Technology allows us to record and reflect on the writing process in ways that pencil and paper could not, says digital writing expert Troy Hicks. The MS teacher turned college prof demonstrates with a video demo’ing how we might teach sentence combining.
S.T.E.M. or STEM? STEM or STEAM? STEM for a selected few or STEM for all? What about STEM’s specific technology needs? MiddleWeb’s STEM by Design blogger Anne Jolly shares five hot STEM issues facing educators as schools across the USA begin a new year.
Digital housekeeping is becoming part of every teacher’s back-to-school preparation. As Kevin Hodgson spruces up his classroom websites for the new term, he reflects on the year just past and revs up for some exciting teaching and learning in 2014-15.
Be ready to launch 3-5 graders on instructional journeys using 21st century skills with the new book Unleashing Student Superpowers. Reviewer Laura Von Staden finds the easy-to-follow book well suited for self-contained classrooms.
What do your students need to succeed in close reading? Literacy consultant Nancy Boyles outlines 10 steps in this article, drawn from her recent Corwin book “Closer Reading.” She also includes five questions to consider before students get started.
Your first year? Now’s your opportunity to create a welcoming classroom where students will feel secure, valued and successful in the days ahead. Veteran teacher Cheryl Mizerny shares ideas that have helped her realize a “shiny, happy” place to learn.
Shirley McPhillips’ Poem Central invites students to move through poetry that we might not know exactly how to teach and to live with those words on their own terms – not needing us to facilitate all meaning and experience for them, says Jenni Miller.
In their book Engaged, Connected, Empowered, Ben Curran and Neil Wetherbee examine five major shifts needed in education to provide students with 21st century skills. Reviewer Laura Von Staden found their work easy to follow with lots teachers can use right away.
When students are challenged to “close read” a movie, they must not only learn how to deconstruct the story, they must also understand the many techniques that are used by filmmakers to create the total effect, says expert Frank Baker.
David Booth’s Caught in the Middle is one of those rare books that truly has the capacity to help a teacher carve out a roadmap for a successful year of working with middle school readers and writers, says reviewer Jenni Miller.
