While most students understand how to operate smart phones, they understand far less about what they see on their digital devices. Learning visual literacy in school is a vital skill today, says Frank W. Baker.
Articles / Close reading / Media Literacy
by MiddleWeb · Published 06/27/2014 · Last modified 11/26/2019
Close reading isn’t just for printed texts anymore. To help students meet Common Core standards related to close observation and effective questioning, media literacy consultant Frank Baker suggests ways to engage them with a range of visual content.
Bringing online conversations around books into the schoolhouse can prepare our students for what reading looks like today and tomorrow, says K-5 principal Matt Renwick. He highlights the development of his school’s first student digital book club.
Summer is upon us and we hope you’ll soon be able to settle in with a stack of books you’ve been looking forward to reading. Some fiction perhaps. And then a couple of books to grow on. Here are a dozen we’ve selected from among our MiddleWeb reviews.
The Common Core standards expect students to read increasingly challenging texts across the curriculum. Barbara Blackburn, author of Rigor in Your Classroom, highlights key factors associated with text complexity that teachers need to consider.
STEM By Design / STEM Misconceptions
by Anne Jolly · Published 05/18/2014 · Last modified 11/28/2019
STEM doesn’t deserve some of the fallout that’s pummeled it of late. What’s an education initiative devoted to correcting deficiencies in education to do? Anne Jolly takes on some of the jaw-dropping attacks and works to set the record straight.
Creating Content with Your Tablet by Susan Brooks-Young is just the ticket for any teacher who wants to integrate tablets and apps meaningfully, no matter the grade level or type of device being used, says reviewer Jennifer Underwood.
Effective STEM programs prepare more students to pursue STEM-related careers and help assure economic prosperity, says consultant Susan Pruet. To achieve this level of success, programs must cultivate informed and involved community and school leaders.
Book Reviews / English Language Learners
by MiddleWeb · Published 04/13/2014 · Last modified 12/05/2019
Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners by Jane E. Hill and Kirsten B. Miller is valuable for ensuring that English learners are challenged at Bloom’s higher levels of thinking and understanding, with the appropriate scaffolding, says reviewer Jennifer Underwood.
Teaching allegory / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 03/25/2014 · Last modified 11/23/2019
A convergence of events – from the Cold War-tinged Ukraine crisis to World Read Aloud Day and the birthday of Dr. Seuss – helped inspire 6th grade ELA teacher Kevin Hodgson’s recent lessons on allegory and the difference between nonfiction and truth.
