Dean Kindig and Moira Prister » motivation

Help Students Most By Using Novelty!

dkindig — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:13:21 +0000

Here’s why helping kids do novel tasks grows the brain more than repetitive tasks:
Once the task is learned, brain energy slows. Students who were taught creatively, with novelty (and I like to think the Harley Way), score better than kids with teachers teaching to the test!

http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/kuszewski20110720r

Getting Boys To Read

dkindig — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 16:40:37 +0000

I have some suggestions on my Summereaders website here about motivating books that boys like, but I just stumbled upon this website: http://www.gettingboystoread.com/content/summer-reading-suggestions-boys

In the replies to the original post are some great suggestions that I’ll be sure to check out, figuratively and literally!

Try out Storybird!

dkindig — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:42:56 +0000

Make books that can be viewed online or get them made into softcover books.
Making books cooperatively (2-3 kids) is a valuable activity. Make sure you have a good speller/typist in each group. I’m supplying an account for you to try it out.
Go to http://storybird.com/accounts/login/
Click the “Sign in”.

Now click “Create”. Have Fun!

VoiceThread

dkindig — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:31:43 +0000

http://voicethread.com/#q.b116426.i604779

Voice Thread lets students or teachers do oral presentations with visuals, then lets others add comments. The demo above is from an art class, and students, parents, and teachers added their comments to specific parts.

Make An Educational Arcade Game!

dkindig — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:59:36 +0000

http://www.classtools.net/education-games-php/quiz

Put in 6×4*24 and 6×4 will be a question in your video game, and 24 will be the correct answer. You can then play 6 different games with your questions. Use it for vocabulary, missing letter in spelling, etc.

Copy the math facts below and paste them into the opening screen and play the game “Word Shoot” to try it out . The kids like this one the most.
4×3*12
5×3*15
6×3*18
7×3*21
8×3*24
9×3*27
3×4*12
3×5*15
3×6*18
3×7*21
3×8*24
3×9*27

Online Refrigerator Magnets

dkindig — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:04:15 +0000

http://www.kongregate.com/games/QRious/fridge-magnets

Use this for spelling practice.

Wordles

dkindig — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:54:51 +0000

http://www.wordle.net/create
Paste in a bunch of text and Wordle makes a colorful word cloud based on the frequency of the words in the selected passage (without the annoying the’s or and’s).

Dean’s Book, Winning Learners

dkindig — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:59:08 +0000

My book is available at Lulu.com as a download or as a spiral-bound, ready-to-use book.
Go here: http://bit.ly/qcP5vw

WINNING LEARNERS: Prescriptive, FUN Games and Techniques, K-6 is for student teachers and beginning teachers who want to engage, motivate, and teach students with games. Focusing mainly on reading, Rochester Teacher of the Year Dean Kindig brings his 35 years of remedial teaching to the game table. Included are effective and truly involving games for remediating reading, helping handwriting, coaching creative writing, making math facts memorable, and improving spelling.

More Learning Games Online!

dkindig — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:58:00 +0000

Numberz – Given a target number, clik on numberz that add up to that target. Mesmerizing music and translucent graphics. You are playing against another player somewhere in the world, but it’s not a dog-eat-dog competition–Well done.

Whack-A-Verb – You remember whack-a-mole from the arcades. This is whack a verb. Evil robots poke their heads out of the ground with words on them. Decide which is the verb and whack it with your hammer.

Feed The Adjective Spider – Feed a fly to the spider with an adjective above its head and CRUNCH! The spider eats the fly. Great sound effect, and sort of icky–Perfect for Gr.2-3 boys!

Xtranormal Fun

dkindig — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:25:54 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/create/Xtranormal

Here’s a writing idea. You write the words like a play, and characters automatically speak your words. Make cartoon out of text for YouTube