Future of History / History Perspectives
by Jody & Shara · Published 02/02/2014 · Last modified 11/17/2019
Historical accounts are seldom objective, write history teachers Jody Passanisi and Shara Peters. They recommend several strategies from their own classrooms that educators can use to help students detect bias and compare varying perspectives.
Kids on the Cusp / Teacher Evaluation
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 01/06/2014 · Last modified 12/10/2019
Middle grades teacher Mary Tarashuk has reached the final rubric in her state’s mandated teacher self-assessment: Professional Responsibilities. She says the words used to define “highly effective” performance seem out of synch with real teaching.
What does the annual avalanche of diet advertising mean to the classroom teacher? It’s a teachable moment, says media literacy expert Frank Baker — an opportunity to sharpen visual literacy and critical thinking skills and bring the Common Core standard for argument writing into play.
Working Draft / Writing and Coding
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 01/05/2014 · Last modified 11/24/2019
If our English Language Arts students don’t learn the basics of reading and writing computer code, asks middle grades teacher Kevin Hodgson, how can we be sure they will grow up to be creators of ideas and not just users of information created and managed by others?
Book Reviews / Professional Development
by MiddleWeb · Published 11/29/2013 · Last modified 11/16/2019
Reviewer Sr. Geralyn Schmidt say Elisa MacDonald’s The Skillful Team Leader is a powerful resource through which we can actually understand how, with insightful leadership, teams can overcome barriers to collaboration and change the entire school learning environment for the better.
For the 2013 EduBlog Awards we’re defining “best” as among the “especially interesting & attention-worthy.”
Literacy expert Sarah Tantillo shares an essential strategy in helping students become close readers, with help from Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Teachers should be friendly with students but avoid adult-style friendships, say Larry Ferlazzo & Rick Wormeli in this excerpt from Classroom Management Q&A.
Media literacy consultant Frank W. Baker considers some of the ways that media arts intersect with STEM and present STEAM learning opportunities.
Middle school advocates have long championed thematic curriculum design & project learning. Now is the time to actually do it, say Nancy Doda & Mark Springer.
