The Unstoppable ML Teacher / Vocabulary
by Valentina Gonzalez · Published 03/12/2018 · Last modified 09/03/2024
To create classrooms where vocabulary learning thrives, Valentina Gonzalez recommends an interactive word wall – a large graphic organizer displaying critical vocabulary with related ideas and visuals added by students. Great across subjects, for ELLs and everyone else!
Teacher think alouds should not be spur of the moment but carefully planned events built around specific objectives and your thoughtful analysis of the text in question. Molly Ness’s 3-step process will fully prepare you to wow your students, says reviewer Linda Biondi.
Class Apps / Student Self-Assessment
by Curtis Chandler · Published 03/07/2018 · Last modified 12/12/2019
How do we help kids become skillful at evaluating their own work and performance against clearly established criteria? Curtis Chandler highlights quality self-assessment practices, sharing how-to’s and apps for rubrics, portfolios, data notebooks, concept maps and more.
It’s Oscar season and media literacy consultant Frank W. Baker has ideas about leveraging student interest in movies to teach visual literacy skills and learn about cool careers. Lots of resources, including teacher tools at the Oscars website.
Co-teaching Success / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 02/20/2018 · Last modified 11/29/2019
As schools go through the annual Least Restrictive Environment process, special needs coach Elizabeth Stein is wondering – what happens once the decision is made? Read her tips to ensure students assigned to co-taught classrooms have something more than a “banking model” education.
Class Apps / Emotional Learning
by Curtis Chandler · Published 01/21/2018 · Last modified 12/12/2019
Research has given us a better understanding of fun, but educators still struggle to make it part of classroom learning. Curtis Chandler shares 10 questions he asks as he works to create challenge and playfulness in his lessons. Engaging apps and tools are part of the mix.
Practical teachers concerned with helping kids move forward as readers know that giving them access to engaging texts at their approximate level is an important strategy, says school librarian Rita Platt. Read her arguments for avoiding an either-or approach to leveling.
Digital Annotation / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 01/07/2018 · Last modified 03/15/2024
Digital crowd annotation tools create the possibility that the margins of an online text or piece of media can be filled with insightful conversation by a classroom of students or a collaboration of teachers. Kevin Hodgson reveals how to get started with user friendly resources.
STEM Lesson Guideposts offers detailed guidance to teachers on how to help students integrate the STEM disciplines and apply what they are learning by designing units that use real-world problems. Student teacher supervisor Linda Biondi highly recommends the book.
Close Reading the Media / Weight-Loss Ads
by Frank Baker · Published 01/02/2018 · Last modified 11/13/2019
In the wake of holiday indulgences, ads for weight-loss products snowball in January. Many contain outright falsehoods, the FTC warns. By inviting students to investigate, teachers can sharpen media literacy skills and explore persuasive vs. argumentative writing.
