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At a recent workshop, a teacher posed a compelling question about the effectiveness of small-group versus whole-group instruction. This inquiry always prompts me to reflect: How many educators gather pre-assessment data before crafting their lesson plans? Such preliminary […]
In my last blog post, Using the Station Rotation Model in Math, I wrote about the benefits of shifting from a whole group, teacher-led lesson design to small-group differentiated instructional sessions. I make the case that the whole […]
Math is a linear subject, with each concept building on the one before. Math teachers are also responsible for covering a large number of standards in a school year. Most math curricula are designed for a whole group […]
In my work helping teachers to shift from whole group, teacher-led lessons to differentiated small group student-centered learning experiences, I am asked questions that seem grounded in the belief that students cannot learn without the teacher. When I […]
In my last blog post titled “Part I: Maximize the Impact of Explicit Teaching with Blended Learning,” I explored the benefits of shifting from explicit teaching as a whole class experience to a differentiated small group experience. I […]
As a blended learning expert, I’ve worked with educators who sometimes mistakenly assume that blended learning means abandoning explicit teaching or explicit instruction. In this blog, I’ll explore how teachers can maximize the impact of explicit teaching when […]
In my last blog post titled Part I: Station Rotation Design Tip – Go Horizontal with Your Linear Agenda, I shared a strategy I refer to as “going horizontal” to help secondary teachers shift from traditional whole group, teacher-led […]
Today, I had the pleasure of delving into the station rotation model with a group of secondary teachers. We walked through the design process for all three types of stations – teacher-led, online, and offline. After reviewing five […]
At this point in the school year, you have had time to establish classroom routines, nurture your relationships with students, and design and facilitate entire units of study. It’s the perfect time to ask your students for feedback. […]
When Dr. Novak and I started writing our new book, Shift Writing into the Classroom, we anticipated that teachers outside of English Language Arts would take one look at the title and assume that the book was not […]
In our newest book, Shift Writing into the Classroom with UDL and Blended Learning, Dr. Katie Novak and I guide teachers in creating the time and space to support all parts of the writing process in the classroom. […]
While reading Adam Grant’s new book, Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things, I was struck by his distinction between teaching and coaching. He writes, “Teaching others can build our competence. But it’s coaching others that elevates […]