Working Draft / Writing & Game Design
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 01/12/2016 · Last modified 12/14/2019
Where is the literacy in the ELA classroom when all of the students are engaged in designing and producing video game projects using science and other content? Kevin Hodgson explains why the work his sixth graders are doing satisfies writing standards.
In Ditch That Textbook, educator Matt Miller helps teachers reflect on their current practice and find better ways to make a difference in the lives of their students, says educator Laura Von Staden. His acronym – Different, Innovative, Tech-laden, Creative and Hands-on – reveals his philosophy.
Reading Learn Like a Pirate is “like having a front row seat in a master teacher’s classroom,” says educator Laura Von Staden. She recommends the book’s guidelines for empowering students as well as its plentiful resources to help each reader chart a fresh path.
Climate Change: Discover How it Impacts Spaceship Earth with 25 Projects is on a level that most tweens can grasp, yet it is not oversimplified and builds vocabulary. With its cool facts and high order questions, this book gets MS teacher Laura Von Staden’s recommendation.
Future of History / Understanding Religions
by Lauren S. Brown · Published 08/23/2015 · Last modified 11/29/2019
Teaching about Judaism, Christianity and Islam is a staple in many middle school world history and culture classes. To help counter students’ frequent confusion about these religions, Lauren Brown points out misconceptions and offers resource ideas.
Much of the ISTE discussion this year focused on the best ways to use technology effectively, says MS teacher and tech enthusiast Patti Grayson. To celebrate, Grayson offers 5 examples from her own classroom of the best times to bring out the digital tools.
Plans for Republican and Democratic primary debates are well underway. Media literacy expert Frank W. Baker is ready with guidelines for engaging students in classroom research and discussion. Baker’s first focus: the very crowded GOP debates scheduled for this fall.
Future of History / Tragic Events
by Lauren S. Brown · Published 07/26/2015 · Last modified 12/11/2019
Whether a tragedy is recent or ancient, death is an unfortunate staple in social studies classes, writes history educator Lauren Brown. The challenge for MS teachers is to treat tragic events sensitively while helping students grasp the historical import.
Educator Jennifer Underwood reports Making Number Talks Matter is an excellent read for all math teachers. The book explains both how to do math talks and why these talks are an important means of helping all students become confident mathematical thinkers.
Current Events / Future of History
by Sarah Cooper · Published 05/31/2015 · Last modified 12/03/2019
Social studies teacher Sarah Cooper has found it “heartening to talk about the news every day” with history students this school year and wonders about activities that might engage next year’s kids even more deeply in the important questions facing the world.
