How are you going to tackle the STEM challenges coming in 2016 following passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act? Anne Jolly shares 4 ideas which could join your other education New Year’s resolutions to broaden horizons for you and your students.
ESSA Opportunities / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 01/04/2016 · Last modified 11/14/2019
With passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act Elizabeth Stein says co-teachers must continue to keep their eyes on the prize of student achievement, continuing to ask: How does this law translate into my school? Into my classroom? And with my students?
Too often students get little more than a schedule and a friendly pat as they enter new schools. Counselor Dana Worden is changing all that at Travis Ranch MS where student volunteers not only welcome newbies but buddy with them until they fully blend in.
William N. Bender explains how to effectively use RTI in conjunction with differentiated instruction and technology strategies in all subject areas. Reviewer Sarah Iriogbe-Efionayi joins him in anticipating RTI’s move into secondary schools and its potential to significantly change instruction there.
STEM By Design / STEM Mid-Year Review
by Anne Jolly · Published 12/20/2015 · Last modified 11/22/2019
The midpoint of the school year is a great time for STEM educators to do a quick program checkup, says curriculum expert Anne Jolly. She offers five STEM progress indicators that can help teachers identify examples of success and any needed adjustments.
Working Draft / Writing with Digital Tools
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 12/13/2015 · Last modified 11/27/2019
What happens when second person narrative meets interactive historical fiction? Kevin Hodgson’s sixth graders find out as he introduces digital Make Your Own Adventures. Click through choices in students’ Google Slides to venture into early civilization.
In “Argue with Me” Deanna Kuhn et al present a full curriculum on teaching argument, informed by their research in low income schools. Used in full or in part, the process can benefit thinking & writing skills, says Mary Langer Thompson.
Kids on the Cusp / Passion-based Learning
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 11/18/2015 · Last modified 12/14/2019
Mary Tarashuk has been so involved in deadlines and paperwork she’s barely had time to reconnect with the reasons she loves teaching. But here in November she finds a way to recapture the classroom magic and “Do Something Meaningful” with her fourth graders.
Book Reviews / Social & Emotional Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 11/12/2015 · Last modified 11/18/2019
The social-emotional concerns addressed by Tom Conklin are long overdue for guided discussion by today’s adolescents. Mary Langer Thompson appreciates his inclusion of foundational thinkers and his instructional materials for middle schoolers.
STEM learning can open up new worlds for elementary kids as it grows problem solving and teamwork skills – all the while building a foundation for the middle grades. Anne Jolly provides elementary teachers with ideas and resources to begin integrated STEM.
