David Thornburg’s From the Campfire to the Holodeck is not just about blending technology into lessons; it’s about good teaching in learning environments designed for the 21st century, says reviewer Sarah Cooper. Is there a holodeck in your school’s future?
Kids on the Cusp / Last Days of School
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 06/09/2014 · Last modified 05/20/2025
What’s a teacher to do when vacation doesn’t begin until late in June and the classroom is hot, hot, hot? NJ teacher Mary Tarashuk tells how she’s planned so her 4th graders will stay focused & engaged, with the help of a just-in-time PTO gift.
STEM By Design / STEM Summer Activities
by Anne Jolly · Published 06/01/2014 · Last modified 12/10/2019
How to STEM the summer learning slide? MiddleWeb’s Anne Jolly offers a great collection of ideas and resources that can help parents and educators keep kids tuned into math, science and engineering topics until the school doors open again this fall.
The 3rd edition of The Morning Meeting Book (K-8) is a well-researched, easy-to-read and ready-to-apply guide to one of the Responsive Classroom’s core strategies, says teacher Linda Biondi, who recommends it for both new & ongoing Morning Meeting practitioners.
Loaded with ideas for blending fun and joy into the serious business of learning, the new book Serious Fun: Practical Strategies to Motivate and Engage Students is easy to read and ready to use in the classroom, says reviewer Laura Von Staden.
Social Media / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 05/18/2014 · Last modified 12/03/2019
Elizabeth Stein constantly searches for professional development opportunities to strengthen co-teaching. Her district offers excellent PD, and she values virtual colleagues she’s found online. Lately her favorite PD comes with her own hashtag: #coteachat.
STEM By Design / STEM Misconceptions
by Anne Jolly · Published 05/18/2014 · Last modified 01/13/2025
STEM doesn’t deserve some of the fallout that’s pummeled it of late. What’s an education initiative devoted to correcting deficiencies in education to do? Anne Jolly takes on some of the jaw-dropping attacks and works to set the record straight.
When sixth grade ELA teacher Kevin Hodgson’s students were asked to help pilot new paper circuitry learning tools developed at the MIT Media Lab, they chose to illuminate haiku poems about light. The technology draws on the work of Jie Qi, a mechanical engineer and MIT doctoral student known for her work with electrified paper.
The topic of dictionaries came up in assorted conversations in the past few weeks, reminding Kevin Hodgson both of the power of those esteemed books of words as symbols of thought and scholarship, and the ways in which technology is completely altering the ease and means of how we find information when we need it.
Kids on the Cusp / Passion-based Learning
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 04/27/2014 · Last modified 12/15/2019
Upper elementary teacher Mary Tarashuk – who has always viewed “teach” as an action verb – is learning to step back and let students pursue their interests and passions more often, with the help of laptops & content-specific anchor activities.
