Some Christmas Tunery
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Here at the Institute (where the Board of Directors still firmly believe in
Santa Claus), we like our seasonal music, both as consumers and as
producers,...
Greg Olear: Reading Charles Dickens Today
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Greg Olear writes a blog that is always rewarding to read–full of insight,
experience, knowledge, wisdom. His post below connects the world of Dickens
to t...
Finding Light in Winter by Mary Pipher
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The mornings are dark, the late afternoons are dusky, and before we finish
making dinner, the daylight is gone. As we approach the darkest days of the
ye...
Last Minute Gift Ideas!
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We've been bombarded with "last minute" gift idea promotions since at least
mid-November, but now, finally, the last minute is truly upon us. As a
publi...
Cartoons about the Holiday Season
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Here are some cartoons that got me to smile about this time of year. I hope
they will do the same for you. Happy holidays to all of my readers. Enjoy!
HAIRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAIRY HANUKKAH TOO!
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*HAIRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAIRY HANUKKAH TOO!*
* The Big Hairy Education Ape Spreads Holiday Cheer! Ah, December! The time
of year when the air tur...
About the Social Security Fairness Act
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On December 21, 2024, the US Senate passed the Social Security Fairness
Act, otherwise known as HR 82, a bill that restores full Social Security
benefits t...
Apologies to Dan Alicea
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I want to truly apologize to Daniel Alicea. On November 30, Dan wrote a
blog post about how, despite millions of dollars being available, Mulgrew
refused...
The 2024 NPE “Coal in the Stocking” Awards
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At NPE, we know who is naughty and nice when it comes to supporting our
public schools and their students.
The post The 2024 NPE “Coal in the Stocking” A...
Big Lies of Education: Grade Retention
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The Big Lie of grade retention in the US is that it is often hidden within
larger reading legislation and policy, notably since the 2010s: Westall and
Cumm...
Juntos lo haremos
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En el año que viene, tendremos que tomar decisiones difíciles sobre quienes
queremos ser en cada comunidad y como nación. Ha sido un año muy intenso.
Desde...
WTF, Democratic Caucus?
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Why is the failure of this current budget bill being blamed on Republicans
when almost every single Democrat voted against it? If only half of the
Dems had...
Peace through Beauty
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I am and always have been more musical than I have been verbal. I have
always found beauty in sound. Often it can be purely instrumental, such as
playing...
San Diego School Board Election Outcomes
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By Thomas Ultican 12/17/2024 Before the recent election, I wrote
recommendations for several school board seats in San Diego County. The San
Diego County R...
SPI Supports SB 48 to Keep ICE Off School Campuses
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State Superintendent Tony Thurmond sponsors Senate Bill 48 to keep
Immigration and Customs Enforcement off of school campuses, protecting
school attendance...
Schrödinger’s Cat
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Schrödinger’s cat is a famous thought experiment in which the renowned
scientist pondered how a cat in a closed box could be thought of as
simultaneously a...
In Memoriam: Nikki Giovanni
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The literary and cultural world has lost an irreplaceable voice with the
passing of Nikki Giovanni. As one of the most celebrated poets and
activists of ou...
Education Has Failed and What Can We Do Next?
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Education has failed to prepare children for the world today. Despite the
increased investment, impactful reforms, hardworking teachers and school
leaders,...
Defining Productivity, Cost, and Efficiency
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Recycled material here… The central problem with US public schools is often
characterized as an efficiency problem. We spend a lot and don’t get much
for i...
November Parent Engagement Resources
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Greeting a family in their preferred language is a small gesture that
demonstrates respect and eagerness to connect with parents. Creating a
Welcoming Envi...
Try Substack?
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Seems like the popular new thing. Here’s my first try – it’s about
yesterday’s UFT Retired Teachers Chapter meeting – first ever not run by
Unity. (Spoiler...
Number 18 — A barely-hanging-on Blogoversary
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Blogoversary #18 SEPTEMBER 14, 2006 I started this blog while I was still
teaching, in 2006. I had just begun my 31st year as an educator. Just like
in pre...
Student "Growth" Measures Are STILL Biased
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This caught my attention:
New Jersey school districts may soon be evaluated differently, *with a
greater emphasis on student growth* as compared to stud...
AIN’T IT AWFUL
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As the terrible feelings of dread and angst spread across the world the
great majority of the American people feel powerless before the onslaught
of those ...
