Learners | Mr. Gonzalez's Classroom

Mar 25

What Am I Missing Here?

By Alfonso Gonzalez in Ed News
March 25, 2014

I need a fresh perspective on something I’ve been struggling with this school year. My reason for gamifying my courses was to motivate and engage more of my students whether they are gamers or not. Last week I reiterated something in blog post that I’ve learned in over 22 years of teaching, that no ONE …

22 Years, 8th Graders, Autonomy, Badges, Choices, Class Time, Different Ways, Experience Points, Gamelab, Grade Classes, Learners, Learning Environment, Learning Science, motivation, Own Pace, Perspective, Pink, School Year, Science Concepts, Sentences, Struggle, success, Topi
5 comments

Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/03/25/what-am-i-missing-here/

Feb 09

Inquiry in Science

By Alfonso Gonzalez in Science
February 9, 2014

In response to my questions on the Inquiry Dry Spell post I wrote Edna (@whatedsaid) posed some questions to get me thinking about inquiry in my Science classes. She wrote the following on her post, Response to the dry spell… Inquiry encourages students to be actively involved in and to take responsibility for their own …

Conclusions, Curiosity, Current, Curriculum, Dis, Dry Spell, Edna, Elements, Hook, Hypotheses, Inquiry Learning, Learners, Learning Science, Perceptions, Possibilities, Provocation, Pyp, Science Classes, Solving Problems, Variety
Leave comment

Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/02/09/inquiry-in-science/

Feb 07

Test Remediation

By Alfonso Gonzalez in Assessment
February 7, 2014

I have question about standardized test remediation courses. I know the answer to my question but I still have a strong, almost masochistic, desire to ask it. So let me start with the answer to my question. “You’re right, Al, and I agree with everything you say but (yes, I, Al, know there is a …

Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/02/07/test-remediation/

Jun 18

When is Extrinsic Motivation Okay?

By Alfonso Gonzalez in Ed News, Grades & HW
June 18, 2012

I’ve been looking into gamification and how it can help motivate students to have fun and learn Science. I would love to make certain lessons, projects, or activities look like a game to motivate students to learn boring things like vocabulary. I’d like to do that without points, badges or too many rewards. I’ve abolished …

Autonomy, Badges, Bare Minimum, Bugs, Different Things, Different Ways, Extrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivators, Game, God, Learners, Mindset, Motivator, Playing Games, Rewards, Science, Vocabulary
7 comments

Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2012/06/18/when-is-extrinsic-motivation-okay/

Jun 04

Real Life

By Alfonso Gonzalez in Ed News, Grades & HW
June 4, 2012

We talk a lot about preparing our students for real life. We entice them with the reward of high marks (A’s, 100%’s, 3’s and 4’s) and we threaten them with failure (F’s, 0’s, 1’s and 2’s). It’s easy to think that enticing kids with high marks works because of the kids who work hard for …

Alfie Kohn, C Students, Failure, Intrinsic Motivation, Koh, Learners, Mission Statement, motivation, Odds, Pink, Rewards And Punishments, Sweeping Changes, Work In Progress, Yep, Zeroes
Leave comment

Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2012/06/04/real-life/

May 31

Love Learning

By Alfonso Gonzalez in Assessment, Class News, Ed News, Grades & HW
May 31, 2011

After a stimulating faculty meeting we were given two prompts to respond to as a closing activity. Here is the one I chose and my response. What is it you really wish your students can learn from you? If I had only one thing all year that my students would take away from their time …