8.4.22 3 tips for sneaking science into K–5 language arts lessons Why does my hair stick straight up after going down a slide? What is COVID-19? How did that caterpillar turn into a butterfly? Kids are bombarded daily with issues, mysteries, and observations... Read more
8.2.22 5 feedback game changers every teacher should try I think it’s safe to say that no one likes to feel ignored. I used to spend hours commenting on students’ work, only to feel ignored when they didn’t do anything with the feedback. I... Read more
7.28.22 How the right theory of change can inform and optimize your professional learning initiative What’s the best way to design and implement a large-scale professional learning initiative in your state or other large education system? The answer, of course, is “It depends.” It depends on... Read more
7.26.22 There’s always a way in special education. Don’t stop until you find it. I've spent most of my life thinking about students with disabilities. That may seem hyperbolic, but it’s not. I wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia until I was in sixth grade, after years of... Read more
7.22.22 More to do: Students are rebounding but haven’t recovered from COVID-related learning disruptions There are encouraging signs in newly available student achievement data from the 2021–2022 school year: evidence the nation’s education system is rebounding from the pandemic but has not yet... Read more
7.21.22 What families need to know to support their child’s writing I’m not a professional writer. I haven’t published a novel. I don’t work for a newspaper. But I do consider myself a writer because writing is a central part of my daily life: I scribble... Read more
7.19.22 The world’s worst scissors: Why design thinking matters in your classroom "I’d like to start with a quote.” Yawn. But really, try to process this one by Bill Moggridge: “It doesn’t occur to most people that everything is design—that every building and... Read more
7.14.22 7 steps to empowered data coaching Data is often drudgery for many educators. Much too often, student data is approached in a way that disempowers teachers—the primary influencers of student learning. In some cases, administrators... Read more
7.12.22 3 ways to support ambitious instruction in your school For school leaders, the task of rebuilding faith in the education system may never have been greater than it is today. As communities and schools struggle to recover from the challenges faced during... Read more
7.7.22 Helping students get to the truth with the News Literacy Project John F. Kennedy once stated, “Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” Those words still ring true today. Since the advent of college- and... Read more
7.5.22 Inspiring learners to act on formative assessment evidence As you may have seen in my previous post, I like to replace the word “data” with the term “learning evidence.” This helps me stay focused on making sure information is gathered and used in... Read more
6.30.22 Clear, shared, and focused: How to envision successful professional learning initiatives If you’re a state or district leader looking at the data on how kids are doing across your system, chances are you’re longing to see some improvements. Whether your main concern is literacy,... Read more