Tuesday, January 15, 2008
You might be asking "Who's Rick?" and "Why do we care where he is?" Rick Ellenburg is Florida's Teacher of the year. We care because Rick was at Chets Creek this week to provide us with professional development in Science. Yes, believe it or not, Rick is a full time science resource teacher K- 5. Rick was able to spend the day with each grade levels' science teachers and provide them with ideas to help bring inquiry into the classroom every day!
Questions ranged from best practices for our Kindergarteners to how we can maximize our instructional time. I was able to host our guest and spend the entire day with him. I can't wait to meet with our Science Wizards to discuss specific topics that will enhance our instruction.
One idea that I heard him repeat throughout the day is creating a "take apart center" in our room. This area would allow students the freedom to take apart old electrical appliances and give them the freedom to learn how things work on their own. This would provide students with the opportunity to understand how things in their world work. What a great idea! I can't wait to start with my Kindergarteners. We truly appreciate the time and energy that Rick was able to share with us and can't wait to see our little scientist grow! If you would like to learn more about Rick you can visit his blog at http://2008fltoy.blogspot.com/