Video games are at the center of the gamification of education. While this movement to make learning more engrossing and engaging for a new generation focuses on changes away from the screen, video games remain a fun way to help build understanding and practice skills. Amazingly, some of the greatest examples can be acquired for … Read more
Differentiating instruction for students based on readiness, interest, and learning style is a powerful way to make learning personal and effective. Research shows that giving students options in how they engage with content and skill practice often results in an overall increase in engagement and growth. When I made it a point to shift my … Read more
Any teacher or parent of adolescents will tell you, kids love to argue! With some effort, you can harness this natural inclination in your classroom as a way to improve your students’ content knowledge and literacy abilities. Two of the targeted initiatives in the Common Core standards are a focus on developing students’ speaking and … Read more
As long as there have been literature courses taught in schools, there have been students looking for short-cuts to avoid long reading assignments. One of the most well-known of these shortcuts (right behind “rent the movie”) has been Cliffs Notes. For decades, students have sought out the infamous black and yellow paperbacks as a way … Read more
Number-sense and the ability to estimate are skills that students will need in their every-day life. Unfortunately, these skills can be some of the most challenging to teach without practical experiences. One of the best places to cultivate the ability to do quick, mental-math estimation is on a trip to the grocery store. Here is … Read more