In his final article on smart homework, middle grades teaching expert Rick Wormeli suggests ways to assess take-home assignments and manage the steady flow of “product” that homework requirements generate. Bonus idea: Homework extension certificates.
Book Reviews / Gradual Release of Responsibility
by MiddleWeb · Published 08/16/2014 · Last modified 12/10/2019
In the 2nd edition of Better Learning Through Structured Teaching, Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey use specific classroom examples and deep knowledge in the field to explain how students can become independent learners. Sarah Cooper says read it now!
The most effective teachers know that if you want to have a great lesson, you need to plan a great lesson, say experts Todd Whitaker and Annette Breaux. Novice teachers will appreciate their handy planning checklist. Bonus download: How to overplan!
We can thank the Common Core for making “close reading” a buzz phrase. We can thank educators for building the bare concept into strategies that help students more fully understand the texts they encounter. Our Resource Roundup offers some of the what, why and how.
“I’ve been accumulating guiding principles for creating highly motivating homework assignments for many years,” writes expert Rick Wormeli. “Here are a baker’s dozen. Choose the ones most appropriate for students’ learning goals and your curriculum.”
William H. Robertson channels his unique perspective and experiences as a skateboarder and educator into a well-written, informative, and enjoyable read in Action Science: Relevant Teaching and Active Learning, says reviewer Hallie Askuvich.
A week of sitting in a teaching seminar has left Sarah Cooper inspired but also thoughtful about how students experience daily classroom life. “I felt new empathy for having to follow teachers’ instructions all day long.” Read her 10 takeaways.
Homework can be one of the most renewing and exciting aspects of teaching middle school, says teaching expert Rick Wormeli, but we have to be smart about its structure, assignment, and assessment. Included: Ideas to make homework more engaging.
Reviewer Tyler McBride says the authors of Uncommon Core draw on research and their classroom experience to help teachers and administrators avoid some “absurd” teaching practices implied in the Common Core standards and get CCSS implementation right.
Students benefit from reading independently if specific conditions are in place. In No More Independent Reading Without Support Debbie Miller and Barbara Moss share research-based strategies to enhance classroom practice and student learning.
