Meaningful academic conversation makes for sticky learning, but most students don’t bring a high proficiency in the needed skills to the classroom. Expert Jackie Walsh describes a step-by-step process that can help teachers cultivate deep student discussions.
Research Projects / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 03/06/2016 · Last modified 12/03/2019
Text sets can help kids enrich their studies in any content area. MS teacher Kevin Hodgson tells how teachers are using Library of Congress primary resources to create engaging text sets that help students contextualize the present by exploring the past.
Student Motivation / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 03/01/2016 · Last modified 11/25/2019
What instructional decisions and teaching techniques work best to move students beyond mere compliance to active and engaged learning? Elizabeth Stein shares some favorites, including regular movement, an inviting environment, and plenty of voice and choice.
Spring’s promise of renewal is just ahead. But for many educators, spring is also the season of testing anxiety. Curtis Chandler shares research and wisdom from fellow educators that can help turn angst into achievement for students and for their teachers.
Make the most of your digital Contacts app. In Part 3 of a productivity series for school leaders, organization consultant and former principal Frank Buck explains how to maximize such useful resources as contact notes, special ringtones, syncing, and more.
Being a school leader is incredibly demanding, requiring principals to stay current on education trends while managing day to day operations. Williamson and Blackburn share five actionable trends they’ve observed in their work with middle grades leaders.
Jeff Benson’s 10 Steps to Manage Change in Schools offers an efficient blueprint for leadership teams, forcing participants to think critically about the rationale for change and its likely impacts. Sustainable improvement will justify the time commitment.
Genius Hour gives students the opportunity to be autonomous in their learning. Sometimes, though, they need a little start-up help. Experts Gallit Zvi and Denise Krebs share lots of starter ideas for students and classrooms and urge readers to add their own.
Book Reviews / Common Core State Standards
by MiddleWeb · Published 02/11/2016 · Last modified 11/18/2019
The activities in Lisa Morris’ book on teaching ELA with the CCSS in grades 2-5 are easily adapted for each level, including middle grades 4&5. Reviewer Linda Biondi also liked the extensive mentor texts and came away with oodles of lesson ideas.
Rubrics are important tools, says author and veteran MS educator Elyse Scott, but teachers need a more whole-student approach to formative assessment and feedback — one that attends “to that most basic need of young adolescents: one-on-one communication.”
