Design Thinking / Future of History
by Jody & Shara · Published 08/21/2016 · Last modified 11/26/2019
Can history teachers apply Design Thinking ideas to a subject often taught as a progression of facts? Jody Passanisi thinks so. “What could be more relevant than looking for solutions to challenges that were created in the past and are still having impact today?”
Expert Anne Jolly suggests a running assessment of your STEM lessons as the new school year begins to make sure your students are engaged, working well in teams, and involved in engineering solutions to meaningful problems. Try her Lesson Plan Debugger!
Team Building / The Flexible Classroom
by Amber Chandler · Published 08/07/2016 · Last modified 03/08/2021
Amber Chandler and her co-teaching colleague will use the One Word Challenge this fall to set the focus and tone for a cohesive classroom culture. After a trial run last January, they are confident it’s the perfect way to kick off the year. Tips & slides!
Imagine yourself on a plane, about to start a new chapter of your life as an international teacher in another country and culture. With 30 years teaching abroad in North and South America, Elisa Waingort knows both the joys and challenges. Ready for take off?
STEM expert Anne Jolly shares the 9-step process she uses to write a quality lesson that includes some or all of the elements found in the Engineering Design Process (EDP). Included: free downloads of six STEM lesson-writing tools she developed for her new book.
Many teachers are not well equipped to teach “argument” and prepare students for assessments that require them to build an effective claim. Author and consultant Erik Palmer deconstructs current efforts to teach persuasive writing and offers better solutions.
As product placement ads invade more of our visual space, educators can use the trend as a hook to engage students in critical thinking about what it means to be media literate. Expert Frank Baker uses the NBA’s 2016-17 plans for jersey advertising as an example.
Evernote is a 21st century day planner. In Part 4 of his productivity series for school leaders, organization consultant and former principal Frank Buck singles out Evernote as a must-have for collecting school and home information in an easily accessible way.
Research Projects / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 02/09/2016 · Last modified 12/12/2019
Kevin Hodgson’s sixth graders are fresh off a research-based essay writing project. He describes the process they followed to choose their topics, use Google Research, manage citations, avoid plagiarism, include media, and pursue an optional extension project.
It's Not Easy Being Tween / Social Skills
by Cheryl Mizerny · Published 01/24/2016 · Last modified 11/26/2019
Cheryl Mizerny considers the “soft” skills of social interaction to be as essential to success as the ELA skills she teaches. To help fill students’ wide social skill gaps, she’s identified problem behaviors and resources she’ll use to build a mini-curriculum.
