Tag Archives: engagement

It’s Time to End Direct Instruction

Direct instruction. I’ll tell you what you need to know. You record it, train yourself to know it, and then repeat it back, apply it to something else, or synthesize that knowledge plus some other knowledge in producing original work. … Continue reading

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March Madness: Worst Disease in History

This month, my class and I set out on a journey of discovery. We’ll be investigating history’s worst diseases – viruses, plague, pandemics, mere outbreaks… the lot of them. We began as all March competitions begin – with a bracket: … Continue reading

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Teaching Memo: A Restaurant Challenge

After we engaged with the “capitalism vs. communism” concept group, I needed to assess my students’ understandings and abilities to apply those concepts… so with that in mind, I’m writing today about a fun, engaging, and effective assessment and application … Continue reading

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Teaching Memo: Gamification, Making Items

A quick post here about making items for your game. When a game creator builds a game, it’s often by picking a theme and then by choosing some mechanics to fill out the game and make it playable. (See my … Continue reading

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Gamification as a Boat-Building Exercise

Unlike many teachers, I do not teach the same content every year. Sometimes, I wish I were planning a unit I’ve taught many times before – and I’ve lived that experience in the past – but most of the time … Continue reading

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