In her 3rd article offering questions to help grow critical readers, Marilyn Pryle says we must help students examine what a text is HIDING. “To navigate the information that bombards them outside of school, students must have the skills to detect the bias, lie, or hidden intention.”
This fall with some tweaks and fresh online tools and resources, Halloween can be fun and packed with learning. Check out MiddleWeb’s updated resource collection for ideas across the content areas.
In her second article examining the five key questions she has identified to help students become critical readers, author and NBCT Marilyn Pryle recommends helping them move beyond what the text (or video, audio, meme, and so on) “says” and instead ask what it “shows.”
Watching a movie in class doesn’t have to be passive, says Jason DeHart. Teachers can engage students in a critical process of “reading” film and also responding as readers by creating video products. It’s time to broaden literacy education to meet students where they are.
Whether summer means it’s time to relax, bolster your professional know-how, improve your bank balance, or reconsider your profession, we have suggestions from your educator colleagues and other sources that can help. Plan now!
In his fourth post in a series exploring ways that digital literacy impacts teaching and learning in the middle grades, Jason DeHart considers a wide range of digital texts (including music, visuals, film, video) and notes changing trends in engagement among his students.
When students get beyond their initial engagement in high-interest topics this fall, they will need strategies to empower their reading experience. Literacy coach Sunday Cummins suggests a mnemonic tool to help nonfiction readers make informed predictions: T.H.I.E.V.E.S!
Class Starters / Wide Open Learning
by Megan Kelly · Published 01/20/2019 · Last modified 03/02/2024
We all want our students to begin class motivated to learn and brimming with questions about the topic. To do this, Megan Kelly modifies an IB idea: the provocation, a quick activity designed to engage the students and get them wondering. Check out all her ideas!
The power of Genius Hour comes from sparking wonder, encouraging deep learning, and facilitating sharing so students can make public their new knowledge, creation, or innovation, locally and world wide. GH champions Denise Krebs and Gallit Zvi describe good ways to share.
Heart of the School / Understanding Protests
by Rita Platt · Published 07/02/2018 · Last modified 11/15/2019
How can teachers broach the topic as civic protest becomes more visible in society? NBCT Rita Platt offers resources for student reading and discussion “because learning to thoughtfully communicate ideas and entertain the ideas of others is a cornerstone of democracy.”
