Group items tagged

A project is a multistep activity undertaken by an individual or group to achieve a particular aim. With that broad definition there's a lot of project-based learning happening in schools these days. Some is better than others and there are a lot of variations: some thin, some deep; some teacher-led, some student-driven; some with clear deliverables, and some very open-ended.

Since digital reading is still in its infancy, for many adults it's hard to know exactly what the issues are-what's happening to a young brain when reading online? Should kids be reading more paper books, and why? Do other digital activities, like video games and social media apps, affect kids' ability to reach deep understanding when reading longer content, like books? And how do today's kids learn to toggle between paper and the screen?

"To develop understanding of a topic or subject area, one has to experience and engage in Authentic Intellectual Activity. That means solving problems, making decisions, and developing new understanding using methods and tools (Ritchhart, Church & Morrison, 2011). Exploring a range of Thinking Pathways allows teachers and students to move beyond surface learning that focuses on the memorisation of knowledge and facts, to more deep and reflective learning that is focused on developing understanding through more active and constructive processes."

Author visits are powerful for hooking students to books. Both face-to-face and virtual author visits are worth consideing

The need for "deep embedding of the Essential Question (EQ) into the unit design and lessons that make it up. "

"Asking students a series of essential questions at the start of a course signals that deep engagement is a requirement."

" 5 pieces of content on the topic of supporting reading from researchers in Australia and from overseas. In the resources below, you can access information on guidance given to primary schools in England on the early stages of teaching reading, read an open access research paper on a survey of over 500 educators who shared how they support students with reading difficulties, and look at an article that offers a deep dive into phonemic proficiency. "

The makerspace isn't just a fixed space where kids come and go to complete busywork. It's an extension of a well-established approach to educating students that has applications and deep implications across disciplines.

A detailed discussion on the merits of inquiry learning that includes an introduction, authenticity, deep understanding, performances of understanding, assessment, appropriate use of technology, connecting with peers, student success and ethical citizenship. The blog is not active.

Video clip that unpacks the two aspects - inquiry and learning - to explore the types of learning and tasks that encourage deep thinking and learning.

Teacher read-alouds demonstrate the power of stories. By showing students the ways that involvement with text engages us, we give them energy for learning how reading works. By showing them how to search for meaning, we introduce strategies of understanding we can reinforce in shared, guided, and independent reading.

Teacher read-alouds demonstrate the power of stories. By showing students the ways that involvement with text engages us, we give them energy for learning how reading works. By showing them how to search for meaning, we introduce strategies of understanding we can reinforce in shared, guided, and independent reading.

Bookmatching-recommending books to students based on their interests-takes a bit of work, but can foster a deep love of reading.