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Project/Inquiry Based Learning has been a passion of mine ever since I discovered it about 5 years ago. Since then, I have stepped out of my comfort zone and transformed the way I teach from a typical Thematic Based style through baby steps taken each year and with the help of an amazing on-line community of teachers with the same passion (you all know who you are!). My first baby step was taking themes and science/social studies standards and making them more student lead and project based. I got rid of the two week time limit each theme had in the past and allowed more time for students to dig deeper. I found that students would take my broad theme (oceans) and desire to dig deeper into more specific parts of the theme (sharks, jellyfish, ect.). As time went on, I was able to take the biggest step and totally let go of my themes and allowed the children's interests drive my instruction, incorporating the standards through those interests. I am blessed enough to also teach in a district that does not mandate the curriculum I use. Curriculum programs are purchased to use as tools for our toolbox but not required. Us teachers are trusted and encouraged by our superintendent to write our own curriculum as long as the standards are met. My building principle also has that kind of faith in us as professionals! They know that when it comes to children learning what they need to learn, we are the experts! Project/Inquiry Based Learning is highly encouraged in all grades Pre-K through 12. Some wonder how I plan for this style of teaching and how it flows. Here are some of the tools that I use. Once I notice an interest from the students (usually found out through experiences set up for them to explore during play) , I find out what their knowledge and misconceptions are about the subject. Kind of like a KWL chart! I list all that they know about the subject we will dive into. Then I ask what they wonder. I list all of their questions. NOW I can plan! I take their wonderings and create a web map showing the different directions they want to take the inquiry and possible experiences that will help them find answers to their wonderings. I got this web map from the amazing Joanne Babalis and her amazing blog http://myclassroomtransformation.blogspot.com. On the back I have all of the Literacy and Math Standards listed so that I can highlight the ones we will focus on through the inquiry and project. I add any Science and Social Studies Standards to the bottom of the web map. Here is the link to the web map if you would like it: Web Organizer Here is the link to the Common Core Standards Sheet for Kindergarten Language and Math: Kindergarten CC Standards Once I organize my thoughts, I create my inquiry plan using a template I created based on one I found from a Texas school district. It was so long ago I have no memory of which district but if I find out I will add them to give them credit. Their form was 3 pages long. I tweaked it to fit it all on one page. I use this to show the objectives and vocabulary, plan the investigations and materials I will need, show how they will organize the data about what they have learned, possible projects that could result from the inquiry and how we will present the project to the community. Here is the link to this inquiry planner if you would like to download it: Inquiry/Project Planner The next step is to start the investigation phase. In early childhood I set out experiences for them to explore and document what they notice. We also do whole group and small group investigations through books, videos and hands-on experiences. As we answer questions, we add the answers to our wonder chart to show our new learning. We organize this data in a web map format for all to see. The start of an inquiry wall. Information is added to it as we learn. Once we have investigated we use organizational maps to show what we learn. In kindergarten it usually consists of web maps, circle maps, tree charts (can/have/are maps), and brace maps (to show part to whole). We will chose one or two to organize our data. The next step is the project. We take what we learn and create something to show it! The projects can be individual, small group, or whole group. Some examples of projects in our room have been turning an area of our room into an ocean, forest and sky to show how animals adapt in the winter. The kids signed up to be on the migration team, adaption team or hibernation team. They each became experts on their part during the investigation and worked on their part of the project. A cave, forest, sky and ocean were created to show what animals do in the winter. Animals were created, labeled and added to the habitats. A group interested in map making and migration created this map showing migration patterns of monarchs, geese and grey whales. Another project was our The Sound Exploration Area created for our school. They saw a need (an area to explore sound) investigated different ways of creating sound, organized the data and designed a Sound Exploration Area! An area for everyone in our school to explore sound which is in our science standards. They have also turned the inside of our room into a great hall and medeival kitchen and the outside of our room into a castle wall complete with moat and drawbridge after investigating castles! The outside of our castle. A map created by a group interested in maps and where different castles were found in the world. A big book created by a small group about who lived in castles. A small group project during our castle inquiry. They have created murals and big books to show their learning also. A mural planned and created by Kindergartners. The last step is the presentation to show what they had learned. The kids LOVE this part and I've never had a child refuse to present! They are so confident of what they have learned and proud of what they have done that they cannot wait to share it! I am always so impress with their speaking and listening skills during these presentations! Sometimes small groups go to other classrooms and present what they learned, sometimes we invite parents or other classes to our room to see our presentation, and sometimes we create a video to share with others. They create maps, big books, and, get to show off the projects created at this time! Showing what they have learned through these projects gives the projects an even bigger sense of purpose! They can't wait to show others what they have learned and done! Presenting different weapons used during medieval times. I have never had so much fun teaching in my 22 years as I have he past four years! I could never go back to the way I had done it I the past. The benefits of this way of teaching are not only meeting the standards (the old way did that too) but the 21st Century Skills they are forced to develope when they learn in this type of environment. When inquiring, investigating and creating within thier own interest, they are motivated to collaborate, problem solve, handle frustration, persist if things don't work the first time, and learn from their mistakes. They have to use critical thinking skills and develope research skills. When kids develop these skills, they can learn ANYTHING! My new passion that I am learning to incorporate in my classroom is Playbased Learning! I have been amazed by the learning taking place in this way also....but that's another post! SaveSave
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These hardy perennials can thrive in part sun, full sun or shade, high heat or freezing temperatures, and still bloom beautifully every year.
