Hands-on teaching has always involved kids in “making.” But today’s focus on maker spaces is pushing making to a whole new level, nurturing students’ curiosity and creativity. Anne Jolly shows how combining maker activities and STEM lessons can boost learning.
For teachers who have considered implementing a Genius Hour program but haven’t quite made it to launch, passion-based learning experts and #geniushour chat leaders Gallit Zvi and Denise Krebs have organized a wealth of tips and resources to get you started.
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!
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.
Concept mapping is one of those underutilized but potentially powerful tools than can deepen learning and teaching significantly. In his new MiddleWeb blog, Class Apps, teacher educator Curtis Chandler shares three online mapping tools to get students started.
Can supportive feedback from a diverse internet audience help students grasp the benefits of a growth mindset? History teacher Tim Kramer believes the answer is yes, after weighing his 6th graders’ work during a project-driven, tech-infused Ancient Egypt unit.
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.
