A struggling student’s recent exclamation that she UNDERSTOOD a history lesson confirmed to Shara Peters that her new school’s grading policy improves teaching and student achievement by shifting the emphasis from earning a higher grade to achieving mastery.
Integrated STEM Literacy / STEM By Design
by Anne Jolly · Published 12/08/2015 · Last modified 12/13/2019
In focusing on traditional text-based knowledge & skills, we miss the key role visual tools play in STEM exploration and innovation. Recognizing the ways scientists and engineers use visuals with text can help us better support students in every classroom, writes author/illustrator Roger Essley.
A class full of middle schoolers are ready to learn. But supplies are low, technology is sparse, and you have already spent too much of your own money for the classroom. Educational consultant Anne Anderson repurposes 3 classroom staples you’re sure to have.
No funding for field trips? Concerns about travel safety? Consider taking your students on a virtual adventure instead. Teacher-authors Billy Krakower, Jerry Blumengarten, and Paula Naugle share four of their favorites and offer plenty of other ideas!
Chronological or Thematic / Future of History
by Sarah Cooper · Published 11/30/2015 · Last modified 12/04/2019
The debate about whether to teach history thematically or chronologically still captivates & frustrates Sarah Cooper. As she considers her time-hopping unit on federalism, she wonders which approach can best inspire students to apply more history to their lives.
If demoralizing teachers worked, then our educational system would already have reached a state of perfection. Instead, says reviewer Jenni Miller, policymakers can find a true roadmap for change in Richard DuFour’s “In Praise of American Educators And How They Can Become Even Better.”
Kids on the Cusp / Passion-based Learning
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 11/18/2015 · Last modified 12/14/2019
Mary Tarashuk has been so involved in deadlines and paperwork she’s barely had time to reconnect with the reasons she loves teaching. But here in November she finds a way to recapture the classroom magic and “Do Something Meaningful” with her fourth graders.
Genius Hour is an inquiry-driven, passion-based strategy designed to excite and engage students around the unrestrained joy of learning. Teachers Denise Krebs and Gallit Zvi make a case for the weekly time investment and share tips for getting started.
Because of the powerful way school culture shapes the activity of students, teachers, and administrators, it’s worth investing the effort to assure it sends a positive message. Ron Williamson and Barbara Blackburn suggest leadership actions to build values.
Future of History / Parody for Synthesis
by Jody & Shara · Published 11/01/2015 · Last modified 11/24/2019
Song parodies can help students in history class create connections for themselves as they write their own lyrics about important events. As it turns out, writing songs in groups can also invoke 8th grade social machinations, teacher Jody Passanisi reports.
