Cooperative Board Games In The Classroom
A while back, I came across the concept of cooperative games through the popular board game Pandemic. Since then, my family and I have purchased several more including Forbidden Island and Outfoxed. Watching my kids play without sibling rivalry, and seeing how they really wanted each other to succeed, I
How Can Rubrics Help ALL Students Succeed?
“I hate rubrics!” The fact the statement was made with as much passion as I utter the words, ‘I hate spiders!’ left me more than a little curious. Unfortunately for me, there was no further explanation from that particular Facebook poster, so I was left to wonder why. (Unlike you
Develop Students’ Website Evaluation Skills
When students do research, we want them to evaluate their sources to decide if they are credible and reliable. Of course, we know that students have different skills and knowledge, so it’s always worth reviewing some fundamentals before they do research. One of these fundamentals is students’ website evaluation skills.
Student Upstanders PBL
If you are thinking of using Project-Based Learning (PBL) in the classroom, here’s one idea to consider. Below, I share how our team created opportunities for students to be upstanders and raise awareness of an issue that matters to them. While the example is from my teen Humanities classroom, the
News From Around The World
In classrooms with multiple nationalities or multiple languages, it can be challenging to find news from around the world that is accessible and inclusive of multiple perspectives. Finding a news source that isn’t exclusively in one language or focused on one part of the world takes time. I have used
Culturally-Sustaining World Mythology for Teens
You may be thinking about creating a culturally-responsive world mythology unit. At the same time, you might wonder about finding (and funding!) resources. For sure, the idea of recreating lessons every time your demographic changes might seem intimidating. However, it’s not necessary to recreate the wheel to be culturally-responsive. I
What Is Critical Literacy?
Mandela told us that nothing is more powerful than education to change the world. I believe it. The first step to changing the world is seeing it how it is. Read on to explore how a critical literacy lens helps achieve that goal in the classroom, and download a free
Games To Play In The Classroom: 4 In A Row
Do you ever have those days when students just aren’t into learning? This sometimes happen to me if they arrive from a PE class, are hungry for lunch after a busy morning, or it’s last lesson on a Friday afternoon. I can almost see their brains muttering… At such times,
Culturally-Responsive Classrooms: An Interview with Ashley Bible
Culturally-Responsive Classrooms: An Interview with Ashley Bible Last week, I had the chance to catch up with Ashley Bible of Building Book Love for a discussion around culturally-responsive classrooms. Ashley is a teacher, blogger, and resource writer for English literature and language in US secondary (11-18) education, but her ideas
We Need Diverse Books – Where Are They?
Diverse Books Offer Windows & Mirrors We’ve talked in a previous blog post about the need for diverse books so students can experience both windows and mirrors in the texts they are presented with. However, this is often easier said than done when our school and classroom libraries (hopefully unintentionally)