I got this from Chris two weeks ago so we need to get a nice answer back to him quickly – and Chris sorry I didn’t get this posted sooner: Hi Ben, I’m working on my master’s and I’m currently in an Educational Technology class. For my final project I have to take a piece […]

Maggie sent this very interesting link from Andrew Sullivan’s blog: http://www.freakonomics.com/2011/11/02/the-way-we-teach-math-and-language-is-wrong/

The clip from this recent post about the great film Austin Powers really helps me: https://benslavic.com/blog/2011/10/24/if-you-get-observed/ It is about returning judgemental energy from observors. When I get observed now, I try so hard to just let my freak flag fly and to be free and not let observers get the upper psychic hand. Then I

Got this from Brigitte. Please respond if interested. If we could get Harrell out from LA it would only take him about 37 days on horseback. One can always hope. Here is Brigitte’s request: Somehow, I ended up on the planning committee for next year’s NYSAFLT conference in Saratoga, NY.  The fact that my department

Our ninth graders come to us after being broken into a learning pattern that represents a choke hold on creativity. We are being cavalier in thinking that a kid who has just gone through a process of being made to think in a certain way, the way the teacher tells them to think, can still think at

The last posted East High clip from last spring was: http://www.schooltube.com/video/de8c3854425ea15a4e88/Ben%20Slavic%205/11/11%20Part%2015 Here are the next two which take us to the end of step 2 for this Bubhakemeier story: http://www.schooltube.com/video/9c57b9dccf8aeee2cdd5/Ben%20Slavic%205/11/11%20Part%2016 http://www.schooltube.com/video/672962074c4994d59866/Ben%20Slavic%205/11/11%20Part%2017 Here are the last three clips with commentary: http://www.schooltube.com/video/41290bba69ed525566cf/Ben%20Slavic%20Teacher%20Commentary%20Part%2015-17

Chris checks in with more good news: Hi Ben, I have some more good news.  I was observed by my principal on Monday, Oct 31 – first day of the 9 weeks.  In four of my five classes, I get new kids every 9 weeks and it was one of those classes that he observed

It’s just so very sad. We attend conferences, take vacation time to work on our craft, work late into the night, and here we are on the eve of our biggest week, the week we all finally get to meet together and talk about our what we are doing in our classrooms under the flag

Great bio from Clarice here: I can’t believe this is my 27th year of teaching.   I graduated with a degree in Spanish and a minor in cultural anthropology/sociology from Central College in Pella, Iowa and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. The economy wasn’t very good, although not as bad

For me it all goes back to Krashen’s statement that true acquisition of a language happens on the road that meanders through the unconsious mind. Languages are just way too complicated to leave to the woefully inadequate devices of the conscious analytical mind. Bryce has put together, over on his site, a very nice little chart to show

I have attended this upper level workshop given by Susie and it is excellent. Here is the announcement from Carol: Susan Gross is coming to the Philadelphia area to give her workshop TPRStorytelling in levels 2-AP. If you are interested in teaching language using comprehensible input or you are looking for some inspiration with your

Jeff sends an entertaining bio: Hi Ben, Here is my bio.  Have a nice weekend: I work a lot.  I know the first couple of years are the toughest in any new subject area so I´m hoping that in a couple of years I´ll have mastered some of this and I won´t feel so consumed