In “Q Tasks,” Carol Koechlin & Sandi Zwaan argue that the key to learning, understanding & thinking critically is the Question. The book’s 50 or so lessons help students generate & use questions for learning & evaluating information, says Laura Von Staden.
Plans for Republican and Democratic primary debates are well underway. Media literacy expert Frank W. Baker is ready with guidelines for engaging students in classroom research and discussion. Baker’s first focus: the very crowded GOP debates scheduled for this fall.
In What Schools Don’t Teach, the authors provide strategies to make reasonable changes within our own classrooms that will help students grow the skills, attitudes and characteristics they need to be successful in a changing world, says Laura Von Staden.
The first step toward gamifying your classroom can be as simple as taking the “ew” out of “review” with these helpful game-oriented apps, selected and described by tech integration expert Curtis Chandler. Included: Quizizz, Kahoot, Classcraft and Class Dojo.
Author and former middle level school leader Frank Buck spends his professional life helping fellow educators manage themselves and their work in ways that maximize performance and benefit students. Buck shares three practical ideas to organize the new school year.
Helping students build intrinsic motivation is at the center of Larry Ferlazzo’s Building a Community of Self-Motivated Learners, says reviewer Laura Von Staden. Topics include classroom management, sparking interest in ELA, transfer of skills, and healthy lifestyle.
Educator Jennifer Underwood reports Making Number Talks Matter is an excellent read for all math teachers. The book explains both how to do math talks and why these talks are an important means of helping all students become confident mathematical thinkers.
Relationships are built when children know that caring adults are on their side. If teachers team up with parents and families, they can help create success for even the most difficult students. Amber Chandler shares the strategies that work in her MS classroom.
Author and literacy consultant Regie Routman is a passionate cook who loves to make fresh fruit tarts. Here she draws connections between learning to bake and learning to teach, using her Optimal Learning Model as a framework. Fruit tart recipe included!
Sarah Tantillo’s MiddleWeb post, Socratic Seminars in the Middle, has racked up tens of thousands of visits. Now Sarah, author of The Literacy Cookbook, is back with a tweak to her recipe, suggested by colleague Jamison Fort. See his students in action.
