Jul 30
Live animals in Science class are great. For the past 15 years that I’ve been teaching mostly Science I’ve mainly taught Earth, Physical, and Environmental Science. Even in Environmental Science we barely worked with live animals. I did get to trap fish with students but we just caught, identified, then returned them to the creek. …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2012/07/30/live-animals-in-science/
Mar 14
Friday, March 9, we had six Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) crew members visit all five of my Science classes to talk conservation, watersheds, pollution, our creek and to share a rain garden they planted on our campus. It was a great experience for my kids to see a group of highly motivated young people who …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2012/03/14/rain-gardens/
Oct 31
Should I take time to teach my students in Science reading strategies to help them with our Science readings or should Language Arts teachers use Science readings as they teach kids to read? I’m all for integration. My national board certification is in early adolescent generalist (which, btw, doesn’t even exist anymore!) so integration was …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2011/10/31/reading-strategies-in-science/
Jan 28
Back in mid-November I wrote about how my students were using technology as tool in reference to the addition of iPads into my classroom. I was able to purchase 12 iPads with funds from Learn & Serve America. My 6th graders have been studying the water quality of our neighborhood creek, Chimacum Creek, for over …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2011/01/28/6th-grade-water-quality/
Oct 06
[I sent this email yesterday to all the parents on of my current students, well all the parents whose email I have.] Hello Students and Families, You are getting this email because you have a child who has me for either 6th grade Science, 8th grade Science or Eagle Time or a combination of those. …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2010/10/06/1st-email-to-parents/
Sep 06
Can you believe that school has started! Today is our first day back to school and I’m very excited for this brand new school year. I have the great pleasure of getting to work with every 6th grader as they enter middle school for the first time. I’m also very fortunate to get to work …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2010/09/06/welcome-to-mr-gonzalezs-class/
Aug 22
[Note: I don’t use the consequences or document listed in this post anymore. I am striving to make learning for my students about information and NOT about rewards and punishments. A difficult endeavor worth doing!] I’ve been getting quite a few pointers from the Smart Classroom Management blog. If you don’t subscribe to it, do …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2010/08/22/classroom-management-communication/
Aug 10
I’ve been having my students blog in my Science classes for years using David Warlick’s ClassBlogmeister. It was only this summer that I thought, “why not use those blogs as electronic portfolios?” Our school has been part of WA state’s Navigation 101 program and we are beginning to delve into electronic portfolios. Once a student …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2010/08/10/blogs-as-electronic-portfolios/
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