Boosting Learning / Heart of the School
by Rita Platt · Published 08/04/2020 · Last modified 07/28/2024
For a fresh, fun way to quickly assess student progress, try having them “Tap Out!” in person or online. Kids can think about their efforts toward meeting a learning target, and teachers get ongoing formative assessment data, writes NBCT Rita Platt. Lots of tips and tools!
Experts predict record ad spending this election season, as much as $6 billion. As we brace for this tidal wave, says media literacy consultant Frank Baker, we need to prepare students to analyze the techniques of persuasion being used to sway votes and gain power.
The slow burn of racial injustice has once again erupted in a blaze of protests – illuminating long-standing social, economic, and educational disparities and divisions. Only this time is different, writes Vernita Mayfield. And it demands cultural competency from every educator.
When co-planning is an efficient use of time and in the service of our colleagues’ responsibilities, fellow teachers will see co-planning less like a job they have to do and more of a step they want to do. Tan Huynh shares detailed strategies for co-planning success.
When we scratch our heads and wonder how can we prepare our students for a world increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence, Anne Jolly wants us to remember a great place to learn teamwork, technical skills, work ethics and social responsibility. STEM class!
Responding to a survey by Rita Platt, middle graders reveal what worked and what didn’t for them during their spring of virtual learning: more freedom and free time warred with tech glitches, months without friends, and less time with teachers. Rita shares some things we might do better.
Reading teachers work hard to meet the needs of individual students in small groups. Yet many students struggle while reading self-selected books. Meghan Duermit and Sunday Cummins offer ways to build stronger bridges of support from guided instruction to joyful independent reading.
What is a culture objective? EL expert Tan Huynh reports on his conversation with Dr. José Medina where they discuss bolstering English learners’ socio-cultural competence by connecting classroom content and lesson planning to student backgrounds and personal experiences.
How might you bring the 2020 presidential election into your fall classes? Learn how Emily DeRiso transformed her 4th grade social studies curriculum into a successful election immersion experience in 2016, setting clear boundaries in support of participatory democracy.
Education isn’t about what the teacher does, it’s about what the child learns, write Genius Hour innovators Denise Krebs and Gallit Zvi. Learning happens in every subject when students have a purpose and are given autonomy and time. And their learning can benefit the world.
