In a 7th grade classroom where students are used to sharing ownership and know how to think on their feet, what does the teacher do when he asks a question and there’s absolute silence? Bill Ivey’s solution: Smile at all the parents in the room and trust the kids.
Working Draft / Writing with Students
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 04/22/2014 · Last modified 11/16/2019
Eager to muse about the future of writing instruction, Kevin Hodgson calls on the handy ThingLink app to share reflections with nine authors featured in April’s Educational Leadership magazine. Penny Kittle, Carol Jago, Jeff Anderson, et al – read this!
Integrating curriculum / Kids on the Cusp
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 04/15/2014 · Last modified 12/03/2019
Applying literacy workshop principles, Mary Tarashuk discovers new ways to blend ELA & social studies content. She describes how a novel about the Old West exploits of disguised woman Charley Parkhurst increased 4th graders’ interest in American history.
Green STEM Projects / STEM By Design
by Anne Jolly · Published 04/06/2014 · Last modified 11/24/2019
Earth Day: Science educator Anne Jolly remembers her first and best STEM project, when disengaged 8th graders learned how cool math, science and engineering could be by constructing a wetlands to reduce the environmental impact of a new school.
In her book about the social life of networked teens, Internet scholar danah boyd “issues a call to all of us who are adults to take more time to understand the shifts now taking place,” 6th grade teacher Kevin Hodgson writes. The guidance role of teachers & parents “has never been more important, nor more complicated.”
Embracing Technology / Kids on the Cusp
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 02/19/2014 · Last modified 02/20/2014
“It’s hard to come to terms with the digital dinosaur in myself,” writes 5th grade teacher Mary Tarashuk, who’s been asked to help create online courses. “Technology benchmarks are a bit vague for this novice traveler on the Information Superhighway.”
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.
Articles / Teaching Vocabulary / Vocabulary
by MiddleWeb · Published 11/03/2013 · Last modified 01/26/2020
ELA teacher & former llama wrangler Lee Ann Spillane details how she teaches content-related vocabulary using several versatile digital tools.
Filmmaker Kesa Kivel worked with middle school students in an after-school YWCA program to produce a short film about the slavery experience in the United States.
Integrating curriculum / Kids on the Cusp
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 08/18/2013 · Last modified 11/14/2019
In her 4th grade classroom, Mary Tarashuk teaches it all. The index cards that helped her grapple with curriculum in her first years may have a different use today.
