Listen to Julie Stern discussing learning transfer on the Leaders Coaching Leaders podcast with Peter DeWitt: This blog is part four of a series on learning transfer. For more on teaching for transfer, see this first post, this second post and this third post. What are you passionate about outside
It’s 1:52pm on the last day of school. There are about two dozen sixteen-year-olds in my 7th block class sitting in a giant circle. No one is on their cell phone. No one is distracted. Everyone is focused, attentive. The conversation dances across topics and disciplines: history,
To stack the cards in favor of students leading small group discussions, stay with me as I recount a recent visit to an eighth grade class: Students sat in rows. They had just finished reading “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury. At first, students appeared excited about Bradbury’s story. Sitting in the middle of a
Why don't they give spelling tests anymore? * How come teachers don't correct student spelling? * What can I do at home? * Should I buy one of those workbooks this summer? I have been asked these questions more times than I can count. It makes
Most often when we ask teachers about why they want their students to learn certain topics, we hear teachers say that they hope their students will lead productive lives in the future. They want students to be strong thinkers, problem solvers, readers, writers, and speakers. They want kids to see
Both knowledge and paint have no use until applied. I’ve always liked this adage, perhaps because as a teacher and a parent, I see firsthand that knowledge… is not enough. Application is everything or to use the trendy term du jour, transfer, is the hallmark
According to the World Economic Forum (2016), the top three skills required for work in 2020 are complex problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity. The traditional model of schooling, where students take a passive role in their learning, does not encourage the engagement and rigor required
What if we could truly do school differently? Picture a fifth grader who has identified animals as one of her passions. She has chosen to work on the problem of endangered species and make recommendations for improving the situation. Monday morning starts off with a Skype
Pollution and contamination of the environment, the rise and spread of international terrorism, a polarized populace, global poverty—the question for our generation of teachers is, “How do we prepare young people to tackle problems we currently don’t know how to solve?” This generation of school-aged