Daniels and Steineke walk teachers and students through creating a supportive community for academic discussions and learning, from the very basics of working in small groups to the complex tasks of group projects. Kevin Hodgson plans to implement their strategies.
Susan Udelhofen’s discussion of mapping is very useful for identifying the process of curriculum building, with each step outlined in sufficient detail to provide clear and explicit direction. Kathy Foster recommends it to any district developing its curriculum.
Digital Portfolios / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 07/06/2016 · Last modified 11/15/2019
Kevin Hodgson and his 6th graders learned how to build digital portfolios together in recent months, creating a reflective space to re-examine and “curate” a year’s worth of digital projects. He shares tools created to guide the process and the lessons learned.
We always hear about the “real world” vs. the world in school. Project Based Learning helps to break down that barrier and better merges the two. It’s also undeniably engaging and lures kids into rigorous learning, as in Heather Wolpert-Gawron’s “Invention Unit.”
Bryan Goodwin & Elizabeth Ross Hubbell make a compelling argument that teachers can improve their impact on student learning by using a “do-confirm” checklist based on 12 essential daily touchstones that represent current research on what works best. Pilots do!
For teachers who like to grow their skills during the break, Curtis Chandler has a shortlist of online resources to check out – including nonfiction goldmines, video filters and easy production ideas, and simple apps to supercharge reports & projects. All free!
Increased funding for STEM programs in the new ESSA has heightened interest among proponents of other curriculum areas in getting a piece of the STEM money pie. Anne Jolly warns that diverting funds away from real STEM initiatives could be bad for the nation.
Kids on the Cusp / Kindling the Fire
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 05/04/2016 · Last modified 12/01/2019
PARCC testing is finally over for Mary Tarashuk’s fourth graders. Freed from weeks of test prep and days of administering them, she looks for a spark to ignite end-of-year learning and finds courage and “kindling” in the words of inspirational educator Chip Wood.
Digital Portfolios / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 05/01/2016 · Last modified 12/14/2019
This year Kevin Hodgson is moving away from overstuffed 3-ring binders and into the realm of digital portfolios to collect evidence of progress toward goals. And he’s taking his 6th graders along; they’re using Google Apps to create online repositories of writing.
With summer on the horizon, your STEM preparation for next fall may already be ramping up. Whether you taught STEM this year or will be teaching it for the first time in 2016-17, Anne Jolly outlines some useful online STEM resources to launch your summer prep.
