Close Reading the Media / Pop Culture
by Frank Baker · Published 05/07/2018 · Last modified 11/21/2019
One way to reach and connect with today’s adolescents is to bring their pop culture into the classroom. Fads and favorites can be hooks to boost media literacy – from a hip-hop song to a clip from a popular TV show, a trending commercial or snippet from a current movie.
Meaningful Math / Retaining Math Concepts
by Michelle Russell · Published 05/01/2018 · Last modified 11/24/2019
Michelle Russell is looking for ways to help her math students retain core concepts as new learning occurs through the year. She found some help in Peter Brown’s popular memory book Make It Stick. Here she describes how she’s used the technique of “spaced practice.”
Articles / Games & Learning / Wide Open Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 04/29/2018 · Last modified 09/13/2023
End of year is an ideal time to try something new. Teachers and students have a lot of material to review, but also need to be engaged and energized. Why not stage a breakout game? Teacher Megan Kelly shares tips and says breakouts also make good school year starters!
When it comes to student learning, we usually think about how to get information into memory, says expert Marilee Sprenger. But we also have to get the information out. Be sure to use these 7 brain-based steps to strengthen connections and make memories permanent.
In an age of fake news and the dismissal of science, teaching students to conduct research provides them with a critical skill. In “It’s a Matter of Fact,” teacher librarian Angie Miller shows how students across content areas can focus on a thesis and master resources.
Larry Ferlazzo and Katie Sypnieski provide ELL students the chance to read high-interest books independently. Literary conversations help ELLs interact with the texts, creating a classroom culture of shared literacy. The co-authors share six creative activities.
During the barrage of mandatory assessments each spring, it can be tempting to “decide to do very little with our students” between tests, says Curtis Chandler. But why not make every minute count? Teachers can do just that with these engaging cross-curricular activities.
Future of History / Student Research
by Sarah Cooper · Published 04/10/2018 · Last modified 03/30/2024
As students research US history for Sarah Cooper, they are used to trying search terms on a screen. But when assignments require them to wander the stacks for books, sometimes they don’t know where to begin. Answering their questions has given her ideas to share here.
Meaningful Math / Spring Math Tools
by Michelle Russell · Published 04/03/2018 · Last modified 11/26/2019
Just ahead: Eight weeks of standardized tests, field trips, sports, band, chorus, all altering the daily schedules for Michelle Russell’s school. So what’s a math teacher to do? She shares high-interest activities to ensure learning continues despite the disruptions.
Research-based essays help our students fluently build, develop, and expand on their ideas. But in the real world, not every research process ends in a full-blown essay, says Angie Miller, who shares eight fun ways for students to practice and incorporate research skills.
