Class Apps / Student Questioning
by Curtis Chandler · Published 12/10/2017 · Last modified 12/03/2019
Curtis Chandler has been guilty of ping-pong teaching that “merely bounces information back and forth between my students and myself.” Kids learn more from a volleyball approach where they work together “to set up the shot” through inquiry activities. App tips included.
The second edition of Rosalind Wiseman’s Owning Up validates the thoughts and feelings of adolescents in a non-judgmental way, invites students to understand why some are motivated to use social cruelty, and gives them tools to respond, writes teacher Amy Estersohn.
Jennifer Taylor-Cox is back with a 2nd edition of Family Math Night K-5. If that’s your idea of a good time, you’ll find everything you need to plan and present an opportunity for your students and families to enjoy learning math together, says reviewer Linda Biondi.
The only student test data that really matters, says education consultant Debbie Silver, is timely, diagnostic information telling educators what their students know and can or cannot do. With that data, they can plan instruction and fine-tune teaching practice.
Each day in Sarah Cooper’s 8th grade U.S. history class, they begin with a 5-minute discussion of current events. The sheer number of mass attacks in the United States this semester has pummeled Sarah and her students. She ponders how she and other teachers can continue to respond.
Practical and conversational, the ideas in Powerful Partnerships will inspire teachers and school leaders to examine family engagement practices and build partnerships that are collaborative, interactive, and learning focused, says literacy specialist Lisa Maucione.
Science educator Alan Colburn skillfully applies the idea of learning by doing to make a very useful resource for teachers. Joyce Depenbusch praises the way he weaves in NGSS practices and provides directions for grades 3-8 activities that are easy to follow and do.
K-12 and higher education veteran M. Scott Norton has written a book about the human resources role of principals. Retired principal Mary Langer Thompson finds the resources on school climate helpful, but disagrees that principals should take on major HR responsibilities.
Close Reading the Media / Literacy and Film
by Frank Baker · Published 11/28/2017 · Last modified 11/28/2019
Film, video and television media are powerful engagement tools for literacy teachers. Author and media consultant Frank W. Baker shares lots of ideas about using screenplays, closed captioning, and media-related projects to boost reading and other literacy skills.
Future of History / Writing in Social Studies
by Lauren S. Brown · Published 11/26/2017 · Last modified 12/12/2019
Lauren Brown’s eighth grade classes are undergoing a “writing revolution” since she discovered the ideas and strategies of Judith Hochman. Thanks to writing templates and explicit instruction, students are beginning to write more complex answers to history questions.
