Category Archives: Ms. Mentor

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Reviewing for an assessment

By Mary Bigelow | Published: February 4, 2013

I am curious about the effectiveness of group or team tests given (maybe a week) before the actual, summative test. I am just beginning my student teaching, and think a group test might be a great way for students to share the responsibility of reviewing and would give the students who are less comfortable with [...]

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Travel as PD

By Mary Bigelow | Published: January 29, 2013

My school provides some professional development money every two years for summer travel. This summer I would like to take an educational trip to Italy to visit Pompeii, Herculaneum, Vesuvius, some Galileo astronomy sights, or others that would fit into my discipline areas (Earth science and physics). Can you help me find anyone in the [...]

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Project based learning and the Next Generation Science Standards

By Mary Bigelow | Published: January 17, 2013

Guest blog by Andrew Miller The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) call for a conceptual shift in teaching and learning. Yes, content is changing in the upcoming NGSS. In addition to traditional subject matter, science and engineering are now integrated into the standards, where students will learn about the principles of engineering and engage in [...]

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Assessments for learning

By Mary Bigelow | Published: January 5, 2013

During the past few years, this blog has addressed several questions about formative assessments. These just-in-time assessments embedded in instruction help a teacher understand what students are learning, identify misconceptions, and adjust instruction as needed. These assessments are an integral part of instruction, not an add-on or special event. These informal (and often ungraded) assessments [...]

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Identifying rocks

By Mary Bigelow | Published: December 28, 2012

I attended an event where we cleaned out the science warehouse for our school system. I got a lot of great stuff for my elementary science classes, including a box of rock and mineral samples that have little stickers with letters or numbers. I’m sure at some point there was a key that told what [...]

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Should I take a student teacher?

By Mary Bigelow | Published: December 15, 2012

I was asked if I would take a student teacher. This would be my first one. What should I consider in making the decision? —Mark, Queens, New York Your administrator must feel confident in your expertise to ask you to take on this responsibility. Working with the next generation of teachers is part of being [...]

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Learning from “mistakes?”

By Mary Bigelow | Published: December 7, 2012

I’d like to try hands-on labs with my fourth graders, but I’m worried they’ll make mistakes. I guess I’m afraid they won’t learn the concepts if they don’t get the right answers. Is there a way to make the activities fool-proof? I’m a first year teacher. —Melissa, Murfreesboro, Tennessee If you scripted the procedures down [...]

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Gallery walks for middle school

By Mary Bigelow | Published: November 28, 2012

I participated in a “gallery walk” during a session at an NSTA conference. Would this be appropriate for middle school students? —Carolyn from Pennsylvania A gallery walk would be an excellent tool to add to your collection! In a nutshell, a gallery walk is a discussion strategy that engages groups of participants as they examine [...]

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Activities for learning

By Mary Bigelow | Published: November 15, 2012

In my sixth grade science class, I try to involve the students in fun activities. But they don’t take them seriously unless I require something in writing or give a quiz. And then the students don’t seem to be able to connect the activity with the content. What can I do? —Nina from Idaho I [...]

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Accessing NSTA resources

By Mary Bigelow | Published: November 6, 2012

I am new to NSTA and having difficulty finding activities/lesson plans on the website for my middle school classes. Right now, I’m looking for ideas on earthquakes and Newton’s laws. Where is the best place to find them? —Chris, Kutztown, Pennsylvania Once you’ve identified your topic and learning goals, you can access a variety of [...]

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