Hold My Chalk

It is here once again.  This time it is even bigger.  More participants are signed up to participate in this global event.  Just to show you how much activity there is, check out the Twitter feed at the end of the post. I am excited to see students from my district participating in the Hour of Code  as well.  It is great to see the problem solving skills displayed in many of the coding tasks students are asked to do.  Many of them are game based tasks, but if this introduces students to coding and sparks a lifelong love of STEM in this student it is an hour well spent.  Even if your class of twenty-five students all participate and only one pursues a STEM career that might not have otherwise gone down that path, it is worth the effort. Check out how focused these students are on their projects. #HourOfCode in Mrs Pool's class #cpsreds pic.twitter.com/43BNPv6GoL — J. Bengs (@CHS_AstPrin) December 7, 2015 What makes this even better are the teachers th...

Every week I am amazed by something.  This week it is the talent we have overflowing at Clinton High School.  From students to teachers, there is an abundance of talent across campus.  Tuesday evening was a demonstration of some of that talent.  As I waited to eat dinner with my family in a downtown cafe, several of the vocal students were gathering to begin caroling in downtown businesses.  In a matter of minutes, the student had rehearsed several pieces and were then on their way to the other businesses open late for the festival of lights.  Many of the patrons on the cafe had no idea the students were rehearsing, but instead thought they were actually performing.  Such talent, to have performance quality rehearsals especially while several of the students were sight reading the music.  Another vocal group from an area school also came into the cafe later in the evening and the talent level of our students was head and shoulders above the other ...