As a social studies educator, I have studied different types of diffusion and barriers to diffusion for years. I have never felt like I was truly a part of this study until I started blogging and realized that while networking is fabulous, it can sometimes create unintentional echo chambers in social media and across the internet….
Maybe you are considering going green or making more natural lifestyle choices and you don’t know how. There are really so many ways to go green and some don’t apply to some as readily as they do to others. This is the second post on ten ways that I eased into going green. These were…
This past week was our tot school and preschool construction theme. It continues the sequence of themes that go together (transportation, buildings, city/home, and now construction). This has been a fun 4 weeks of tying everything together and staying on the same concept for a month. Especially since I have a girl, this construction theme…
If you are wondering how to compost or how to even get started composting, it’s very simple. In my personal opinion, composting is a very responsible habit that can benefit any lifestyle and there is no excuse to not participate. Why? Because it means you are wasting less and replenishing our fine earth with nutrients. Whether…
I remember a few years ago when I was searching for a better lifestyle that was healthier and more sustainable. But I struggled with even how to go green. It seemed so daunting especially with how I had been living. going green wasn’t even on my radar and was so foreign, but I knew it…
With our seeds sprouting rapidly and having containers scattered on window sills around the house, we decided to create a growing station for our hundreds, and potentially thousands, of seeds for our garden. While a grow system is not all together necessary, I like organization and the assurance of proper care. Also, grow lights and…
This week’s tot school unit is all about cities and home. Most specifically it is about the specific city or town where you live. Beyond just studying our own city, we also explored what “home” means and where animals live and other people in our family call home. This unit meant getting out and about…
Character education is, in my opinion, more important in educating our children than scholastic curriculum. With the increasing diversity in our world and in the United States, it is becoming ever more important to introduce our children to the many cultures and experiences of those around them. We live our lives based on our experiences, and…
Wow it’s already week 11 in our tot school adventures and I am loving making these lesson plans for toddlers! Are you enjoying learning with your kids too? I would absolutely love to hear from you to know how you are doing thus far. This week we are covering buildings. What is fun about this…
This week in tot school features toddler learning activities geared towards transportation and ways we move. From buses to balloons, come explore with us. From incorporating wheel crafts to pulling out some awesome new toys, we had LOTS of fun. And while it’s one of my most loathed songs because of it’s “sticking” ability, we sang…
Homemade musical instruments are a way to get kids involved in the process of open-ended play. Whether they are involved in the steps it takes to make the musical instrument or not, the creativity in making ordinary objects part of music helps them see the world a little differently. In fact, knobby puzzle pieces have…
This week in tot school, we combined two weeks. It was extremely hectic around here and we got behind! (Imagine that!) So we decided that lids and fasteners would make a fun week of learning and exploration and we wouldn’t worry about splitting the two weeks. PLUS, I didn’t have a book for fasteners, so…