One of the most tender responses to the horror in Newton, CT came from newcaster Ann Curry, who first proposed that in honor of the 20 children killed, individuals commit to doing 20 acts of kindness in their honor. This idea has, as they say, “gone viral,” with the number of acts raised to 26 … Continue reading
As you can tell from recent posts, I’m swamped with end-of-semester grading, with a few glimpses up from the research to blog. Since I just can’t manage one more scholarly thought, the next few posts are likely to be full of seasonal creativity—some of it pretty silly. And I’ll bet I’m not the only one … Continue reading
One of the best known poems in the English Language begins, “Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house….” It is also one of the pieces of literature most imitated, parodied, and adapted. At my house we have Cajun Night Before Christmas that includes a pole-driving Santa in a skiff pulled by alligators … Continue reading
In my part of the world, we are in the middle of a season full of lights, music, festivities and gift giving. It is also a time when many people think about sharing with those in need. Clearly, some of us do this with exceptional creativity! Canstruction is an organization that collects food for the … Continue reading
In much of the world, December is a time of lights. December holidays are times for candles and sparkle—not surprising during a month that, for the northern hemisphere, is the darkest time of the year. So, for December, our family fun is all about light. 1. Make a light table from a plastic box. It … Continue reading
Imagine the look on a parent’s face to any child’s declaration that begins, “I know, I know. You’re really mad. But I can explain. See I was reading about Galileo…” and ends with, “so even though the car has a concrete block sticking out of the roof, technically, it’s not my fault.” This is the … Continue reading
I don’t expect a log of blog traffic on Thanksgiving Day. I surely hope that those of you in the U.S. are enjoying time with friends, family, and, of course, food! But perhaps you are looking for some pre- or post-feast entertainment, or perhaps you are in another country wondering what all the fuss is … Continue reading
It is nearly Thanksgiving time in Michigan, and so, of course, all thoughts turn to feasting. All across the United States people are contemplating turkey, stuffing, pie and—delicious numbers? Possibly. Because today’s post features the appropriately titled website, Yummy Math. Yummy Math focuses on bringing real-world thinking and problem solving into the classroom. It is … Continue reading
Have you ever found yourself in trouble with a teacher because you were doodling in class? Have you doodled through a meeting? Or maybe every meeting? Because last week I described a possible link between stress and perceived boredom, this seemed a good time for a tribute to the underestimated art of doodling. Being able … Continue reading
It is easy to mistake adding and subtracting for math. Or (oh, the horror of it!) long division. So many of us have spent long hours as students, or maybe even as teachers, drilling the basics of computation that we can lose track of the wonder of numbers. And it is the wonder that makes … Continue reading
creativiteach 