heuristic

(adj.) A heuristic learning experience is one that allows you question, search, and discover until you learn.

(n.) - A heuristic is a framework or experience that helps someone to learn and discover things for himself.

• Synonyms: examining, probing, questioning, searching, inquiring, investigative
• Examples: inquiry project, science experiment
• Antonyms: uninterested, skeptical
• Non-examples: lecture, "take my word for it"
• Etymology: 1821, from Greek heuretikos, meaning "serving to discover or find out," or "inventive." This word is related to heuriskein meaning "to find" (from PIE were- meaning "to find;" related to Old Irish fuar meaning "I have found") + the noun-forming suffix -ist and the adjective-forming suffix -ic. This word was first recorded as a noun in 1860. 

Heuristic education is based on discovering and experiencing things for yourself.

How can using a heuristic approach to learning make you a better learner?

nostalgia

(n) - Nostalgia is a feeling that a time in the past was good, or the activity of remembering a good time in the past and wishing that things had not changed.

• Synonyms: fond memories, reminiscence, yearning, sentimentality
• Antonyms: regret, sorrow
• Etymology: 1668 Greek, from the word algos meaning "pain, grief, distress" + nostos meaning "homecoming," which originally comes from the PIE root *nes- meaning "to return safely home"
• Morphology: nostalgic - adj
• Example: When I look back on our blog, I get a sense of nostalgia for all of the fun projects and activities we have done.

premise

(n) - A premise is a statement or idea that you accept as true and use as a base for developing other ideas, like a hypothesis.

• Synonyms: hypothesis, idea, conjecture, notion, presumption
• Antonyms: guess, fact, reality
• Etymology: Late 14th Century Latin, from prae meaning "before" + mittere meaning "to send" (which is where we get the word mission)
• Example: I believe in the premise that you (or I) will never have a better class in your entire school career.

I also believe in the premise that there are GREAT people out there, like those from Phillips 66 Refinery, who want you to be GREAT students, and GREAT citizens of Billings and beyond.

serendipity

(n) - Serendipity is when interesting or valuable discoveries are made without planning or meaning for them to happen.

• Synonyms: blessing, good luck, lucky break
• Antonyms: choice, bad luck
• Etymology: 1754 English, first said by a man named Horace Walpole in a letter he wrote to he wrote to someone named Mann on 1/28/1754. He said he got it from the Persian fairy tale "The Three Princes of Serendip," whose heroes "were always making discoveries, by accidents."
• Morphology: serendipitous - adj
• Example: It was serendipity that brought me to Burlington, and that led me to teach a combo so that I could meet you!

oxymoron

(n) – An oxymoron is an expression that contradicts itself because it is a deliberate combination of two words that seem to mean the opposite of each other, such as 'cruel kindness.'

• Synonyms: contradiction
• Etymology: 1650s Greek, from oxys meaning "sharp," which is from the word akis meaning "sharp point," + moros meaning "stupid, foolish, or dull"
• Example: Some well-known oxymorons are: a civil war, a little big, alone together, awfully nice, baggy tights, bittersweet, black light, calm wind, classic rock

snippet

(n) - A snippet is a small piece of news, information, or conversation.

• Synonyms: particle, bit, fragment, part, piece
• Antonyms: whole thing
• Etymology: 1664 Low German, from snippen meaning "to snip, shred”
• Morphology: snip - v
• Example: News tickers give you little snippets of information at the bottom of your TV screen.

And now, it's time for Name that Tune!

savvy

(n) - If you have savvy, you have practical knowledge and ability.
(adj) - Someone who is savvy is clever and knows how to deal with situations successfully.

• Synonyms: brainy, clever, deft, experienced, intelligent, keen, sensible, wise
• Antonyms: clumsy, ignorant, incompetent, stupid, daft
• Etymology: 1785 (noun), 1905 (adjective) Latin, from sapere "be wise, be knowing." The French people borrowed this word to create savez vous? meaning "do you know?" and in Spanish it became sabe usted meaning "you know"
• Example:  Some people are very nature savvy, and they work hard to sustain our earth.

hierarchy

(n) - A hierarchy is a system of organization in which people or things are divided into levels of importance.

• Synonyms: chain of command, order, pecking order, ranking, pyramid, level   
• Etymology: Mid 14th Century Greek, from hieros meaning "sacred" + arkhein meaning "to lead, rule"
• Example: Some employees work hard to make their way up the company hierarchy and become president or CEO.

Click here for the Comparative/Superlative game.

trek

(n.) - A trek is a long and difficult journey, made especially on foot as an adventure.
(v.) - To trek is to travel (usually walking) a long, long way.

• Synonyms: expedition, march, journey
• Antonyms: stay
• Origin: 1849 (n.); 1850 (v.) Dutch, from trecken meaning "to march, journey," which originally meant "to draw, pull”
• Example: As much fun as it would be to trek across the USA for real, I am glad we get to do it for "pretend" first!

kismet

(n) - Kismet is something that was meant to be, including all of the things that will happen to you in your life.

• Synonyms: fate, fortune, destiny
• Antonyms: design, plan
• Origin: 1834 Arabic, from qasama meaning "he divided"
• Example: It was kismet that I came to Burlington and that you ended up in my class this year!

trump

(v) - If something is trumped, it is outdone or surpassed, usually by something better.

