Using a variety of teaching strategies is a great way to ensure students are cognitively engaged, writes math teacher Kathie Palmieri. Their responses to strategic prompts start productive discussions, and this helps kids feel they have a voice in shaping their learning.
As Ukrainian children flee Russia’s attacks, many will come to the USA, writes EL/ML teacher Dina Strasser. What do we need to know to welcome them? Here is Dina’s suggested reading list, from understanding the war and Ukrainian culture to learning how to help traumatized students.
Do rewards help kids learn better? Motivation expert Dr. Debbie Silver argues instead for the effective use of positive, constructive feedback as the best means for fostering creativity, active involvement and intrinsic motivation. Included: How to make feedback effective.
If we want multilinguals to develop their speaking skills while learning content (and we do!) then they need multiple opportunities to engage in academic conversation throughout the school day. ML/EL education leader Jenny Vo shares her favorite successful strategies.
After two years of pandemic strain and distraction, it’s time for educators to reclaim the “why,” writes district leader Brian Taylor. “10 Perspectives on Learning in Education” can help teachers and administrators refocus attention “on what we do every day for students.”
Sometimes things fall apart when we’re trying to implement the gradual release of responsibility. Students struggle unproductively. Our guided and independent practice falls flat. Experts Cummins and Webb offer strategies to recalibrate or even restart when GRR goes awry.
School leaders often find themselves coping with unexpected events that create turbulence and uncertainty. During the pandemic, these challenges have expanded and intensified. Ron Williamson and Barbara Blackburn share six researched steps to help leaders respond effectively.
As Russia begins its invasion of Ukraine, many adults turn to the news to stay informed. Our students do too. Expert Frank Baker considers where kids get their news these days and shares resources to help them follow current events in an era of sensationalism and disinformation.
Boost learning and fun this spring with quirky calendar celebrations collected by ed consultant Anne Anderson. Whether it’s observing National Optimism Month in March or Paper Airplane Day in May, adding exclamation points to the arrival of spring is a win for everyone!
Staying abreast of cutting edge research is challenging for busy educators. Curtis Chandler spotlights two areas of current study that really impact student success – Trauma Informed Pedagogy and Collective Teacher Efficacy – and shares his own wish list for future inquiry.
