxels Builder grid is the template students use to develop their ideas. With eight coloured blocks … Continue reading Bloxels Builder in the Classroom
My love for picture story books has me reading to my students at any opportunity I have. Linking to the curriculum, I use a range of wonderful titles to provocate students’ curiosities and wonderings, inspiring them to immerse themselves in further learning. Here are three of my favourite titles and activities that link to the … Continue reading Story books provoking lesson ideas
Since its launch in 2015, my students have loved immersing themselves in locations all around the world with Google Expeditions. From exploring the International Space Station, to the Great Barrier Reef, Madagascar, Machu Picchu, and many other attractions, students have been able to deepen their understandings of our units of inquiry by experiencing these wonderful … Continue reading Using Google Tour Creator in the Classroom
If you have been following my journey over the past years you will be well aware that I am passionate about creating learning experiences for my students that unleash their creativity and curiosity. I believe these key elements empower students to take ownership of their learning by constructing meaning and understanding of our units of … Continue reading Unleash Creativity & Curiosity in your Classrooms
Google Slides are a wonderful tool that can be used in many different ways in your classroom to enhance teaching and learning. They allow students a structured template to digitally capture their learning while collaborating in real time. One of my favourite uses of Google Slides is to have students develop a digital portfolio, documenting … Continue reading Google Slides to Showcase Student Learning
The Digital Technologies curriculum includes the teaching of binary code to our students. This can be quite daunting for many classroom teachers with limited understanding of binary, but it doesn’t have to be. Binary Code is a way of representing information using the binary digits 0 and 1 to represent a letter, digit, or other character … Continue reading Teaching Binary by Creating Bracelets
*This post was first published on Matt Miller's Ditch That Textbook blog. Living in the 21st Century where many students have access to 1:1 devices at school and even more devices at home, Digital Citizenship is a highly important topic our students need to understand. Curriculum’s world wide mandate the need to teach students about Digital Citizenship, … Continue reading Teaching Digital Citizenship with Picture Story Books
Bee-Bots are a wonderful tool to teach students the fundamentals of computational thinking. The small robot can remember up to 40 commands consisting of forward, backwards, left and right movements to maneuver around the floor. These commands develop students understanding of sequencing, computational thinking and the mathematical concepts of coordinates, distance, and location. I am … Continue reading Bee-Bots in the Classroom
Conducting Running Records allows teachers to assess and analyse students reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension skill level. They provide the evidence we need to set individual goals and monitor progress. Seeing the growth and development students make is easily recognisable when comparing Running Records as students progress through their schooling. Though, a frustration I have … Continue reading Running Records in OneNote
Beginning a new school year is always an exciting time for teachers and students. As a teacher I am always looking for ways to engage and inspire my students from the first day, setting them up with a positive attitude and mindset for the year ahead. Designing a classroom that students feel welcomed in … Continue reading Preparing For The New School Year