The Sky is Falling, or is it?
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Well, this is the first anniversary of the introduction of Generative AI in
the form of ChatGPT to the world of education. Before it was a week old,
over o...
Vote NO on the UFT Contract. Here is Why:
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The best reason to vote no on this contract is this: UFT Unity* lied* to us
in 2018. They misrepresented that contract. It was predicated on deals we
wer...
Metaphors in ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech
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In this article, we will explore the powerful use of metaphors in Martin
Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” ...
Read more
Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force
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I prepared testimony for one of two public hearings held by the Chicago
Public Schools Truancy Task Force, a body mandated by state legislation.
The meetin...
There Is A Teacher Shortage.Not.
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THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. And just to be sure you understand, it’s not
that teachers don’t want to teach. It’s not that there aren’t enough
teachers cer...
Book Banning Turns to Dick and Jane
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Breaking News: Dateline February 4, 2022 - Parents in Dimwitty, Alabama
have asked the Dimwitty Board of Education to ban the children's primer *Fun
with...
Have You Heard Has a New Website
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TweetHave You Heard has a new website. Visit us at
www.haveyouheardpodcast.com to find our latest episodes and our entire
archive. And be sure to check out...
Follow me at Substack
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I've moved. Follow me at Substack
I'm now posting regularly at Substack. You can subscribe for free to my new
Edu/Pol blog at michaelklonsky.substack.com
...
Aspiring Teachers Get New Help Paying For College
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[image: colorful classroom pattern]
*; Credit: shuoshu/Getty Images*
Cory Turner | NPR
New rules kick in today that will help aspiring teachers pay for c...
Tips Akses Situs Judi Qq Tanpa Perlu Takut Nawala
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Kegiatan berjudi slot melalui situs judi qq online, sekarang sudah
dilakukan oleh banyak penjudi Indonesia. Tentu, Kamu yang sedang membaca
artikel ini a...
The Threat of Integration
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I have lived in the same house in the Miracle Mile section of Los Angeles
for over 30 years, where up until now I have had little or no interaction
with th...
We fight for a democracy worthy of us all!
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The nation stands at a crossroads, said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García
in her final keynote address to the 2020 NEA Representative Assembly and
it’s up...
The Passing Of Chaz 1951-2020 Age 69
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I am the son of Chaz and like to inform you that he passed away this
afternoon from the COVID virus. My father passed in peace beside his loved
ones. We ar...
The Fight For Our Children
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*The number of suicides among people ages 10 to 24 nationally increased by
56 percent between 2007 and 2017, according to a new federal report showing
the ...
Read to Self: Just a Kid and a Book.
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Date: Monday, January 5, 2020 Place: My classroom Student: Mrs.Mims, could
we start doing Read to Self again because I got this great book for
Christmas an...
Keeping Progressive Schools Alive
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Dear Friends and Colleagues, Happy New Year and a special thanks to those
who respond to past blogs about choice, et al. I always mean to respond to
each c...
Reminiscences
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I just finished dumping the rest of my lesson plans. I guess I held on to
the calculus ones for so long because I spent so much time working on them
an...
Just Asking for some Teachers I know.
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Recently Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers stated, We must … recognize that
part of supporting our kids in the classroom means supporting the educators
who t...
Cara Menang Bermain Judi Bola Online
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Bermain judi bola online tentu saja memiliki kesenangannya tersendiri baik
itu mendapatkan keuntungan maupun ketika menantikan hasil skor pada sebuah
perta...
A Critique of Standards-Based Grading
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It first happened to me about ten years ago. I was beginning my third year
of teaching in a new school in Washington, DC. Social studies teachers were
si...
My First and Last Visit to Hudson Yards
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Figuring I did not need to invite any more darkness and vulgarity into my
head than that provided on a daily basis from Trump’s White House, and
after read...
The World According to Michelle Rhee
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The men behind the curtain fashioning the brave new world of corporate run
education in America! Michelle Rhee is the founder of StudentsFirst, The
New T...
Whose Opinions Matter in Education World?
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It's hard to identify education heroes and sheroes. And perhaps even harder
to pinpoint just whose work is slanted, paid-for and dishonest.
Blockchain: Life on the Ledger
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Originally posted on Wrench in the Gears:
I created this video as a follow up to the one I prepared last year on
Social Impact Bonds. It is time to examine...
