Author: MiddleWeb

Don’t Let Class Tech Be Just a Garnish

Teacher Cheryl Mizerny is not anti-tech, just anti-bad pedagogy – the kind that crops up when the garnish of tech overshadows the deep learning that can happen when teaching is “brain based, not screen-based.” Make the app fit the lesson, she says, not the other way around.

A School Where Inquiry Flourishes

With its inquiry focus, Learning for Real reminded reviewer Linda Biondi of “the value of teaching thinking strategies, connecting content learning and content literacy, and making my classroom a place where my students’ passion for learning is evident.”

4 Ways to Motivate Kids to Tackle Complex Text

Seventh grade teacher Kami Spampinato uses four kid-savvy strategies to get her students to “buy in” to reading complex texts. In this post, former MS educator Anne Vilen of Expeditionary Learning summarizes each technique and shares supporting EL videos.

Help Students Close Read Iconic Images

Every day news images flood our print publications, digital spaces and social media apps. Why do some become iconic and unforgettable? Media literacy expert Frank Baker suggests ways that students can explore this question through close reading & research.

Establishing a Making Space in Your School

Laura Fleming’s Worlds of Making is an excellent guide to establishing a school-based center where students can be involved in creative “maker” activities. From finding space and getting buy-in to building student engagement, this short book has the answers, says reviewer Kevin Hodgson.

Reading Workshop for Web 2.0

Reading Workshop 2.0: Supporting Readers in the Digital Age by Frank Serafini is a useful tool for helping teachers move toward integrating technology into their reading instruction, including plenty of reviewed online resources, says reviewer Laura Von Staden.

Advice for Teachers Itching to Write Fiction

Kate Messner was a veteran middle grades teacher when she began to write books for children and often shared work in progress with students as part her teaching process. This article includes advice from her new book for educators who want to be authors.

A Revolutionary Look at Blended Learning

In “Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools,” the authors provide a roadmap to help educators deconstruct a factory-style education system and introduce innovative approaches that empower students as learners, says reviewer Mackenzie Grate.

Can Games Really Make Kids Smarter?

In sharing his own journey through the world of educational gaming, former teacher and USA Today reporter Greg Toppo helps readers consider both the potential and the possible pitfalls of game-enhanced learning, says sixth grade teacher Kevin Hodgson.