(I could not resist the opportunity to throw a little alliteration into the title of this week’s missive after attending a meeting of the Writing Studio working group this morning.)
Four days into our new daily schedule and the earth has not tilted off of its axis nor has the ground in the middle of the Grubbs Quadrangle opened up and swallowed all unsuspecting passerbys. Actually, according to the vast majority of people with whom I have spoken, the new schedule has been great and presented teachers with desirable difficulties that will need to be mastered over time. How do I properly pace a lesson? How much homework is enough but not too much? Instead of thinking about what will be covered in class, teachers are focusing on what the students will be doing during class. This is a significant shift in perspective that has and will lead to generally better and more engaging lessons and experiences for our students.
Now a few nugget for your reading pleasure.
- Note-Taking Strategies to Improve Learning comes from the Faculty Focus Website, more specifically, The Teaching Professor Blog. If you are interested in using the note-taking model mentioned in the article, contact Eric Laforest who has been using the model in his AP US History classes for at least a year.
- Research Shows Students Learn Better When They Figure Things Out on Their Own comes from the Mind Research Institute Blog. While focused on math instruction, the concept is applicable to all disciplines.
- A somewhat hyperbolic article appeared recently on the NY Post website titled: It’s ‘digital heroin’: How screens turn kids into psychotic junkies. Daniel Willingham has responded to the article with a thoughtful post on his blog: Are Screens “digital heroin?”
Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!