Welcome, I know you're here because you're curious to see if this crazy plant food of WEIRD ingredients has gone viral and has been shared over 206 THOUSAND times! I get more questions about this little post than most! So I thought I would dive deep and do a BIG update to answer all your
Umami Kräuterseitlinge so einfach und herzhaft!
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A simple homemade vegan bagels recipe made with just a few basic ingredients--the recipe is completely vegan and free of dairy and eggs. Attempting to make bagels at home is quite a challenging task, and it will be easier for you to buy them from the store. Keeping this in mind, I wondered how we could recreate store-bought bagels at home by following a simpler process and fewer steps. This was when I came up with this awesome recipe. Easy to make Vegan Bagels When someone hears “vegan bagels,” they assume that they'll be tricky to make--but they are actually quite easy to prepare. The final product will be a tasty and chewy texture with a tender exterior straight out of the oven. You will need to gather only a few basic ingredients to prepare these simple vegan bagels, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the final result. I personally made these several times over the past few weeks, and I wonder why I haven’t given out this recipe before. After all, is there anyone who doesn’t like homemade bagels? Fortunately, these bagels are a breeze to make, and they are completely vegan. If you discard the common meat toppings e.g. prosciutto or salmon, these bagels are 100% plant-based. The buns are totally vegan and free of dairy and eggs The cream cheese used is also vegan The addition of avocado on top doubles up the taste You can add any toppings based on your taste (vegan or not). For example, tomatoes make a great all-vegan topping, while pescatarians can add boiled eggs or salmon if they wish. You have my word that these bagels are incredibly easy to make, or I wouldn't be making them so often. In all other cases, I will sit and wait for the dough to rise up for hours before baking. The beauty of these vegan bagels is that they involve the use of just 7 ingredients, are fast, easy to make, and, most importantly, they copy the texture of authentic bagels in just 25 minutes. They are also great for any event or season, and they are egg and dairy-free! Vegan Bagels Recipe Guide Pin Ingredients Bagels 2 cups white flour ⅓ cup soy milk (unsweetened) 1 tsp dry yeast powder 1 tsp sesame seeds 1 tsp poppy seeds Pinch of salt Directions Mix flour, yeast, water, and salt in a mixing bowl. Knead until you end up with a flexible dough. Allow resting for approx. 2 hours or until the dough size becomes double. Preheat your oven to 370F/190C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the dough from the mixing bowl on your counter and form it into a big ball. Cut and split into 4 equal size pieces and shape each into a smaller ball. Using your index finger and thumb, gently press to form a loop into the center of each ball and turn around until that hole gets bigger. Repeat the above steps with each ball. Let everything rest for 10 minutes. To prepare your water bath, fill a big pot with water and bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat and allow it to simmer. Submerge the bagels into the simmering liquid and let cook for 40 seconds, then flip over and cook for an extra 30 seconds. Note that the bagels’ volume will rise at this point, so ensure there is plenty of space in your pot. Take off the water bath and transfer it onto a baking tray or mat. Take a brush and brush them with a bit of soy milk. Sprinkle the poppy and sesame seeds on top. Transfer the bagels to a preheated oven and cook for 25 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Once done, take off the heat and place it on a cooling grill to cool them down for a few minutes. Prepare some toppings of your choice to serve them e.g. tomato slices, vegan salmon, avocado, etc.
