Given social media’s popularity as a news source, consultant Frank Baker says students must gain both the knowledge and the analytical skills to distinguish fact from fiction. Baker highlights the pervasive rise of fake news and shares teaching resources.
Russell Quaglia advocates for “principal voice” using a creative Three L’s framework, surfacing our awareness of things that we know are good leadership practices. Former principal Rick Jetter finds Quaglia’s tips and take-aways thoughtful and easy to implement.
By adopting Jonathan Eckert’s Novice Advantage, teachers can harness the enthusiasm of the “new” teacher and capitalize on the wisdom they have to improve their practice, says educator/reviewer Amber Chandler. Eckert’s innovative book offers many real-world examples.
Articles / Social & Emotional Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 10/23/2016 · Last modified 11/27/2019
In a culture where we’re always connected, writes digital citizenship consultant Devorah Heitner, the challenges of adolescence are intensified in ways that adults and kids themselves don’t always fully grasp. Tweens and teens need a special brand of mentorship.
Last year 8th grade teacher Brian Kelley began podcasting conversations with his student writers. Through conferring, he says, teachers let adolescents know that their voices matter “and their explanations can make us better teachers.” Kelley shares three samples.
Always on the lookout for opportunities to enrich her 4th graders’ learning, Mary Tarashuk made a test run with the Global Read Aloud’s 2016 choice, “Pax,” and is ready with added resources for October/November’s worldwide immersion in Sara Pennypacker’s book.
When students are busy learning, staying in a single group is stifling. The solution for teacher-author Amber Chandler is a “flexible classroom” where students rotate through strategic groupings to meet differentiated needs at various stages of the learning process.
New teacher Caleb Pahl recommends Audrey Watters’ book about student ownership of domains and online content to district policy makers who make decisions in this arena – and teachers with a specific interest in how “big data” is used by education corporations.
Writing flow, says author and principal Matt Renrick, is achieved through the habits one builds by regularly participating in the experience. He offers suggestions on how teacher and student writers can establish writing rhythms and find flow in their craft.
Warren Combs’ book on using constructed responses in everyday instruction “effortlessly demonstrates the power of using short, frequent writing to learn activities that focus on standards across the curriculum,” says literacy coach Laurell Parris. Great for PLCs.
