Green STEM Projects / STEM By Design
by Anne Jolly · Published 04/06/2014 · Last modified 11/24/2019
Earth Day: Science educator Anne Jolly remembers her first and best STEM project, when disengaged 8th graders learned how cool math, science and engineering could be by constructing a wetlands to reduce the environmental impact of a new school.
Though the author tackles many reform issues and includes significant research, reviewer Emily Barksdale found Unleashing the Positive Power of Differences: Polarity Thinking in Our Schools both too broad and too dense to help teacher leaders.
Book Reviews / Concept Based Instruction
by MiddleWeb · Published 03/21/2014 · Last modified 11/12/2019
In Transitioning to Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction, H. Lynn Erickson and Lois A. Lanning provide a guide for moving beyond objectives-based teaching to the deeper meanings and connections of our curriculum, says reviewer Jamey Sutton.
Teachers who fail to actively involve students in learning experiences are mired in mediocrity, says educator Barbara Blackburn. The author of Rigor Is Not a 4-Letter Word shares five rules for student engagement she’s discovered, with examples from her own teaching and consulting.
When educators ask “what could I have done differently today to meet the needs of individual students?” they look for answers in data and assignments. The new book “RTI Is a Verb” breaks down the process into concrete pieces to implement in every classroom, says reviewer Sandy Wisneski.
Experiential lessons / Future of History
by Aaron Brock · Published 03/15/2014 · Last modified 12/15/2019
In history class, experiential lessons have great potential to transport students to another time and place, says teacher Aaron Brock, but they are difficult to orchestrate and can present ethical dilemmas. Brock shares a hands-on lesson from his Civil War unit.
Former principal Sue Stephenson describes how she and a team of teachers recently helped seventh graders prepare and perform standup comedy routines, all the while learning serious writing, speaking and personal living skills. Video link included!
Students shouldn’t come away from a role play “having done something memorable and learned nothing valuable,” says history teacher Aaron Brock. “There should always be a core skill or concept guiding the activity.” He offers 2 examples to illustrate.
Working with a group of teachers openly wary of technology, Kevin Hodgson offered this writing prompt: “Recall your first aha moment about tech and teaching.” And then, like the good writing teacher he is, he shared his own story as a model.
In Causes & Cures in the Classroom, author Margaret Searle provides detailed exemplars for getting to the root of students’ academic and behavioral problems. To reduce feelings of inadequacy, read the last chapter first, says reviewer Sarah Grieb.
