Author Archives middleweb

These are the latests portfolio and blog posts written by middleweb.

Teaching ESL/ELL Students

Katie Hull Sypnieski, co-author of The ESL/ELL Teacher's Survival Guide, shares some do's & don'ts for all teachers with ELL students. A MIddleWeb interview.

Reading Visual Media

Students need the skills to read & discern messages in visual media, says Frank Baker, who uses Wall-E and other movies to teach "the language of film."

How I Became a YA Author

Russel Like shares his writer's journey and invites you to support his first full-fledged children's book, Prehistoric Pets, at Kickstarter. We did!

Building Background Knowledge

Whether you want to differentiate or just learn more about building prior knowledge, Jill Spencer's book is a helpful quick read, says reviewer Lucille Schauer.

Go Deep with SLCs

Student-led conferences should be more than feel-good experiences for students & parents. A new book helped Laura Collander make SLCs matter in her classroom.

Six STEM Starter Tools

Anne Jolly has six ideas to help teachers incorporate STEM thinking & practices into regular lessons throughout the year.

Visual Media: A New Literacy

Engaging students in creating and analyzing images & films is a key step in developing an important 21st century skill, says media literacy consultant Frank Baker.

PLNs & School Transformation

Although the authors favor trans- formation over more pragmatic ed reforms, reviewer Nicole Miller found this book about PLNs "informative, useful, & beneficial."

Our Wishes for a Happy 2013

Laurie Wasserman and Elizabeth Stein share their good wishes for middle grades educators everywhere. And if some sound like resolutions, well...they're teachers!