Teaching and learning in grades 4-8
When students feel they “belong” in school, they are more likely to thrive academically, socially & emotionally, says veteran teacher turned teacher educator Amanda Wall. She details actions that middle level schools can take to assure students are supported, including quality Advisory programs.
In the 2nd of a series about mid-year teaching challenges, Laurie Wasserman shares ideas about helping students who struggle with assessments.
Techie teaching consultant Mike Fisher shares ideas about upgrading your ELA curriculum lessons to better meet Common Core standards and objectives, using cool digital tools like Picktochart, Smore and Yapp.
Does the “T” in STEM get enough emphasis in lessons & projects? Anne Jolly looks at STEM technology in 3 ways, including out-of-box ideas like GameDesk.
Teaching Argument Writing: Supporting Claims with Relevant Evidence and Clear Reasoning is not a portable guide, says reviewer Jaime Greene, but a book that “did help me begin to wrap my brain around what quality argument in the classroom sounds and looks like.”
Katie Hull Sypnieski, co-author of The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide, shares some do’s & don’ts for all teachers with ELL students. A MIddleWeb interview.
Students need the skills to read & discern messages in visual media, says Frank Baker, who uses Wall-E and other movies to teach “the language of film.”
The school year halfway point is a good time for co-teachers to check how things are going, writes Elizabeth Stein. In the classroom AND the relationship.
Russel Like shares his writer’s journey and invites you to support his first full-fledged children’s book, Prehistoric Pets, at Kickstarter. We did!
Whether you want to differentiate or just learn more about building prior knowledge, Jill Spencer’s book, Ten Differentiation Strategies for Building Prior Knowledge, is a helpful quick read, says reviewer Lucille Schauer.