“Ultimately book talk videos recorded by peers are beneficial if we want to inspire middle grades reluctant readers. They need to witness peers having fun with books. It nurtures the idea that reading is worth a try.” School librarian Kristen Day shares how her “EGGs” are doing it.
About Working Draft / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 06/27/2018 · Last modified 04/19/2020
After five years, 6th grade teacher and NWP activist Kevin Hodgson is retiring his popular Working Draft column for MiddleWeb. In entry 72 he shares links to favorite posts and highlights three central principles about writing that have guided his blogging and teaching.
The Flexible Classroom / Zoey's Voice
by Amber Chandler · Published 08/15/2017 · Last modified 01/16/2021
Amber Chandler introduces her rising 7th grade daughter Zoey to share “five things I wish people told me about going to middle school.” Perspective is everything, as Zoey demonstrates, with some advice she urges sixth grade teachers to share with their new students.
Standardized Test Preparation / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 04/16/2017 · Last modified 11/18/2019
Without turning his classroom into “test prep central,” teacher Kevin Hodgson is working to anticipate what his state’s evolving standardized tests will contain and how best to help his sixth graders prepare themselves with plenty of reading and writing strategies.
Team-wide Literacy / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 12/26/2016 · Last modified 11/15/2019
More and more, state and national standards call on all educators to become “teachers of literacy.” ELA teacher Kevin Hodgson shares how he and his 6th grade colleagues in science, social studies and math are figuring out what this will mean in their classrooms.
ELA teacher Kevin Hodgson & his social studies colleague are teaching 6th graders the basics of online research, the art of letter writing, collaborative peer editing, and the elements of argument. One result: letters ready to be sent to the next U.S. President.
As Kevin Hodgson’s 6th graders completed a lengthy foray into short story writing, they finished with reflections on their craft. Hodgson shares some of their insightful comments and considers reflection’s potential catalytic effect on both students and educators.
Working Draft / Writing with Digital Tools
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 09/05/2016 · Last modified 11/13/2019
The comic creation app Bitstrips for Schools is no more. How will Kevin Hodgson’s new sixth graders create the “Dream Scenes” that help him discover more about their hopes and aspirations? After a brief lament, he rallies. Perhaps Google Slides can fill the void.
Adding 5 minutes to 4 content classes this past year meant losing morning homeroom for Kevin Hodgson’s 6th graders. No time to “check in” with each other, do community-building activities, and forge an identity as a group of learners. He’s missed it terribly.
Can supportive feedback from a diverse internet audience help students grasp the benefits of a growth mindset? History teacher Tim Kramer believes the answer is yes, after weighing his 6th graders’ work during a project-driven, tech-infused Ancient Egypt unit.