New Local Businesses in Sacramento
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Starting a new local business in Sacramento is a monumental task, but can
be accomplished with footwork, perseverance and knowledge. One must learn
the loc...
Lesson Plan: Rhyme and Rhythm in Poetry
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I’ve started a recent unit on poetry with my class. I’m not a poet, and I’m
not a poetry fan (I don’t hate it, but I’m a prose gal), so this makes it
harde...
The Apotheosis of Betsy DeVos
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Betsy Devos has drawn few headlines in recent months, and that is a good
thing for the Secretary of Education. Her tenure began with Vice President
Mike P...
Education Is a Civic Question
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In their final post to end Bridging Differences' decade-long run, Deborah
Meier and Harry Boyte urge readers to put the energy, talents, wisdom, and
hard w...
Site News: New Home for Education News & Commentary
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Quick! Get over there! The daily education news roundup and education
commentaries that you're probably looking for are now being published over
at The Gra...
Should We Be Grateful?
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In an odd turn of events, and with little explanation, Michigan Governor
Rick Snyder has decided to return the state’s School Reform Office back to
the Dep...
An Open Letter to NC Lawmakers
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An Open Letter to NC State Lawmakers and NC State Superintendent Mark
Johnson: I am a NC native, voter, and public school teacher. I am
addressing you all ...
The Secret to Fixing Schools (My Next Bestseller)
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The Secret to Fixing Schools (My next bestseller) Prologue I just finished
watching a fascinating documentary on Netflix entitled, “The Secret”. The
film p...
Farewell, Sleep
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Today is the official last day of my spring break. I've done a scientific
survey: My natural bedtime is 2 AM, and my natural wake up time is 9:41
AM. Tom...
REPORT: States With the Best and Worst Schools
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States With the Best (and Worst)Schools
By *Evan Comen, Michael B. Sauter, Samuel Stebbins and Thomas C. Frohlich*
January 20, 2017- http://247wallst.com
...
Test Refusal = People Power
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In recent months, social media has been ablaze with talk of regular folk
taking action to resist the Trump agenda. Protests are a daily occurrence,
and ev...
Random Musings and Observations. . . .
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I’ve been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular
readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for
that. Sinc...
AB 934: A LEGISLATIVE FIX FOR VERGARA?
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By Michael Stratford | in the Politco Morning Education Report | via email
05/24/2016 10:00 AM EDT :: Two national education groups are backing a
Califor...
MY NEW BLOG
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My new blog will consist of fictitious headlines, meant to be a blend of
humor and satire. I apologize ahead of time if any other satirical site has
simila...
Thank you
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Dear Readers,
Thank you for visiting *The Perimeter Primate*. This blog is being retired
for the time being. Although I no longer post here, I do still s...
I am Retiring
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I have some news: I am retiring from the PBS NewsHour and Learning Matters.
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other
conte...
New Beginnings: Kickstarter and EdWeek Teacher
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Greetings to InterACT readers one and all! If you’ve been following posts
here recently you might recall that I’m moving my blogging activity to
other loca...
Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School
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*“With Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School closing, Newark families must
move on.”* The Star-Ledger (NJ), 6/25/2013
NEWARK — Bobby and Troy Shanks saw the...
geralt / Pixabay Here are new additions to THE BEST RESOURCES ON TEENS DEMANDING AN EFFECTIVE RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE : School strike for climate: Protests staged around the world is from The BBC.
Editor’s Note: I recently invited readers to contribute short posts about their experiences teaching adult English Language Learners. Many have responded – and there’s room for more! The first post was by Antoinette Perez. The second one was by Leighton Suen . Today’s post is by Coral Russell. Coral Russell has a Master’s in TESOL and has been teaching ELLs in the US, Korea, China, and Venezuela
geralt / Pixabay I’ve just mailed out the June issue of my very simple free monthly email newsletter . It has over 3,000 subscribers, and you can subscribe here . Of course, you can also join the eighteen thousand others who subscribe to this blog daily. Here Are 8 Ways You Can Subscribe For Free…
Here’s my regular round-up of new “The Best…” lists I posted this month (you can see all 2,040 of them categorized here ): THE BEST IDEAS ON PEER REVIEW OF STUDENT WRITING UPDATED & REVISED: THE BEST ESL/EFL BLOGS – SHARE YOUR FAVORITES!
