Kids on the Cusp / Learning Revolution
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 05/30/2016 · Last modified 11/16/2019
As her fourth graders study the lead-up to the American Revolution, Mary Tarashuk finds echoes in today’s confrontation over free speech pitting test makers against teachers and students who question the validity of test elements. Free history resources included.
Every principal needs to lead a coordinated schoolwide effort to interact with families in ways that support students, the school and the larger community. Former principals Ron Williamson and Barbara Blackburn offer a rich set of strategies to accomplish this goal.
In Who’s Doing the Work? Jan Burkins and Kim Yaris ask important questions about how literacy teachers should approach reading instruction for a new generation of students. Reviewer and former literacy coach Nancy Chodoroff has high praise for their insights.
Adolescents have a strong attraction to parody, says media literacy expert Frank Baker. Luckily the Common Core includes parody as a genre worthy of study. Baker shares resources and ideas to involve middle graders in some fun as they learn important skills.
“We hate email,” says productivity expert and former principal Frank Buck, “because every time we check it, someone is adding to our already-crowded schedule.” In the 5th post in his Productivity Suite series, Buck shows educators how to keep your inbox empty.
To learn science deeply, students need the trifecta of instruction: experiments; exploration of a complex text; and teaching that’s both challenging and empowering. Deeper learning expert Libby Woodfin shares how this works in Peter Hill’s 8th grade classroom.
The last weeks of school are a time when a little hard work and lots of organization can pay big dividends in a learning experience that is smooth, structured, and fun for all, says middle grades educator Elyse Scott, who shares a dozen end-of-year activities.
Pia Hansen’s Mathematics Coaching Handbook carefully explores the roles played by coaches, then goes on to describe how to approach and work with teachers. Middle grades specialist Scott Sharp also finds the appendix’s many templates helpful.
Involving parents and families in a partnership with schools has a positive impact on students. What can principals do to ensure the partnership is sustained, vibrant and diverse? Ron Williamson and Barbara Blackburn suggest strategies to build connections.
When students struggle to write coherent essays or can’t explain their evidence well enough, it often boils down to this: they need help learning to build strong paragraphs. Literacy expert Sarah Tantillo takes us step by step through her construction process.
