Sixth grade teacher Kevin Hodgson uses What’s the Big Idea?, a philosophy website for middle schoolers, to guide his students through a close reading of movie and TV clips, exploring ethical questions and examining filmmaker’s intentions.
1st Day Resources / MiddleWeb Classics
by MiddleWeb · Published 04/07/2014 · Last modified 11/11/2019
We featured a popular “1st Day Resources” section on our old website. We have captured some of the best content and added more, including links for new teachers preparing for their first year.
Blending fiction, mystery and scientific investigation can be an effective way to excite tweens and young teens about science topics, says former teacher and NSTA trade book award winner Gail Hedrick, who shares her own writing & publishing story.
Book Reviews / Race, Class and School
by John Norton · Published 04/03/2014 · Last modified 11/24/2019
Teacher José Vilson’s must-read book, This Is Not A Test, cuts through political platitudes into the heart of America’s unresolved contradictions: public education and democratic principles; equity and privilege, race and class, says reviewer John Norton.
If persistent inequalities in urban and rural classrooms continue across the public system, reading expert Laura Robb says, it will be impossible for many children in poverty to achieve the deeper levels of learning anticipated by the Common Core.
Kids on the Cusp / Teacher Evaluation
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 04/01/2014 · Last modified 11/22/2019
How to cope with teacher evaluation rubrics that don’t work in the real world? Shift your thinking and find one that does. That’s what Mary Tarashuk is doing by adapting a student rubric created by Michael Fisher & Nancy Cook to reflect on her own practice.
Principal Matt Renwick reviews THE PRINCIPAL by leadership expert Michael Fullan, a compact new book about the challenging work of school-based leaders. Fullan focuses on avoidable pitfalls and 3 keys to success, including being a district “player.”
The components of strong STEM lessons are well established. But what happens when Art is added – when STEM is transformed into STEAM? Science educator Anne Jolly offers her list of likely STEAM essentials and invites suggestions from readers.
Numerous historical adaptions have been nominated for Academy Awards in recent years. Media literacy expert Frank W. Baker offers ideas and resources to help students examine their historical accuracy and address a middle-level Common Core standard.
Continuing a long tradition, Mary Tarashuk reads a novel aloud to her fourth graders after lunch. But this year, in pursuit of “close reading,” she tries out several graphic organizers to help them probe deeper into the dramatic novel Red Kayak.
