Note: This is the final installment of a three-part series.
If you’ve read my last two blogs, you know that starting a schoolwide enrichment cluster...
Learn about Pumpkins!
1. Pumpkins are thought to have originated in Central America, specifically Mexico. Some seeds found date back to 5500 B.C....
Note: This is the second installment of a three-part series.
In the last blog, I began telling my adventure of launching a schoolwide enrichment...
The 2014 Diwali, or Deepavali, celebration begins on October 23 and lasts for 5 days.
It's a happy time of year, and is the biggest...
The world record (North America) for heaviest pumpkin has been smashed once again! Last year,Guinness World Records crowned Tim Mathison, Napa,...
The following is an excerpt about electronic grading file naming strategies that lead to faster grading techniques from my new 2014 Westphalia book...
Note: The following blog is the first of a three part series on my adventures in launching a schoolwide enrichment cluster program.
Sometimes,...
As of this writing, I have a student who just loves to learn. She soaks up new knowledge and skills like a sponge. Though I only work with her...
Chewing Gum Facts!
Need an activity for a Friday or a substitute? Have small groups read over some of the facts about chewing gum. Have small...
In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue, discovering America for me and you. We have all heard this little poem. First of all, he didn't "discover"...
As the story goes, when Einstein was a boy, his father gave him a compass. The future scientist was fascinated with the way the iron...
I was watching a recent episode of The Middle (If you haven't watched the show, I'd recommend it!). Their daughter, Sue,a senior, was very excited...
WOULD YOU LIKE A STAND-UP DESK?
Do you like to sit in a chair at a desk at school? Some schools are testing a new type of desk...minus a chair!...
Type3s - Part 3
In the last two posts, I explained how to engage students through Type 3 enrichment projects. In this blog, I want to shed some...
By Erik Bean, Ed.D.
Grading can often seem like an overwhelming and daunting task. Yet, there are numerous ways to curtail the seemingly...
Last blog, I discussed the key elements of an authentic Type 3 project.
First, the student has to solve a real problem. There...
During September 29-October 3rd, kids and adults are being encouraged to join the “I Speak Up” campaign sponsored by the Cartoon Network. It is the...
Last school year, one of my students came running up to me at his fifth-grade Open House and said, “I know what I want to do my project on this...
Several years ago, I had my fifth-grade gifted students stand up, one at a time, and share their dreams for the future. I asked them, “How do you...
It's a new school year and I'd like to share one thought...focus on the positive!
As a classroom teacher for 33 years, I know that there are days...