The Spark website, sponsored by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) can be your center for learning materials on weather, climate and related atmospheric sciences. There’s lots of basic information and class activities, but my one of my favorite parts is the interactive simulations. Simulations allow students to explore “what if” questions that are … Continue reading
One of the most powerful ideas in psychology today is the idea of mindset. Carol Dweck, in particular, has studied the ways in which our beliefs about our capacity affect what we do. If we have a fixed mindset—about any number of human attributes–we believe our capabilities are etched in stone. If we are smart, … Continue reading
I was tempted to title this post, “It’s Not Your Mother’s Library,” because the wonderful learning environment described in Amy Koester’s “All Things STEAM” is a long way from the rigidly silent libraries of my childhood. Instead, her website is a wonderful exercise in multi-layered creativity. Amy has used her own creativity to envision a … Continue reading
One of our regular holiday pastimes is exploring new bookstores, and this year was no exception. One of my favorite discoveries on a recent trip was Shakespeare’s Storybook, subtitled Folk Tales that Inspired the Bard. In it, storyteller Patrick Ryan explores the traditional tales that may have inspired some of Shakespeare’s most iconic stories. Imagine … Continue reading
It’s January. It’s Michigan. And so, as I look out my window, it’s snowing. We’re in the beginning stages of what promises to be a foot of snow, with sub-zero temperatures to follow. What could be more appropriate than family fun activities centering on snow—with a bonus activity for anyone faced with temperatures well below … Continue reading
It is winter in Michigan, and as I’m writing the snow is accumulating on the ground and covering the tree branches outside my window. So naturally, my thoughts turn to–fractals. Or, more specifically, to this guest post from Melanie describing creative ways to teach fractals, including fractal snowflakes. Here’s Melanie. Fractals are mathematical sets that … Continue reading
Here is it, just a few days before Christmas, and I suspect that in the predominently Christian parts of the world, few people are reading blogs. And in truth, that is as it should be. These are not the days for solo hours at the computer, but time for family and friends–or for seeking out … Continue reading
In the busy moments of the holiday season–or any season for that matter–it is helpful to have a quick lesson to pull out in the 10 minutes before lunch. In one of those times you might want to pull out the story of the secret Nanas. It provides inspiration for both generosity and creativity–both particularly … Continue reading
What kid doesn’t love things that go “splat?” There are lots of fine traditions that could be categorized as “splat art”—blowing paint through a straw, bouncing paint with a ball, stomping paint on paper, throwing paint from bushes or shooting it with squirt guns. Each of these has the potential to be wonderful messy creative … Continue reading
My husband is a night person, plain and simple. He begins to be alert approaching noon (regardless of when he actually got out of bed) and works happily between midnight and 3 a.m. While I’m not an early-morning person, once I’m awake, I’m awake, but anything I do past 11 p.m. is not to be … Continue reading
creativiteach 