The other day my daughter was using a choice board for an assessment in her elementary science class, and I realized that, while I love giving kids voice and choice, I hadn't actually used a choice board before. Honestly, I think they are more commonly used in elementary classrooms but in secondary settings - not as much, which is why I want to share these idea with our BubbleUp Classroom readers. What might be a tried and true method in elementary could be something new to middle and high school classrooms.  (If you are a long time reader, you've heard me say time and time again that elementary methods can be modified and applied to upper level settings with great success).  Choice boards empower students by giving them a variety of ways to show what they have learned. They are also super versatile; a few quick edits and a choice board can be adapted from one unit to the next.  They involve less than project based learning (which I also love but don't always have time for), but at the same time give the kids the chance to do their own thing which equals buy-in and engagement.

Summer's here...or almost here for most of us! That's right, in Northern Virginia school is STILL in session!  Just three more days!  We've got sunshine, flip-flops, beach books, and of course, professional development on our minds. It's important to take time in the summer to focus on our professional practice so that we can come back to school in August, prepped and ready to engage with our new students.

This week we are thrilled to have our pointers for finding ways to reflect, reach out and re-imagine featured on the ASCD Inservice blog. How will you recharge this summer?

The Kilmer Library Makerspace is in its third year. Our goal in establishing this space was to create a open access space for messy and creative learning. We have found that while some students thrive on true open making, others need a bit more targeted focus: that's where challenges come in. This week's Take5 offers some simple, low tech challenges that can work with students of all levels, don't require a makerspace (only a maker mindset), and are easy to pull together at a moment's notice. Why not have a maker challenge day for your students as you close out the school year?

We know that it’s hard to get to conferences. They are too expensive or too far away. So we wanted to share a few of the things that we learned on our journey (some big, some small) in the hopes it might empower you in your own teaching and learning. ​

Starting next week, on Mondays and Wednesdays rather than going to their homeroom class, our students will go a 25 minute enrichment class. The classes will meet for the duration of the 2nd quarter. ​