No matter how progressive you get in your teaching, grading papers–somewhere, somehow–is a part of what you do. Even non-ELA/Literature/Composition teachers are now expected to carry the burden of promoting literacy by helping students consistently write across all content areas. (I’m looking at you, math teachers.) So then, a new, faster, simpler way to grade…
Using an iPad filled with educational apps in the classroom does not dictate that you’re a great techie teacher. Instead it requires educators to effectively transform their traditional lesson plans into a digital one. To assist you with the transformation, we will discuss some tips on how to adapt to the lifestyle of a 21st century…
As a teacher, it can be inspiring to look into other classrooms. Whether you’re looking for ideas, or just want to see others engaging in the process of learning without feeling responsible for every single step, being a fly on a classroom wall can be pretty cool–which makes the following panorama of a busy elementary…
When we search, we often first reach for Google–and rightfully so. But by using Google students and teachers are unwittingly bending to the will of webmasters who are experts at SEO (search engine optimization), which can mean that you find what they want you to find rather than what you really need. So what to…
Communicate with students today also means encouraging learning dialogue by using forms with which students are comfortable.
Education Phrases & Language That Need To Die by Terry Heick Being in education long enough, you’ll begin to hear certain words and phrases that bother you on some level. Some are obvious—“smart” bothers a lot of educators, and for good reason. Others you’re not sure why they grind your gears, but they do. (I know,…
Seven points we view as systemically underserved could, if better addressed, enhance children’s thinking as they mature.
A Message To The Graduating Class Of 2013 You’re graduating, which means school—the formal and academic portion of your learning experience–is over. You’re going to be hit with a lot of questions, either about college or a “job,” mostly from well-intentioned adults trying to make conversation or throw in their two cents. So here’s my…
Where Do Essential Questions Come From? by Grant Wiggins, Ph.D, Authentic Education “I didn’t know they could think!” an excited high school principal blurted out. The principal was reacting to what he had just witnessed: his 9th grade students engaging in their first-ever Socratic Seminar, facilitated by my colleague and wife Denise a few years ago in a…
![Helping Students See Themselves As Learners [A Graphic]](https://www.teachthought.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Self-Knowledge-Continuum.png)
How does that student see him or herself–as a student? As a learner? How we self-identify academically lays the groundwork for understanding. In lieu of the academic standards, self-knowledge–and perhaps the thinking habits learners possess–are the ultimate goal of all learning. While it’s potentially useful to be able to calculate the area of a triangle, extract…
5 Videos That Describe New Learning by TeachThought Staff What new learning actually is depends on who you talk to. Project-based learning infused with educational technology. Game-based learning and learning simulations. Self-directed learning and learning through play. eLearning and mobile learning to promote personalized learning for every child. Below are five videos that describe what…
Visual notes–also know as Sketch notes–look cool, but they also contain considerable cognitive potential, forcing learners to combine both left and right-brain approaches while internalizing often complex ideas, and then turning those ideas into visual narratives. We’ve covered how to take visual notes on the iPad previously, and looked at making student thinking visual as…