Future of History / Professional Development
by Sarah Cooper · Published 03/08/2015 · Last modified 11/16/2019
Sarah Cooper leaves her MS classroom behind for a few hours to experience life as a history student again. Her online course proves calming and stimulating, challenging and refreshing. She sees how content area PD can strengthen her classroom practice.
Reading Nathan Barber’s book, educators can apply a sports coach’s perspective to communicating effectively, harnessing the power of teamwork, making work meaningful, embracing technology, building a winning tradition, and more, says reviewer Joanne Fuchs.
Book Reviews / Professional Development
by MiddleWeb · Published 01/28/2015 · Last modified 11/19/2019
The authors make the case for the Peer Observation Process (POP) – teams of teachers observing one another – as an inexpensive PD alternative that builds supportive collegiality. Reviewer Dina Murphy highly recommends the research-based book, which offers many implementation resources.
STEM & Disadvantaged Students / STEM By Design
by Anne Jolly · Published 10/26/2014 · Last modified 11/26/2019
Disadvantaged students and minorities face battles on many fronts. Access to STEM education should not be one of them. Anne Jolly describes the problem, the students’ proven potential, and what she believes is needed to create equitable access.
STEM By Design / STEM Teacher Development
by Anne Jolly · Published 10/15/2014 · Last modified 11/17/2019
Your school wants to offer STEM classes to its students. How do you select teachers? And what professional development and other supports will teachers need to successfully involve students and facilitate projects? STEM expert Anne Jolly shares ideas.
Whether you’re a principal, staff developer or teacher leader, you’ll find ideas to convey your PD message effectively in this checklist adapted from “The Ten-Minute Inservice” by experts Todd Whitaker and Annette Breaux. One tip: Walk your talk.
Reading Intervention Teachers / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 09/24/2014 · Last modified 11/13/2019
ELA teacher Kevin Hodgson finds himself teamed in a PLC with reading interventionists and quickly sees how vastly different their work with students is from his own. He’s developing a new respect for these specialists’ knowledge and unique challenges.
Rave notices continue for principal Eric Sheninger’s book on transformational Digital Leadership. Our reviewer Kristen Peterson appreciates the stories he shares of other leaders who have made the digital transition, as well as the practical advice.
Book Reviews / Personal Learning Networks
by MiddleWeb · Published 05/16/2014 · Last modified 05/19/2014
Organized and user friendly, Professional Learning in the Digital Age by Kristen Swanson provides educator cases, face-to-face protocols, research snippets and to-do lists to help teachers move through the process of developing their PLN, says reviewer Nicole Miller.
With its emphasis on building teachers’ confidence and capacity, Technology Together is a terrific resource for school & district technology and administrative leaders, as well as central office curriculum and PD staff, says reviewer and deputy superintendent Marilyn King.
