Author Archives: kdceci

About kdceci

I am a grade 5 teacher in a PYP school in Chicago, Illinois, USA. From the US originally, I worked in Asia the last 13 years. I am passionate about inquiry-driven education, collaboration, and ensuring kids get to continue to be kids that play, create and think as long as they can. Outside of school, l love to write, read, hike, run, meditate and travel.

Reflecting on Content vs. Skills, Attitudes and Concepts

Posted on October 16, 2014 by kdceci

This is merely a reflection post. No fancy tools or strategies. A simple look at how we teach. Recently, I’ve attended several workshops, which got me thinking about how we teach. One workshop I attended recently was a good example … Continue reading →

Posted in Inquiry | 9 Comments

Some Teapot Math: Take 2, Part 1

Posted on April 7, 2014 by kdceci

Several years ago, we began a teapot project. Created in collaboration with teachers from China and YIS in Japan, the idea took off and has been running the last several years. The teapot has traveled from Japan to the US … Continue reading →

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The Wildness in Inquiry

Posted on January 15, 2014 by kdceci

Today, on my way home, I stopped, dumbfounded. The hill near my house had been stripped–of bushes and trees. We had received a notice in Japanese that it was going to happen, but I didn’t understand the implications. Reinforcement is … Continue reading →

Posted in Inquiry | 1 Comment

Inquiry: Insight into How Students Think

Posted on November 7, 2013 by kdceci

What I love about inquiry, besides everything, is being able to see how kids think. Today, I gave my students the locker problem as part of our mathematical number and problem solving focus. It’s an open-ended, inquiry-based, mathematical problem. Last … Continue reading →

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Happiness in our Students

Posted on September 30, 2013 by kdceci

It seems that I’ve been reading a lot about happiness lately and kindness. Maybe I’m always reading about it, but for some reason, it’s jumping out at me lately. I think it’s a lot of things, but one is that … Continue reading →

Posted in Inquiry | 2 Comments

A Math Inquiry into a Real-Life Kindergarten Problem

Posted on June 29, 2013 by kdceci

This year, I’ve had a hard time getting a handle on Mathematics because I haven’t used worksheets. I haven’t used textbooks. I’ve used some big problem solving ideas, and they’re a little harder to quantify. When I got to reports, … Continue reading →

Posted in Inquiry | 10 Comments

The Power of a Read Aloud

Posted on May 20, 2013 by kdceci

I am an advocate of reading aloud to children, and I teach grade 5. I feel like it’s a confession. It’s the first step, and one I would hope everyone would follow. In the early grades, I think most teachers … Continue reading →

Posted in Inquiry | 11 Comments

The Power of the Formative Assessment

Posted on April 19, 2013 by kdceci

The power of formative assessment is one of the things I most like about the process of the IBPYP Exhibition. The IBPYP Exhibition is a student-driven, culminating experience in the PYP. During the Exhibition, the teacher openly drops into a … Continue reading →

Posted in Inquiry | 3 Comments

The Continuing Saga of a Water Bottle Inquiry

Posted on March 6, 2013 by kdceci

Today, students took their action to the streets–well the streets of Yokohama International School. In December, right before the holidays, students in my grade 5 class followed their heart and inquired into plastic water bottle sales that were happening at … Continue reading →

Posted in Inquiry | 4 Comments

Genius Hour Part I

Posted on March 3, 2013 by kdceci

This week it unfolded. Passion…geniuses…or a combination of both? We kicked off our IBPYP Exhibition these last few weeks in grade 5 at Yokohama International School. Our idea is to have the kids explore their passions and interests  under the … Continue reading →

Posted in Inquiry | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments