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.
Two Teachers in the Room / Universal Design for Learning
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 06/30/2020 · Last modified 08/02/2023
As we consider what school will look like this fall, teaching coach Elizabeth Stein shows how the Universal Design for Learning gives educators flexibility to teach effectively within and without any learning space – fully in person, fully remote, or using a hybrid model.
Future of History / History & Current Events
by MiddleWeb · Published 06/29/2020 · Last modified 08/12/2020
The antiracist protests occurring across the country since the killing of George Floyd have led Lauren Brown and Sarah Cooper – two white female middle school social studies teachers – to consider even more deeply “how best to teach U.S. history.” Join the conversation.
Rita Platt peruses lots of professional texts, but the books she reads each year to meet her personal Goodreads goal cross many genres. Some are funny. Some are scary. Some examine America’s urgent problems. Not your typical PD books, but they have plenty to say to educators.
What are your non-negotiables for teaching English Learners? When EL specialist Valentina Gonzalez asked her Twitter PLN, the response was overwhelming. Read what educators had to say and consider Valentina’s process for teams to confer and agree on a list of your own.
How can teachers plan successfully this summer when they don’t know what teaching will be like in the fall? ELA/science teacher Jeremy Hyler is investing time creating lessons driven by Hyperdocs – a flexible strategy he can use face to face, online, or in a blend.
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.
Assessment of Gifted and High-Ability Learners is a guide to classroom assessment for instructional decisions, using the authors’ framework, Dynamic Teaching. The book presents a good foundation of three common assessment tools, writes gifted education specialist Kate Boonstra.
We enjoy publishing MiddleWeb articles that team a school-based teacher and a school-focused author/consultant who share classroom strategies they’ve been developing together. We’ve chosen 10 examples from our trove of guest articles to showcase the power of these team-ups.
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.
