What is Visible Thinking? Visible thinking asks students to demonstrate thinking in a tangible way. Sure, we've all been told to "show our work" in maths class. However, Visible Thinking…
Grade 8 Movie Soundtracks
A grade 10 unit shifted down to grade 8. I've just gotten an email asking what Criterion B assessments I use for my grade 8 movie soundtracks unit. I'm really…
Grade 9 Beginner Band
Differentiation causes a unit pivot. In the past, our middle school was structured in such a way that I typically had between 16 - 21 students each year for music…
MYP Unit Plan Examples
MYP Music Plan Example - Protest Songs in Grade 7 Let's kill two birds with one stone - I'm going to show you how to complete an MYP Music Unit…
Intro to Jazz
Blank Slates My students have heard of jazz but tell me they have never heard a single jazz piece before. They are like blank slates. Recently, whilst teaching jazz improvisation,…
Kahoot – Learning Games
My school is incredibly focused on saving the environment, which is good and noble. It means that we are always focused on whether we need to print, and if so…
Taiko Drumming
I completed a 5 day intensive drumming workshop with Uzume Taiko, in Vancouver, Canada. It was exhausting, but really good for me and for my musicianship. Why? Because so many…
Just Drum – Examples
MYP Year 1: Grade 6 xBlock xBlock is a new course that some schools are doing. Like Creative New Undertakings or Genius Hours, this is a course in which students…
Differentiation
WHY USE DIFFERENTIATION? A good answer is, "Using differentiation is best teacher practice." This is true. However, the best answer is, "Because my class couldn't function if I didn't differentiate."…
xBlock (Genius Hour)
X-Block at Nanjing International School is the equivalent of a genius hour or a 'creative new undertakings' hour. Students are given 5 hours per 8 day cycle to work on…