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The first and second blogs in this series focused on providing meaningful choices when students are acquiring information and making meaning. In this third and final installment of our “Would You Rather?” series, we will explore how we can provide students with choices that enable them to transfer and apply their learning effectively. Understanding that […]
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In this second installment of our “Would You Rather?” series, we will delve into strategies for facilitating meaning-making in the classroom. Once students have had an opportunity to acquire information, how can we support them in transforming that information into deep, personal understanding? How can we ensure that every student, regardless of their background or […]
Imagine you’re at a new, highly recommended restaurant, eager to try what you’ve heard is an exceptional dining experience. As you sit down and open the menu, your excitement dims—you realize it’s a fixed menu with no options for substitutions or alterations. You’re vegetarian, and all the courses feature meat. You speak with the server, […]
My children love “would you rather” questions. Would you rather go to the beach or the snow? Would you rather eat a cookie or a brownie? Would you rather watch a movie or read a book? They enjoy being presented with two options and getting to choose one. In a workshop last week, I was […]
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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 design strategies teachers can use to structure their teacher-led station to ensure it is differentiated and engaging, […]
Consider the last time you used a recipe to bake something, for example, a chocolate cake. Maybe it was a special occasion like a birthday, and you wanted to surprise someone with a homemade chocolate cake. The recipe details the ingredients you need, the sequence you should mix them in, and the exact temperature and […]
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Related Podcast Episode It was finals week, and my daughter was multitasking like a pro—eating breakfast, doing her hair, and getting ready for the day, all while paying rapt attention to something she was listening to on her phone. Curious, I asked, “What are you listening to?” She looked up and casually replied, “It’s for […]
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Written by Noelle Gutierrez Educators know the importance of academic vocabulary instruction. Student knowledge of academic words and phrases has a direct impact on their ability to acquire and comprehend information, which is why it should be a part of every subject area and class. As an instructional coach and administrator, I regularly observed teachers providing […]
Why Would a Teacher Use the Flipped Classroom Model? First, let’s establish the value of the flipped classroom in case you have never used this blended learning model. The flipped classroom was designed to invert the traditional approach to instruction and practice/application. Instead of spending precious class time transferring information live for the whole group […]
Blended learning environments offer a unique opportunity for teachers to shift the control of the learning experience from teacher to learner by combining active, engaged learning online and offline. However, teachers must leverage technology effectively and use data strategically to differentiate and personalize learning to ensure that all students progress towards firm standards-aligned goals. In […]
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The station rotation model is a popular K-12 blended learning model that rotates students through a series of stations or learning activities. The station rotation model comprises three types of stations: a) teacher-led, b) online, and c) offline. When I facilitate workshops on this model or coach teachers using this model, I get a lot […]
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In my last blog post, I said self-awareness is a foundational social-emotional learning skill. If students are unable to identify their emotions, thoughts, and values and recognize how they influence their behaviors, it will be challenging for them to develop the other SEL core competencies. As students understand themselves on a deeper level, they’re more […]