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We share evidence-based K-12 learning strategies that empower you to improve education.

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More School Time, Well Spent, Boosts Academic Achievement and Engagement at Edwards Middle School

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Five Keys to Successful Social and Emotional Learning

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A Parent's Guide to 21st-Century Learning

Blogs on Middle (6-8)

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Information Literacy

Andrew MarcinekJuly 2, 2010

Tags Technology Integration, Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

How many times have you encountered this response: I typed it into Google, and really couldn't find anything.

WHAT!

How is this possible? We live in the information age; the age in which information is literally at our fingertips. My mother just came in the kitchen. She was asking me about making poor man's lobster. I asked her what exactly that is.

"Let me find the card with the recipe on it"

STEM: Virtual Projects to Inspire Lessons in Your Classroom

Dr. Katie KlingerJune 27, 2010

Tags Curriculum, Project-Based Learning, Teacher Development, Middle (6-8), Science

STEM at MIT is an exciting Web site experience that promotes their summer institute, mentoring program, and parents' programming. The site also offers a resource page with links to NASA Kids, Discovery Channel, and the MIT museum.

The Challenges of Teaching Honors Students

Heather Wolpert-GawronJune 16, 2010

Tags Primary (K-2), Teacher Development, Middle (6-8)

It's hard to compartmentalize middle schoolers. I mean there's just so many levels, cliques, shapes, and sizes. It's almost as if each kid is their own species for this brief time in their lives, bubbling in this brew of tween-ness until they all settle down and come together one day as sophomores.

Social Media in Education: The Power of Facebook

Heather Wolpert-GawronMay 7, 2010

Tags Project-Based Learning, Technology Integration, Middle (6-8), Arizona, Science

As a teacher and a new mom, it didn't take long for me to find Facebook as a supplement for my stunted social life. And as any FB user knows, once you join, you become inundated with photos of new babies, comments about friends' recent bodily functions, quiz results, and mysterious requests for farm equipment or mafia weapons.

Do Your Final Projects Challenge and Motivate Students?

Elena AguilarApril 19, 2010

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Project-Based Learning, Middle (6-8), California, History

One summer, I spent weeks planning the following year's curriculum. By the time school started, I had rough plans for a culminating project: a living museum

Stirring Students to Ask Tougher Questions

Heather Wolpert-GawronApril 16, 2010

Tags Brain Research, Comprehensive Assessment, Teacher Development, Middle (6-8), English Language Arts

I recently introduced Costa's Levels of Questioning to my students. We have some teachers at my school talking about these triggers of metacognition, so it compliments everyone's efforts to enter this discussion in the classroom.

Are We Stigmatizing the Students We Most Want to Help?

Claus von ZastrowMarch 23, 2010

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Teacher Development, Middle (6-8), Delaware

A high school principal recently caught me off guard. When I asked him how he deals with the challenges of educating students who are still learning English, he had this to say

The Important Lessons to Teach

Heather Wolpert-GawronMarch 12, 2010

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Teacher Development, Technology Integration, Middle (6-8)

So I've become a Guy Kawasaki fan. It all started when I was searching for commencement day speeches for the students on the speech and debate team to compete with.

Got a Sub? Team Teach with Twitter

Heather Wolpert-GawronNovember 29, 2009

Tags , Teacher Development, Technology Integration, Middle (6-8), California

I've always been a multitasker. It frustrated my own teachers at times in that I always needed to be doing two things at once in order to be fully alert. My brain works like riding a bicycle: If I move too slowly, my attention span simply tips over.