Current Events / Future of History
by Sarah Cooper · Published 04/17/2017 · Last modified 11/23/2019
Bit by bit, during each Friday’s 43-minute current events session, Sarah Cooper’s eighth graders come closer to a democratic classroom culture that students really own – through their ideas, through their questions, through their wondering how the world works.
Class Apps / Understanding Learning
by Curtis Chandler · Published 04/09/2017 · Last modified 11/29/2019
Stressing learning styles and multiple intelligences has limited value in understanding what kids *need* to learn, says award winning teacher Dr. Curtis Chandler. He suggests strategies that emphasize a systematic focus on readiness and thinking metacognitively.
It's Not Easy Being Tween / Poetry
by Cheryl Mizerny · Published 04/09/2017 · Last modified 03/30/2024
Over the years Cheryl Mizerny has crafted poetry experiences that her students really enjoy. Her reading and writing ideas enable kids to understand poems without dreading the annual “poetry unit” she herself disliked as a tween. She shares 10 of her favorites.
Jennie Magiera urges teachers to launch edventures, pursuing innovations that boost student engagement, build class culture, differentiate, promote digital citizenship and more. Laura Von Staden also likes Magiera’s plentiful ideas about professional learning.
Classroom Recordings / Meaningful Math
by Michelle Russell · Published 03/27/2017 · Last modified 04/28/2024
When Michelle Russell reviewed video of the classes she had recorded, reality turned out to be much different than what she had imagined was happening. In her usual transparent style, Russell describes what she’s learning and what she’ll do to improve her practice.
Responsive Classroom’s 50 brain breaks give kids a chance to rest their brains by redirecting their minds. Some are calming, some are energizing, and all help students refocus & release stress. Quick, easy and student approved, says teacher Linda Biondi.
While reviewer Rita Platt agrees with the authors’ sincere hope that classroom redesign can strengthen learning, she finds the book falls short of being helpful to teachers in their everyday quest to make their classrooms warmer, smarter, and better.
