Science educator Alan Colburn skillfully applies the idea of learning by doing to make a very useful resource for teachers. Joyce Depenbusch praises the way he weaves in NGSS practices and provides directions for grades 3-8 activities that are easy to follow and do.
Close Reading the Media / Literacy and Film
by Frank Baker · Published 11/28/2017 · Last modified 11/28/2019
Film, video and television media are powerful engagement tools for literacy teachers. Author and media consultant Frank W. Baker shares lots of ideas about using screenplays, closed captioning, and media-related projects to boost reading and other literacy skills.
Heart of the School / Stress Avoidance
by Rita Platt · Published 11/19/2017 · Last modified 01/31/2024
Teaching truly is a never-ending job. You can’t stop time, but there are simple strategies to help you save time and decrease stress. Rita Platt offers 10 ideas to help put yourself in a teaching sweet spot instead of constantly struggling in a frantic survival zone.
Sixth grade ELA and social studies teacher Kathee Lamberies expects she will be using Teaching Literacy in the Visible Learning Classroom from Fisher, Frey, Hattie and Thayre and tabbing its pages for years to come. It is likely to become her new “bible” of teaching!
It’s scary to think how much misinformation about STEM one famous individual can put out, and how many people might be misled, writes author-consultant Anne Jolly, who critiques the STEM comments of WaPo columnist and CNN host Fareed Zakaria in a recent PCMag article.
Practical SEL / The Flexible Classroom
by Amber Chandler · Published 10/23/2017 · Last modified 11/13/2019
Integrating social-emotional learning into your classroom is necessary and practical, writes eighth-grade teacher, book author, and NBCT Amber Chandler, in a time when “loads of research tells us that kinder, gentler classrooms are better learning environments.”
Future of History / History and Spoken Poetry
by Sarah Cooper · Published 10/22/2017 · Last modified 11/24/2019
In a recent post, Sarah Cooper wrote about her fears surrounding a new current-events project – her 8th graders creating spoken poetry videos on issues of interest to them. Here she reviews the experience and its power to create community as it engaged her students.
Regardless of where educators land politically, it can sometimes feel like tiptoeing through a minefield to facilitate a balanced discussion of current events, writes teacher Sarah Cooper. Are there times when it’s appropriate for teachers to reveal their own views?
Engagement / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 10/02/2017 · Last modified 11/13/2019
Emotions are a natural part of learning, writes co-teaching coach and NBCT Elizabeth Stein. In fact, she says, when teachers in inclusion classrooms tap into emotions and provide quality feedback, they’ll find they’re better able to serve diverse learners effectively.
Close Reading the Media / News Literacy
by Frank Baker · Published 09/26/2017 · Last modified 11/16/2019
No one knows for sure whether there will be actual war with North Korea, but talk about the potential conflict abounds on TV and in social media. Media literacy expert Frank W. Baker calls on teachers to help students learn how to identify trustworthy news sources now.
