The elements of good instruction can be found in many experiences that are already a part of daily life. NBCT Roxanna Elden suggests real-life activities that might improve teaching more than the PowerPoint-driven professional development in the auditorium.
Articles / Games & Learning / Wide Open Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 04/29/2018 · Last modified 09/13/2023
End of year is an ideal time to try something new. Teachers and students have a lot of material to review, but also need to be engaged and energized. Why not stage a breakout game? Teacher Megan Kelly shares tips and says breakouts also make good school year starters!
During the barrage of mandatory assessments each spring, it can be tempting to “decide to do very little with our students” between tests, says Curtis Chandler. But why not make every minute count? Teachers can do just that with these engaging cross-curricular activities.
Do teachers need to hire a PR firm or media consultants to effectively communicate their essential contributions to unaware constituents? Or can we begin to build more professional capital in our own schools and communities? Debbie Silver shares starting points.
English teacher David Slater identifies school reform ideas that he believes are wrong-headed or frequently misapplied, leading to ineffective education across the country. Retired educator Mary Langer Thompson agrees with some of his solutions but finds others lacking.
Research-based essays help our students fluently build, develop, and expand on their ideas. But in the real world, not every research process ends in a full-blown essay, says Angie Miller, who shares eight fun ways for students to practice and incorporate research skills.
Articles / STEM in Fiction / Wide Open Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 04/01/2018 · Last modified 06/22/2020
More emphasis on STEM studies has more language arts teachers working to integrate compatible nonfiction. But what about fiction? Megan Kelly shows how novels with STEM themes let students make an emotional connection to characters while learning scientific concepts.
How can teachers convince students that learning grammar is worth the effort and can improve their writing? Jeremy Hyler and Troy Hicks suggest ways to implement a range of online tools to bring grammar alive for classes. Lots of ideas, writes Erin Corrigan-Smith.
Close Reading the Media / The Grapes of Wrath
by Frank Baker · Published 03/26/2018 · Last modified 11/12/2019
Why do middle school students study The Great Depression? What do we want them to learn and understand about this period in American history? Media literacy expert Frank Baker offers a wealth of teaching ideas tied to the novel The Grapes of Wrath and its film treatment.
Calling on her background as a researcher specializing in authentic math for all students, Ilana Seidel Horn provides detailed explanations of why detached students resist engagement and offers thoughtful responses that teachers in any subject can use, says reviewer Patti Mosko.
