We cannot make students be intrinsically motivated, writes teaching coach Barbara Blackburn. But we can create a classroom culture that focuses on the building blocks of value and success. When we do, students are more likely to grow resilient and take chances on learning.
Teachers Samantha Layne and Susanne Croasdaile introduce a new UDL-friendly tool to promote higher thinking, using a model-building strategy. TPRY helps students break down visual content, analyze it, and even build their own visual texts. See a food web modeling example.
Our Making Questions Count series explores three key roles in the teacher-student learning relationship. In their final post, Jackie Walsh, Emily Brokaw and Anna Salazar describe in rich detail the Student as Collaborative Contributor, with real-world stories and resources.
Equity can be found in many places in the school – on the walls, on bookshelves, and in policies. The best place to check for equity for multilingual learners is by examining teacher and student schedules. Tan Huynh describes the practices that lead to equitable scheduling.
If you have been wondering how you can move on when Jamboard sunsets in December, Kathleen Palmieri has found a super next-generation tool developed through a collaboration of Google – FigJam by Figma – that offers easy transition and improved tools. See her overview and tips.
After reading Co-Intelligence, Sarah Cooper is newly optimistic about the possibilities of AI in education – and trying to live more like a cyborg. Follow along as she inspects the author’s rules for co-intelligence, ways to personalize AI for educators, and how and if we might co-exist in the future.
What can you and your students accomplish the last few weeks of school? In this MiddleWeb resource educators share activities that align learning with fun, offer ideas for responding to stress, and suggest strategies to help sustain your classroom community.
Asian and Pacific Islander Month / Resources
by Susan Curtis · Published 04/10/2024 · Last modified 04/30/2024
For over 40 years the US Congress has recognized the heritage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders during May. Federal agencies and nonprofits provide resources to bring the culture and history of AAPIs to the classroom. For an overview visit this MiddleWeb roundup.
While making sure middle school students are media savvy is critical and the ideas in The Media-Savvy Middle School Classroom are supported by solid theory, educator Megan Balduf finds some lesson plans too esoteric for the middle school classroom and a packed ELA curriculum.
Academic success relies on students taking charge of their learning. To achieve that goal, kids must learn to organize and study effectively. G/T Facilitator Sharon Ratliff shares strategies she uses to introduce and implant essential study skills in the middle school years.