I regularly highlight my picks for the most useful posts for each month — not including “The Best…” lists. I also use some of them in a more extensive monthly newsletter I send-out. You can see older Best Posts of the Month at Websites Of The Month (more recent lists can be found here ). You can also see my all-time favorites here . I’ve also been doing “A Look Back” series reviewing old favorite
Claudia14 / Pixabay The United Nations has declared June 8th to be World Oceans Day . You might be interested in The Best Sites For Learning About The World’s Oceans .
As regular readers know, at the end of each week I share the five most popular posts from the previous seven days. I thought people might find it interesting to see a list of the ten most popular posts from the previous thirty days. You might also be interested in IT’S THE TWELFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THIS BLOG – HERE ARE THE FORTY ALL-TIME MOST POPULAR POSTS. Not to mention THE TWENTY MOST POPULAR POS
GDJ / Pixabay The United Nations has declared June 20th to be World Refugee Day . You might be interested in The Best Sites For Learning About World Refugee Day .
PublicDomainPictures / Pixabay This is an intriguing video that shows a streetscape image taken every year since the beginning of photography. It’s long, but I’m thinking that even just showing a portion of it could be a useful exercise with English Language Learners to have them identify common and unique characteristics….
There’s been a lot of interest in the role curiosity plays in learning (see The Best Posts On Curiosity ). A new study has come out suggesting that a particular type of curiosity is the most motivating for learning. The research (see What we think we know — but might not — pushes us to learn more ) suggests that the key is creating situations where students think they know something and then disc
The most recent book that Katie Hull and I wrote, The ELL Teacher’s Toolbox (click on its book cover at the bottom of this post for more info), has become very popular. In fact, it became so popular and useful to teachers immediately after its publication last year that we proposed to Jossey-Bass that it be used as a template for a series of books in each academic subject area to help teachers of
AmnaS / Pixabay How animals view the world is a new tool from LensBest that lets you see how various animals see the world, and explains why that’s the case. You can choose the experience of a dog, cat, snail or bee. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Walking In Someone Else’s Shoes .
Every year I share the annual Condition of Education report from The National Center For Education Statistics. They’re always about two-and-a-half years behind the present-day, but it also always presents the most accurate date about ed that you’re going to find anyway. They have just released The Condition of Education 2019. Here are some charts and graphs related to English Language Learners th
ElisaRiva / Pixabay Here’s a new video from NPR that’s pretty mind-blowing. I’m adding it to The Best “Mind-Blowing” Videos About Technology That I’ve Seen — Help Me Find More .
What Are the Best Ways to Handle Group Work in Class? is the new question-of-the-week at my Education Week Teacher column. Feel free to leave responses in the comments sections there or here….
Wokandapix / Pixabay Though the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing a woman’s right to vote, was actually added to the Constitution until 1920, this week marks the 100th anniversary of the House of Representatives passing it . You might be interested in The Best Resources For Learning About Women’s Suffrage . On this day in 1919, the US House approved the 19th amendment – giving women the right to vote.
greymatters / Pixabay It’s graduation time, which means it’s also time for commencement speeches. Obviously, this year the one that is getting the most attention is Robert F. Smith’s one at Morehouse . You might be interested in checking out The Best Commencement Speeches .
I’m making a change in the content of the regular feature. In addition to sharing the top five posts that have received the most “hits” in the preceding seven days (though they may have originally been published on an earlier date), I will also include the top five posts that have actually appeared in the past week. Often, these are different posts. You might also be interested in IT’S THE TWELFT
PublicDomainPictures / Pixabay The new TED-Ed video is an intriguing one. It’s designed to show how the media can incorrectly report the findings of medical research. It explains three scientific studies – one at a time – and then shows a headline from a news story about it. You’re supposed to then pause the video and figure out why the headline is incorrect based on your understanding of the res
truthseeker08 / Pixabay The United Nations has declared today to be the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development . You might be interested in: The Best Sites For Learning About The World’s Different Cultures The Best Resources About “Culturally Responsive Teaching” & “Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy” – Please Share More! The Best Posts On The Value Of Ethnic Studies Classes –
A ‘Trauma-Informed Classroom Is a Safe and Secure Place’ is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. In it, Rita Platt, guest-host for this series on trauma-informed teaching, continues the conversation with her own response, along with contibutions from Beth Parson Stauner, Robert Ward, Amber Chandler and Kelly Knoche. Here are some excerpts: I’m adding it to The Best Ways For Re
BiljaST / Pixabay Five years ago I began this regular feature where I share a few posts and resources from around the Web related to ESL/EFL or to language in general that have caught my attention. You might also be interested in The Best Resources, Articles & Blog Posts For Teachers Of ELLs In 2018 – So Far and THE BEST RESOURCES, ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS FOR TEACHERS OF ELLS IN 2018 – PART TWO . A
I’ve recently begun this weekly post where I’ll be sharing resources I’m adding to The Best Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Resources or other related “Best” lists. You might also be interested in The Best Social Emotional Learning Resources Of 2018 – So Far. Finally, check out “Best” Lists Of The Week: Social Emotional Learning Resources . Here are this week’s picks: Nurturing a Culture of Growt
The United Nations has declared May 31st to be World No Tobacco Day . You might be interested in The Best Sites For ELL’s To Learn About The Dangers Of Smoking .
