brainstorming - Gtec Kids

5 Ways to Cultivate Creative Thinking

An article in the Pacific Standard (Nov 4th, 2013) discussed how standardized testing is killing our youth’s creative potential in the United States. So, let’s counteract national demands and discuss how to harness and cultivate creativity in our children.Creativity is often thought of as original thought. However, it is more likely a composite of ideas, feelings, and thoughts that we encounter during everyday life. If we examine the great thinkers and producers over time, common characteristics become apparent: 1. Value BrainstormingOftentimes in a...

Inspiring Creativity: Think Outside the Bowl

With the resurgence of testing nationwide, many teachers report that they have to “cover the curriculum” rather than “uncover the curriculum.” With the Common Core Curriculum, parents express feeling exhausted from helping their children with increased homework to meet test expectations. Teachers are pushing to cover as much of the content necessary for their students to pass the state-level exams, sometimes given only 70% into the school year.So, it is not surprising that teachers see a change in their...

COACHing Questions for Cooperative Group Work

For a complete guide to coaching, please see Teachers as Classroom Coaches by Andi Stix, Ed.D. and Frank Hrbek, published by ASCD..The objective of a teacher as coach is to elicit responses that reflect how well cooperative groups or a student is progressing. The questions should be open-ended, probing for as much detail and description as possible. This strategy...

Fraction Rings: Teaching Time, Decimals and Degrees

(c) 1993 Fraction Rings designed by Andi Stix were produced by Cuisenaire Company of America. This set of math manipulative rings are to be used with Fraction Circles. Order a set at: http://www.hand2mind.com/catalog/product?deptId=&prodId=020272&q=picture+grids Andi Stix is an educational consultant & coach who specializes in differentiation, interactive learning, writing across the curriculum, classroom coaching, and gifted education. For further information on her specialties or social media, please email her on the Contact page.

Imagery Walk

The Imagery Walk is an exercise that allows students to visually bring content alive by utilizing their imaginations. It is based on meditative practices but allows for scenes in English Language Arts, historical periods in Social Studies, geometrical designs in mathematics, and procedures in science to be recreated. By implementing this strategy, students are more able to move the content from short-term to long-term memory, because they personally create and interact with the content area. Using a soft, gentle, soothing, and...

Carousel Brainstorming

The Carousel Brainstorming strategy is easy to implement. Each cooperative group walks up to an open-ended question posted on chart paper, discusses it, brainstorms answers or solutions, and writes down responses within a given amount of time. When the teacher “carousels” students, or rotates the groups to new locations, they repeat the exercise with a new question. This time students must read the responses from the previous group(s) before they begin to write down new ideas.MaterialsDifferent colored markersChart paperMasking tape (Tape chart...

Fun with Picture Grids: Teaching the Addition of Fractions

An Introduction to Picture GridsWhy is it that mathematics often conjures up images of desperate students trying to solve seemingly impossible problems? The subject of mathematics often compels otherwise well-adjusted adults to grimace with the memory of futile hours spent poring over numbers that seem at once both meaningless and threatening. Fortunately, there is an alternative. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. The impossible really is possible, and we can do more than tell our students to clap...

Fun with Picture Grids: Teaching Multiplication of Fractions & Decimals

Order a set at: http://www.hand2mind.com/catalog/product?deptId=&prodId=020272&q=picture+grids This is the third and fourth parts of the Fun with Picture Grids Series of Addition, Subtraction, Division, Multiplication & Decimals, and Square RootPart III: Teaching Multiplication with the Picture Grids ManipulativesA few weeks later Henry asks the class, “How do you feel about multiplication?” The students groan. Multiplication is even harder than addition and subtraction. They’re not ready to believe that these grids hold the magic that can ease the discomfort of multiplication. After all, students rarely...

Fun with Picture Grids: Teaching the Subtraction of Fractions

Order a set at: http://www.hand2mind.com/catalog/product?deptId=&prodId=020272&q=picture+grids Part II: Teaching Subtraction with the Picture Grids ManipulativesHenry continues using the Picture Grid materials to teach subtraction:1. “The grids can also be used to do subtraction,” Henry says. “Let’s take the problem of one-half minus one-fourth.” He hands out the halves grid, the fourths grid, the clear grid, and a bunch of colored pencils. He tells the students to solve the problem. One group takes the quarters grid and overlays it directly on top of...

Fun with Picture Grids: Teaching Square Root

Order a set at: http://www.hand2mind.com/catalog/product?deptId=&prodId=020272&q=picture+gridsPart VI: Teaching Square Root with the Picture Grid ManipulativesIn a previous article, Henry Goodman took you on a journey that proved it was not only possible to teach students mathematics, but possible to help them understand how mathematics works. Through the use of both rods and grids, Henry was able to help students visualize the mathematics problems that had previously remained a mystery.The good news is that Henry Goodman is back. The other news which...

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5 Ways to Cultivate Creative Thinking

Inspiring Creativity: Think Outside the Bowl

COACHing Questions for Cooperative Group Work

Fraction Rings: Teaching Time, Decimals and Degrees

Imagery Walk

Carousel Brainstorming

Fun with Picture Grids: Teaching the Addition of Fractions

Fun with Picture Grids: Teaching Multiplication of Fractions & Decimals

Fun with Picture Grids: Teaching the Subtraction of Fractions

Fun with Picture Grids: Teaching Square Root

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