Myth-Busting Differentiated Instruction
As educators, we know that learning is not one size fits all. Yet differentiated instruction (DI) remains elusive as a major part of formal planning. Myths about DI persist despite work by respected advocates such as Carol Tomlinson, Susan Allan, Rick Wormeli, and Gayle Gregory. What follows are prominent misperceptions expressed about DI, presented here so that we can separate myth from truth….read more
Research-Based Tips for Providing Students with Meaningful Feedback
In recent years, research has confirmed what most teachers already knew: providing students with meaningful feedback can greatly enhance learning and improve student achievement. So what exactly are the most effective ways to use feedback in educational settings?…read more
Supporting LGBT Students in Your School
Research has continuously shown that LGBT adolescents and teens face higher risks for depression, anxiety, self harm, and suicidal behavior than their heterosexual peers. There are a handful of factors that may contribute to these statistics, including: discrimination, bullying and harassment, family rejection, lack of representation, and isolation. Educators know that in order for meaningful learning to take place, students must feel safe and supported at school….read more
Dipsticks: Efficient Ways to Check for Understanding
What strategy doubles student learning? According to 250 empirical studies, the answer is formative assessment. Unlike summative assessment, which evaluates student learning according to a benchmark, formative assessment monitors student understanding so that kids are always aware of their academic strengths and learning gaps….read more
25 Critical Thinking Strategies For The Modern Learner
Critical thinking is the engine of learning. Within this complex process are so many other relevant themes that contribute to learning: creativity, analysis, evaluation, innovation, application, and scores of other verbs from various learning taxonomies….read more
How They Get It: A New, Simple Taxonomy For Understanding
How can you tell if a student really understands something? They learn early on to fake understanding exceptionally well, and even the best assessment leaves something on the table. (In truth, a big portion of the time students simply don’t know what they don’t know.) The idea of understanding is, of course, at the heart of all learning, and solving it as a puzzle is one of the three pillars of formal learning environments and education….read more
249 Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs For Critical Thinking
Bloom’s Taxonomy’s verbs–also know as power verbs or thinking verbs–are extraordinarily powerful instructional planning tools. In fact, next to the concept of backwards-design and power standards, they are likely the most useful tool a teacher-as-learning-designer has access to. Why? They can be used for curriculum mapping, assessment design, lesson planning, personalizing and differentiating learning, and almost any other “thing” a teacher–or student–has to do….read more
Scaffolding Strategies to Use with Your Students
What’s the opposite of scaffolding a lesson? It would be saying to students something like, “Read this nine-page science article, write a detailed essay on the topic it explores, and turn it in by Wednesday.” Yikes — no safety net, no parachute, no scaffolding — just left blowing in the wind.
Let’s start by agreeing that scaffolding a lesson and differentiating instruction are two different things….read more
How to Minimize Digital Classroom Distractions
Classroom technologies such as smartphones, tablets, computers, and wireless internet access offer exciting opportunities to enhance and deepen the learning process. However, using technology in the classroom can also bring multiple distractions to students. Here are some proven techniques for keeping students from using digital devices inappropriately in your classroom….read more
Prison School Teacher Achieves Excellence with Victorian Award
Given she was sitting within the walls of Parkville College, a school which operates within Victoria’s highest security youth justice centre, perhaps it was something akin to the slamming of cell doors or loud buzzers and alarms going off. I do know that I didn’t expect to hear what Katherine Tsagaris had to tell me….read more
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