Alfonso Gonzalez

I teach 5th and 6th grade STEM in the lovely Pacific Northwest in a small, rural town called Chimacum. My goal is to help students discover that all learning is life-long and that 21st century tools can be used for work as well as fun.

Most commented posts

  1. iPads in Science — 22 comments
  2. Awards, Grades and Competition — 18 comments
  3. My ClamCase Experience — 15 comments
  4. Innovative Schooling? — 10 comments
  5. What is On-Task? — 10 comments

Author's posts

Coding in Minecraft!

Student holding his water bottle with a Coding in Minecraft sticker.

Minecraft Education Edition has some amazing Hour of Code worlds that are fun to play to have students learn a little bit of coding. This year’s new addition to the collection is the Escape Estate and it looks great. But what if you want something more in-depth? If you are looking for more coding with …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2022/11/28/coding-in-minecraft/

Do crayons float?

Stirring some salt into water with crayons.

Another great activity I started this year with only requires beakers, crayons, water, and salt! Spoons help, too. If you Google Floating Crayons you’ll find more ideas, resources, and even YouTube videos. For this activity, Crayola crayons are the best. I don’t normally endorse products but cheaper crayon brands float in fresh water and that …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2022/11/27/do-crayons-float/

Observation or Inference?

Students with the name and number cube.

In 2004 I was part of the North Cascades and Olympic Science Partnership (NCOSP). Of all the amazing activities we did in the years that I participated in NCOSP there is one activity that I am still doing with students 18 years later. The activity, also known as inference cubes, is a fantastic way to …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2022/11/26/observation-or-inference/

Great Day 1 Activity

Becoming Slime

We always start school with students on the day after Labor Day so this year our first day with students was Tuesday, September, 6. I wanted to start with a bang on the first day so I decided to have students experiment with making slime! It was a hit! Day 1 Students started by all …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2022/11/22/great-day-1-activity/

The EPA’s Presidential Award for Environmental Educators

I am honored to have been chosen as the 2022 award recipient for the Northwest, Region 10, of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators or PIAEE! The award winners were mentioned on the EPA’s websites and social media on July 1 and the awards ceremony happened in Washington DC on …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2022/08/05/the-epas-presidential-award-for-environmental-educators/

Best Math Combo EVER!

I wrote about struggles I’ve always had with reading before, but I’ve never really reflected on my struggles with Math. Reading is more prevalent so I face my struggles on a daily basis. My struggles with Math are not as obvious, especially because the types of Math I use daily are Maths I can do …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2022/08/01/best-math-combo-ever/

Chimacum Esports Program Explained

I was very fortunate to have been invited to speak in an esports panel for this year’s Serious Play 2022 Conference by Educational Consultant and Games in Learning Adviser Bron Stuckey (@BronSt). Luckily, I had to pre-recorded my intro and my responses to some questions and send them to Bron because now I have those …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2022/07/24/chimacum-esports-program-explained/

Reflecting on 21-22

As part of our Ocean Guardian School’s Environmental Stewardship Project, I give students a pre and post project survey. In addition to questions about their perceived understanding of the topics we cover before and after the project, I also ask questions about the project and what they liked best and least. It helps inform any …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2022/07/11/reflecting-on-21-22/

Do your students have tech fatigue?

Image of Richard Culatta's Four Shifts for Education.

I thought it was just me. Just my students. Then I read this EdSurge article, Students Got a Crash Course in Tech During the Pandemic. Now Some Want a Break. I had been experiencing a bit of cognitive dissonance because I envisioned more and more teachers and students using tech in school because they experienced …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2022/07/05/do-your-students-have-tech-fatigue/

Gamification in EdTech Conferences #ISTELive #NCCEchat

I have been learning about gamification for years. I’ve helped create a few courses to give teachers ideas on how to gamify their classes to engage their students, motivate their students, and bring some fun and joy into their classrooms. I love playing video games so gamification works for me to the point that I …

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Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2022/07/03/gamification-in-edtech-conferences-istelive-nccechat/

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