Want to improve relationships between families and school? Teachers benefit when learning is reinforced and supported from home. Consultant Barbara Blackburn has tips on how to PAIR with parents and avoid school-side mistakes that weaken engagement.
Whitewater rafting with 6th graders puts plenty of excitement into Experiential Learning. Just back from the river, Kevin Hodgson describes sharing the 10-mile stretch of “instructional space” with 75 kids. A must-read for anyone planning such a trip!
Book Reviews / VIdeogames in Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 10/17/2014 · Last modified 10/21/2014
Bridging Literacies with Videogames asks if students’ playing videogames in school can yield literacy skill acquisition, and looks at invented worlds, 2nd language learners in multiplayer games, and more. Kevin Hodgson suggests students build games.
Learning to code is an important new literacy. But how, wonders edtech coach Emily Vickery, do we close the opportunity gap between those who have access to coding instruction and those who don’t? Vickery suggests some resources that can help less advantaged students cross the divide.
Literacy expert Laura Robb offers her research-based argument for refocusing American school reform on strategies to strengthen support for teachers and promote opportunities for all children to become creative, divergent thinkers and problem solvers.
With quick concise sections, summary bullet points, engaging verse, reflective questions, bonus lists, and easy to use tabbing, Seven Simple Secrets: What the BEST Teachers Know and Do is a book educators need at their fingertips, says reviewer Laura Von Staden.
Brief yet thought provoking, Short on Time is a worthwhile read for leadership teams, says principal Joseph D’Amato. Readers will find suggestions for managing priorities, maximizing learning, and growing through collaboration – plus a helpful list of action steps.
When youth in the middle know their “sparks” – their inner energizing interests – they’re more likely to stay engaged in school and develop a sense of purpose. Expert Susan Ragsdale shares motivational research & activities to help uncover those sparks.
The ‘T’ in STEM manifests in many ways, says science educator Anne Jolly. One new trend, coming rapidly to the fore, is writing program code. In this post Anne shares some coding ideas she and teacher Emily Vickery have brainstormed for STEM classes.
The Nonfiction NOW Lesson Bank (Grades 4-8): Strategies and Routines for Higher-Level Comprehension in the Content Areas by Nancy Akhavan delivers everything the title promises and more, raves reviewer Linda Biondi. Plus 50 lessons and 5 close reading ideas, ready to use.
