In Part 2 of a series on using picture books in middle school, Jennifer Sniadecki and Jason DeHart focus on “the simple power” of stories with minimal text to set the stage for lessons, provide background knowledge, and make efficient use of daily class time. Example: Eva Bunting’s Terrible Things.
African American History / Future of History
by Lauren S. Brown · Published 06/19/2020 · Last modified 02/15/2022
The Chicago district where Lauren Brown teaches has wrestled with issues of equity centering around race with new urgency in recent years. Amid the pandemic and the rising Anti-Racist Movement, she believes part of the answer is deepening curriculum and teaching Black history throughout the year.
Students at ages 9-13 still want to hear their teachers read aloud, want to sit on the rug, want to engage in stories. Jennifer Sniadecki and Jason DeHart share evidence that picture books are also an effective way to teach figurative language and other ELA standards.
Future of History / Pandemic Learning
by Sarah Cooper · Published 06/14/2020 · Last modified 10/19/2022
With her eighth graders’ online history podcast project now complete, Sarah Cooper shares six takeaways that have helped her imagine not only how to improve this assignment in future iterations, but how she can continue to grow as a teacher facilitating remote learning.
Video documentation is a powerful tool in news reporting, whether it’s done by professional journalists or by ordinary people with instant access to video cameras. Frank Baker looks at the history of news video as a “primary source” for historians and middle grades teachers.
STEM educator Anne Jolly reflects on the core skills embedded in an Education 4.0 vision for future learning – a vision that reshapes the way we think about the rapidly changing job market and calls on schools to be intentional in helping students acquire these skills.
Class Apps / Feedback from Students
by Curtis Chandler · Published 06/07/2020 · Last modified 07/18/2020
Collecting feedback from students about how his teaching can improve is often “eye-opening and sobering,” says Curtis Chandler, and that’s certainly been true during remote learning. Find out about the polling tools and questions he uses – and what students have to say.
In response to the murder of George Floyd, people have offered lists of actions to take to fight racism. Rita Platt adds another: Get anti-racism books into your community. Read, talk and share. Help people deepen their understanding of white privilege and systemic racism.
How can we keep a positive school climate and culture during remote learning? Chris Edwards, the 7th grade assistant principal at Kreps Middle School, created a grade-wide Google Classroom for students and teachers and staged weekly competitions best described as crazy and fun. It worked!
Looking ahead to the new school year, it’s critical that school leaders have comprehensive plans ready for implementation if more large-scale remote learning is required. Ron Williamson and Barbara Blackburn underscore the need to fully involve parents and teachers in the process.
