Future of History / Historical thinking
by Lauren S. Brown · Published 10/17/2017 · Last modified 11/17/2019
There’s no perfect teaching recipe that balances patriotism and civic responsibility, says middle school history teacher Lauren Brown. But if educators attempt to ignore the low points in America’s past, they’ll insult students’ intelligence and lose their trust.
Reading is reinforced when students have hands-on experience with the ideas they find in informational texts. ELA teacher Brian Cook’s after-school drones program helps students explore flight, consider privacy and safety issues, and learn more about new careers.
Kids on the Cusp / Making Connections
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 09/24/2017 · Last modified 11/22/2019
As she introduces the idea of symbolism with their first read-aloud of the year, Mary Tarashuk finds a new way to teach her fourth graders about choices. She’s calling this discovery “harnessing the power of paper airplanes.” It’s a great formative assessment tool, too.
This fall, as school districts scattered around the country are considering “no homework” policies, teacher educator Curtis Chandler looks at research on whether and how homework can support learning and suggests teaching apps to help make it short, meaningful, and accessible.
The free education site CommonLit has created nearly 1000 document-based lesson plans and a growing collection of differentiated nonfiction text sets. Rob Fleisher, the non-profit’s director of school partnerships, shares some creative ways to tap these rich resources.
Research leaves little doubt that strategic use of groups and teams boosts achievement for most students, says teacher educator Curtis Chandler. Learn about the key elements of group work and several digital tools that make forming groups flexible and efficient.
Integrating performance-boosting Social Emotional Learning requires educators to broaden school goals beyond pure academics. Debbie Silver shares four tips for teaching “Thrive” skills that lay the foundation for healthy, centered, and successful young adults.
State math consultant Sara Schafer is often asked for rich math projects at the elementary school level. While some of the projects in 10 Performance-Based Projects show promise, the lack of mathematically robust content in the grades 3-5 book disappoints her.
Current Events / Future of History
by Sarah Cooper · Published 03/05/2017 · Last modified 11/21/2019
Social studies teacher Sarah Cooper improved classroom conversation and debate when she let students select and then rate current events articles as “super,” “okay,” or “not that great for discussion.” Cooper shares her process and some samples from each category.
Media literacy expert Frank Baker offers a fresh idea for Black History Month – exploring the life, career and creativity of photographer, writer and director Gordon Parks, whose powerful images from the Segregation Era serve as iconic primary sources.
