Book Reviews / Personal Learning Networks
by MiddleWeb · Published 05/16/2014 · Last modified 05/19/2014
Organized and user friendly, Professional Learning in the Digital Age by Kristen Swanson provides educator cases, face-to-face protocols, research snippets and to-do lists to help teachers move through the process of developing their PLN, says reviewer Nicole Miller.
Kids on the Cusp / Passion-based Learning
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 04/27/2014 · Last modified 12/15/2019
Upper elementary teacher Mary Tarashuk – who has always viewed “teach” as an action verb – is learning to step back and let students pursue their interests and passions more often, with the help of laptops & content-specific anchor activities.
Teachers can help students explore important connections across different genres and subjects using “text sets” – collections of books and other media with a common theme. In this MiddleWeb article, teacher educator Amanda Wall details an assignment creating text sets for ELA and math.
Too much close reading is boring, say Mike Fisher & Danielle Hardt, as students comb through fiction, constantly analyzing lots of text. Ask them to read and write digital microstories. They’ll build evaluation & synthesis skills and have some fun.
Thomas Newkirk urges us to consider how, in a test-crazed culture, we can stay focused on what matters for our students. Holding On To Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones is not a literacy ‘how-to’ book, says Jenni Miller, but important nonetheless.
Education consultant Mike Fisher invites readers to be active participants in a Curriculum Brainstorm, using popular music and a song’s associated music video as a way to engage close reading of text, comparative analysis & use of digital tools.
Former middle grades teacher Daniel Fountenberry says his experiences struggling to organize group reading sessions among students with varied reading skills led him to develop adaptive technology that tailors the “same” book to different readers.
Reviewer and middle grades teacher Judi Holst strongly recommends Troy Hicks’ Crafting Digital Writing to any teacher who uses writing in their classroom and is ready to more deeply engage today’s digital-savvy students. It’s easy to read and full of ideas, she says.
Linking Leadership to Student Learning draws on a major US study to reveal how school leaders actually impact student achievement, says reviewer Holly Procida. Key finding: Collaborative leadership has more impact than individual leadership.
Professional community / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 12/15/2013 · Last modified 11/25/2019
While teachers often lead a vibrant learning community within their classroom’s four walls, those walls can also be professionally isolating, says 6th grade teacher Kevin Hodgson. “Being part of a larger network…is empowering in ways that is difficult to put into words. Connections make you feel anchored to a movement. Seeking help is a show of strength.” The Nerdy Resolutions (#nerdlution) hashtag community, he says, is a prime example.
