Teaching

by Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick, Institute for Habits of Mind A Whole Child Deserves A Whole Teacher: Using The Habits Of Mind To Promote Teacher Happiness A lot is said and written about the whole child. We often forget, however,…

by Justin Marquis, Ph. D "Those who can’t do, teach." –Anonymous As someone with a teaching license who has also taught at the university level, I have always found this offhanded dismissal of educators at all levels offensive. The…

It's hard to believe that in 1870, only 2% of 17-year-olds in this country had a high school diploma. Over the years that number rose and peaked at 77% exactly a century later, but on average it’s been slowly falling ever since.…

Publishing student thinking can be among the most powerful ways to improve learning. There are a variety of reasons for this, but the biggest reason is that the "threat" of publishing moves the lodestone from the classroom to the "real…

Justified or not, lecture stands as perhaps the single symbol of non-progressive learning. The visual is clear enough for most. A sage-on-stage stands and delivers wisdom and expertise while attentive learners jot down what they can that…

by Justin Marquis, Ph. D There is a mountain of speculation and debate about what school and learning will look like in the near future. Will education be online? Individualized? Self-paced? Flipped? Hybridized? Maybe even…

20 Reasons You Shouldn't Assign Homework Over The Holidays by Miriam Clifford Many students agree that homework over the holidays really is a form of cruel and unusual punishment. Upon returning from winter break, you’ll probably…

Using social media in a modern learning environment seems easy, but that simplicity is often the result of how we think about it: new ways to accomplish old tasks. Below is a visual spectrum that offers 20 ideas for using twitter in a…

Pinterest is a wonderful tool--highly visual, as brief or in-depth as you'd like, and easy to use. But using it for a specific goal beyond simple repinning takes a little know-how, which is why Kimberly Tyson of learningunlimitedllc…

The advent of technology has brought with it familiar problems in new forms. Yet cyberbullying is unique in many ways. What makes cyberbullying so different than in-person bullying? It is often anonymous and unlimited by time and…

The internet is fast becoming a place of spectacle. Early transition to the world wide web was marked by text-heavy prose while developers struggled for ways to “digitize” old media forms. Admittedly, this process is not entirely…

21 Simple Ideas To Improve Student Motivation by TeachThought Staff The best lessons, books, and materials in the world won't get students excited about learning and willing to work hard if they're not motivated. Motivation, both…

by Grant Wiggins With the holidays soon upon us, I thought it appropriate to provide a list of what are arguably the most historically influential books in education, as we ponder gifts for colleagues, friends and loved ones who are…

What Is Proficiency-Based Grading? What Proficiency-Based Grading Means for Your Student by Logan Smith was originally published on gettingsmart.com  Ed note: According to competencyworks.org, proficiency-based grading is a system of…

Plagiarism is usually fairly easy to spot in a small class with students you work with daily. Students suddenly write--and sound--much different than they have in the past, or interject insights and ideas that sound nothing like you've…

7 Differences Between Good And Great Teachers by Grant Wiggins, Authentic Education There are endless articles, blogs, essays on the difference between good and bad teachers. All the frameworks for teacher evaluation highlight the…

12 Alternatives To Letter Grades In Education by Terry Heick Few artifacts of formal learning are as iconic as the letter grade. What can I do to get an A? She's a C student. He's always gotten As and Bs in all of his…

By Grant Wiggins As readers may know, a new book is getting a lot of national press these days: How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, by Paul Tough. I well recall the NY Times article that led to…

As with most classroom settings, chances are good that there might be a sense of isolation among some students. With teamwork being a key aspect in a student’s learning of how to develop a more connected relationship with fellow…

13 Concrete Examples Of Better Feedback For Learning by Grant Wiggins Below, find thirteen examples of how teachers have made feedback (as opposed to advice and evaluation) more central to their work with students: 1. In a…

Though we don't often recognize it, chemistry defines nearly every element of our everyday lives. From the reactions that fuel the sun to the biology of our bodies to the technology in our gadgets, chemistry is at the heart of everything…

Everything You Know About Curriculum May Be Wrong. Really. by Grant Wiggins What if the earth moves and the sun is at rest? What if gravity is just a special case of space-time? Following both counter-intuitive premises…

11 Priorities For The Modern Public School Teacher by Heather Edick Teachers have so much to worry about today, as they always have. This week, I listened to some recordings of training provided to those who are going to help K-12…

20 Things Educators Need To Know About Learning Spaces by TeachThought Staff The 21st century is challenging old notions of learning spaces. The idea that students must be seated at desks working in rows is quickly becoming…