Versatile Apps / Wide Open Learning
by Megan Kelly · Published 08/05/2018 · Last modified 12/04/2019
Including a few new tools for students in your first few weeks of school will pay dividends throughout the year. In her new MiddleWeb blog “Wide Open Learning” Megan Kelly describes two apps your kids can integrate into projects across subjects in the months ahead.
Current Events / Future of History
by Sarah Cooper · Published 07/29/2018 · Last modified 12/14/2019
When Sarah Cooper launches an op-ed writing project, students respond best if they have wide latitude to choose a topic, picking an issue that sparks a personal connection. Beyond research and writing, the highlight for kids is sharing their op-eds with an audience.
Close Reading the Media / The Emmy Awards
by Frank Baker · Published 07/25/2018 · Last modified 11/17/2019
Studying TV in the middle grades might seem frivolous, writes media literacy expert Frank Baker, but when teachers engage kids through popular culture, they meet them where they are. The Emmys is a perfect example. Baker has background and teaching ideas to get started.
Glen Pearsall’s Fast and Effective Assessment focuses on making life easier for teachers while improving students’ learning and understanding, writes consultant Anne Anderson. Pearsall includes lots of ideas and efficient tools to create feedback that benefits students.
Current Events / Future of History
by Sarah Cooper · Published 07/01/2018 · Last modified 11/29/2019
Moving current events front and center has been one of the most influential paradigm shifts in Sarah Cooper’s years of teaching U.S. History. How does she find the time? Learn three simple ways to help students stay attuned to the news and make historical connections.
Leafing through Regie Routman’s Literacy Essentials feels not so much like reading a book as like talking with a master teacher, or maybe wading in and out of a calm ocean, writes teacher Sarah Cooper, who finds it a compendium of wisdom about teaching and about life.
With summer’s slower pace, some educators’ thoughts may be turning to classroom grant-seeking. Amber Chandler is always on the lookout for funding that helps her kids. She’s batting 20 percent (double the average) and is happy to share tips to boost your own success rate.
Is it time for science fairs to make way for STEM fairs? Anne Jolly takes a close look at traditional fairs – the drain on time, equity issues, questionable competition, and curriculum disconnect – arguing that STEM team activities offer a more purposeful fair framework.
Whether it’s performing as a person from history or working on a community problem with others, an assessment that gets students to dig deep into content will result in more rigorous learning, writes consultant Barbara Blackburn. She shares examples to get kids started.
Heart of the School / Summer Family Contacts
by Rita Platt · Published 06/17/2018 · Last modified 11/13/2019
We work all year to build and nurture relationships with our students and families. Why stop over the summer? Rita Platt offers quick, low-stress ideas for teachers and principals to stay connected to during the summer months. Public library meetups are super simple!