• Synonyms: defeat, beat, overcome
• Antonyms: lose, fall behind, fail
• Etymology: 1580s Old French, from tromper meaning "deceive," of uncertain origin, perhaps from a verb meaning "to blow a trumpet."
• Morphology: trumpet - n
• Example: Your Heritage fate card details will always trump whatever happens along your journey.

You may think that your mom made your lunch, or maybe that the lunch ladies made your lunch, but you would be wrong. Dirt trumps them all!

fiasco

fiasco(n) - A fiasco is an event that is completely unsuccessful, in a way that is very embarrassing or disappointing.

• Synonyms: catastrophe, debacle, embarassment, mess, failure
• Antonyms: benefit, success, wonder, miracle
• Etymology: 1855 French, theater slang for "a failure." By the year 1862, this word came to describe any kindof dismal flop, on or off the stage. Etymologists think this came from the French phrase fiare fiasco which means "turn out a failure," which came from Italian far fiasco meaning "suffer a complete breakdown in performance." This expression literally means "make a bottle," and comes from fiasco meaning "bottle," which comes from Late Latin flasco (where we get the word flask.
• Example: I tried to jump into Grace's library wagon last week, but it ended up as a complete fiasco when I fell in the hallway in front of a throng of onlookers.

proportion

(n) - A proportion is the relationship in size, amount, importance etc, between two things, or a part of a number or amount, considered in relation to the whole.
*This word can also be used as a verb.

• Synonyms: relative amount, ratio, relationship, dimension, division, scale, scope, relative size
• Etymology: Late 14th Century Latin, from pro meaning "forward" +  *partio meaning "division," which comes from pars meaning "part."
• Morphology: proportional - adj, proportionally - adv
• Example: The rewards you get in your education are in direct proportion to the effort you put in.

potential

(n) - Potential is possibility; if people or things have potential, they have a natural ability or quality that could develop to make them very good.
(adj) - If a potential event is going to occur, it is likely to develop in the future.

• Synonyms: possible, likely, would-be, maybe
• Antonyms: impossible
• Etymology: 1398 Latin, from potentia meaning "power" (as in potent). The noun, meaning "that which is possible," is first showed up in 1817
• Morphology: potent, potentially
• Example: You have the potential to earn many points for your Heritage team today.

Hmmm... I'm thinking that some of you have some real potential as dancers!

throng

(n) – A throng is a large crowd.

• Synonyms: bunch, collection, crowd, mass, mob,
• Antonyms: one
• Etymology: 1300 from P. Gmc (Proto-Germanic, the supposed prehistoric ancestor of all Germanic languages, including English) *thrangan meaning “crowd”
• Example: Maybe today will be the day that Fizz and Martina get the chance to play their music for a throng of people!

This week's Fab Five person is...

endeavor

(n) - An endeavor is an attempt to do something new or difficult.
(v) - If you endeavor to do something, you try very hard.

• Synonyms 
• nouns: aim, effort, undertaking, venture, a stab
• verbs: attempt, try, plan, aim, focus, zero in on, set your sights on, strive
• Antonyms 
• nouns: laziness, idleness
• verbs: don't try, sit around, be lazy
• Etymology: Early 15th Century, from the phrase put (oneself) in dever meaning "make it one's duty." This is a partial translation of Old French mettre en deveir meaning "put in duty," which comes from Old French dever meaning "duty," which comes from Latin debere meaning "to owe" (which is where we get the word debt)
• Morphology: endeavored - v
• Example:  We are taking on a new endeavor by bringing all of this new technology into our classroom.

Last October, NASA endeavored to move the Space Shuttle Endeavor to its final resting place in the California Science Center in Exposition Park.  It travelled 12 miles from Los Angeles International Airport, through the town of Inglewood, to Exposition Park. It was no easy feat!

quibble

(v) - If you quibble with someone, you argue over small, unimportant details or trivial matters.
*This word can also be used as a noun.

• Synonyms: bicker, argue, disagree
• Antonyms: agree, discuss
• Etymology: 1610s English, meaning "a pun, a play on words," which is probably from quib meaning "evasion of the point at issue"
• Example: It seems like there is a point in every year when students start to quibble about football at recess. 

gusto

(n.) - If you do something with gusto, you do it with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.

• Synonyms: energy, enthusiasm, excitement, delight, pleasure
• Antonyms: nonchalance, reluctance, hesitation
• Etymology: 1629 Latin, from gustus meaning "to taste," which actually comes from the ancient European root geus- meaning "enjoy or be pleased"
• Example: I talk to others about my class with great gusto!

One reason I adore you is that you do all things - including math - with gusto!

Click here to try today's fraction game:

http://www.quia.com/cb/95582.html

rendezvous

(n.) - A rendezvous is an arrangement to meet someone at a particular time and place, often secretly; a place where two or more people have arranged to meet.
*This can also be used as a verb.

• Synonyms: (n.) - appointment, meeting, date (v.) - assemble, meet, gather
• Etymology: 1591 French, from rendre meaning "present" + vous meaning "you."
• Example: After recess this afternoon, we will rendezvous in the room for a science activity.

Click here to help the kingdom rendezvous at the castle in Computation Castle!

ambition

(n) - Ambition is a strong desire for success or achievement.

• Synonyms: drive, enthusiasm, initiative, spirit
• Antonyms: laziness, indifference, nonchalance, apathy
• Etymology: Mid 14th Century Latin, from ambire meaning "to go around" (which is where we get the word ambient)
• Morphology: ambitious - adj
• Example: Thinking back, I am pretty sure my ambition was always to become a teacher.

Is ambition always good?