STEM and the Future / STEM By Design
by Anne Jolly · Published 01/20/2015 · Last modified 11/26/2019
Will 2015 be the year when we decide what STEM programs should and shouldn’t be? STEM consultant Anne Jolly peruses the field of current middle school programs and compares the many permutations to STEM criteria defined by the initiative’s originators.
As Mary Tarashuk’s fourth graders took part in the Hour of Code this past December – assuming then switching roles as drivers and navigators in a code writing exercise – she considered how she might play the navigator more often in her own classroom.
When Sandy Wisneski engaged middle graders in a comic book project that combined writing, art and social studies, she wanted a whiz-bang culminating activity. She struck virtual gold when she found professional comics illustrator and author Alex Simmons.
With Common Core discussions as a sturdy frame, Heather Wolpert-Gawron provides solid commentary about how writing and literacy relate to all curriculum areas, says reviewer Kathleen Pham. Central to the sample lessons: project based learning.
On the lookout for motivation strategies that work? Read our roundup of blog posts, interviews and studies for fresh ideas to engage learners.
In her new book Teaching in High Gear, middle school teacher Marsha Ratzel describes a transformational journey, marked by a gradual shift toward student-driven learning and energized by a global network of collaborators. In this excerpt, Marsha describes how her development of a “coaching mode” helped students become more self-reliant learners.
Teacher & consultant Dayna Laur shares stories from her book “Authentic Learning Experiences” and urges educators to create real-world PBL classrooms.
Interviews / The Future of Learning
by John Norton · Published 07/21/2013 · Last modified 11/14/2019
We interview Tina Barseghian, founder and editor of MindShift, the popular blog about the future of teaching and learning in the digital age.
Book Reviews / Project Learning / Student Engagement
by MiddleWeb · Published 07/20/2013 · Last modified 11/24/2019
Reviewer Joy Kirr says Mark Barnes’ Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom can help willing teachers increase student ownership of learning.
We interview The #Sugarkills Gang, a group of sixth grade science students. They’re on a social media nutrition mission to sugar-shock the world.