I’ve previously shared many resources related to simulations (see The Best Places To Read & Write “Choose Your Own Adventure” Stories and The Best Online Learning Simulation Games & Interactives — Help Me Find More) , as well as critiques of some (see THE DANGERS OF “CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE” GENRE FOR REAL & PAINFUL STORIES , A Marine’s Reaction to a Children’s Book Prompts an Apology From the
Strategies for ‘Trauma-Informed Teaching’ is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Rita Platt guest-hosts this post on trauma-informed teaching with contributions from Dr. Christy Wolfe,Jason Harelson, Chris Weber, and Jenny Grant Rankin, Ph.D. Here are some excerpts:
Each week, I publish a post or two containing three or four particularly useful resources on classroom instruction, and you can see them all here. You might also be interested in THE BEST RESOURCES ON CLASS INSTRUCTION IN 2018 – PART TWO. Here are this week’s picks: Fighting Words: Poetry in Response to Current Events [Contest and Workshop] is an intriguing use of poetry from The Pulitzer Center.
OpenClipart-Vectors / Pixabay A simple definition of interleaving is strategically alternating studying/teaching different skills, as opposed to “blocking,” which is focusing on one skill at a time. Scientific American has an accessible article about it titled The Interleaving Effect: Mixing It Up Boosts Learning . A new study just came out claiming HUGE benefits to using it in math class, and I’
WikiImages / Pixabay Malcolm X would have been 94 years-old today. You might be interested in The Best Resources For Learning & Teaching About Malcolm X . Brother Malcolm would have been 94 years-old today. We remember him, his legacy and his family. #MalcolmX pic.twitter.com/MILW8GNEsM — The King Center (@TheKingCenter) May 19, 2019 Happy Birthday to el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, better known as Mal
Editor’s Note: I recently invited readers to contribute short posts about their experiences teaching adult English Language Learners. Many have responded – and there’s room for more! The first post was by Antoinette Perez. Today’s post is by Leighton Suen. Leighton Suen is finishing his 3rd year as a dual-licensed ENL/ELA teacher at Franklin D. Roosevelt High School in Brooklyn, NY. He has taught
OpenClipart-Vectors / Pixabay “No Te Calles” is a new song from the group Making Movies and Ruben Blades encouraging people, particularly Latinos, to fight against injustice. In addition, they’ve created a website where anyone can sing a verse about an injustice and post it on the site in video/audio or just audio form. Yes, I know this could potentially be tricky politically for some teachers, b
Author Interview: Enhancing the ‘Mental Bandwidth’ of Students is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. It’s Part Two of an interview with Cia Verschelden about her book, “Bandwidth Recovery: Helping Students Reclaim Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Racism and Social Marginalization.” Here are some excerpts: I’m adding it to The Best Resources Showing Social Emotional Learn
BiljaST / Pixabay Five years ago I began this regular feature where I share a few posts and resources from around the Web related to ESL/EFL or to language in general that have caught my attention. You might also be interested in The Best Resources, Articles & Blog Posts For Teachers Of ELLs In 2018 – So Far and THE BEST RESOURCES, ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS FOR TEACHERS OF ELLS IN 2018 – PART TWO . A
Author Interview: ‘Helping Students Reclaim Cognitive Resources’ Lost to Poverty and Racism is the headline of my latest column in Education Week Teacher. In it, Cia Verschelden agreed to answer a few questions about her
