To differentiate, aim for one complex task that is well-scaffolded, not three completely different tasks. Aim high and scaffold down.
Year: 2017
Books Featuring Gifted Guys
I’ve done a couple rounds of book recommendations featuring gifted female protagonists, so here’s one for the fellas: kid-friendly novels with a gifted male character.
Start With The Problem – Not A Solution
Before you try that next classroom idea, pause to consider the end by asking: how will I know if it worked?
Why I don’t include “Explain Why” in Questions
I used to think that adding “explain why” to the end of a question somehow made it higher-level. But now I see two problems in asking students to “explain their thinking”.
Misconceptions About 🏛️ Big Idea
Big Idea is often the first prompt of Depth and Complexity that I introduce to students. That does not mean, however, that it is basic or less sophisticated than the other prompts.
Messy Thinking and Neat Thinking
Why it takes a balance of chaotic and careful thinking to get to a high-quality final product.
When Too Much “Depth” Leads To Simplicity
Here’s the most common mistake I’ve seen in implementing Depth and Complexity. And I made it too!
Word Pyramids – A Delightful Vocabulary Puzzle
A fun, abstract vocab puzzle in which students can add one letter per line, forming a pyramid of words.
Beware “Real World Problems”
Why I stopped looking for “real world” problems and started aiming for “interesting.” The real world is often tedious and annoying. Interesting never is!
Mathy Art
A few artists who create awesome mathematical art!