Future of History / Making History Meaningful
by Lauren S. Brown · Published 09/05/2016 · Last modified 12/11/2019
How do we overcome the perception that history is boring? Connecting the past directly to students’ life experiences is a flawed strategy, history educator Lauren Brown believes. Teachers should focus less on “relevant” and more on “meaningful” and “interesting.”
“Instructional Planning for Effective Teaching” could be helpful to new teachers who might benefit from its research about the planning methods of “effective” teachers, writes reviewer Robbi Ndebi. But more examples of strong vs. weak instructional design would be helpful.
Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker do a phenomenal job of taking the reader on a guided journey to define, assess, and learn to transform a school culture, says principal Doug Dunn. School Culture Rewired includes surveys, culture-building strategies and much more.
The Genius Hour Guidebook by Denise Krebs & Gallit Zvi provides a practical guide for teachers who want to encourage students to pursue their passionate interests and expand their 21st century skill set. Reviewer Laura Von Staden also recommends the companion website.
Our world has transformed students into digital learners, “Reinventing Learning for the Always-On Generation” suggests we find balance between traditional teaching methods and the techniques today’s students find most engaging. Joyce Depenbusch recommends it for group PD.
Middle school is SO spontaneous. How can teachers ensure opportunities to help students think critically, collaborate, and engage in the scholarly discourse we put in the lesson plan? Libby Woodfin shares 3 “ABCs of deeper instruction” that can help. Videos too!
Civics Lessons / Kids on the Cusp
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 08/29/2016 · Last modified 11/30/2019
This year, with an historic Presidential election in the making, civics studies take on a bit more relevance for Mary Tarashuk’s 4th graders. As she worked on her lesson plans this summer, she uncovered fresh resources to help her met five key teaching goals.
It's Not Easy Being Tween / Plagiarism
by Cheryl Mizerny · Published 08/28/2016 · Last modified 11/26/2019
For Cheryl Mizerny, detecting plagiarism and determining consequences require more energy than proactively planning assignments that don’t lend themselves to copying. She shares strategies to support learning while making plagiarism less attractive to students.
Adolescents constantly work to make sense of new information, often by referencing what they already know. Teachers can help by introducing analogies. Curtis Chandler shares tips and tech tools to help put analogies to work, including Metamia and Google Slides.
Book Reviews / Social & Emotional Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 08/25/2016 · Last modified 11/23/2019
Gifted children’s intense behaviors sometimes create challenges in the classroom. Author Christine Fonseca gives teachers, parents and students coping strategies and coaching approaches. Teacher Amy Estersohn says the book is also a good choice for PTA book clubs.
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