Out of Her Mind -- Musings on Education and Life

  I don't know how it is for you guys, but it's hard out here being a teacher. We find ourselves in an era where our students are in constant competition with video games, cellphones, and the allure of instant gratification. The traditional lecture-and-test model doesn't always cut it anymore. So, what's the solution? The answer, I believe, lies in a bit of pedagogical magic—tricking students into learning by making education engaging, interactive, and downright fun. To embark on this transformative journey, it's essential to recognize that we teach students, not just a subject. With this mindset, we can explore innovative strategies that create a dynamic and adaptable learning environment. One of the key elements is movement in the classroom. Allowing students to move around, change locations, and interact physically with the learning space can breathe new life into our lessons. Imagine playing movement games in English Language Arts to promote engagement and inter

Who was O'Henry?   O. Henry, the pen name of American author William Sydney Porter, was known for his mastery of the short story. He excelled in writing clever and humorous tales often ending with an unexpected twist, making him a renowned figure in American literature. His works, like "The Gift of the Magi" and "The Ransom of Red Chief," continue to captivate readers with their wit, irony, and timeless charm.  Do a little digging of your own, and you will discover Porter's salacious history. Find free resources on "The Gift of the Magi" from  Faulkner English  on TPT.  "The Gift of the Magi"  Before/During/After Reading Activities  (free) Ready to plug and play in your Google classroom or LMS of choice Hexagonal Thinking " The Gift of the Magi " (free) Help students make connections with this fun activity. "The Gift of the Magi"  Knowledge Constructor  (free)  Research, aligned with digital learning skills "The

How Does The Brain Work? If I could answer that question, I could probably be cooling my heels on a nice island somewhere, mimosa in hand,  Instead, I am left to read research and theories about how the brain (and reading) operates.  One can dream, though..... For years, researchers delineated memory into two types:  short term and long term.  More recently, after the advent of LaBerge and Samuels Automaticity Theory (1974) and Perfetti's Verbal Efficiency Theory (1988), this construct was re-imagined as working memory --which adds the dimension of processing to the function of storage ( Daneman & Carpenter , 1980).  As they explain, "Working memory is assumed to have processing as well as storage functions; it serves as the site for executing processes and for storing the products of these processes" (p. 450).  Working memory is active rather than passive.   Tanabe , Azumi , Osaka, & Naoyuki (2009) explain that working memory consists of at l