Teaching

Diagonal Alignment

A tool to integrate basic skills across the curriculum In working with teachers on integration and differentiation, there are a few obstacles that are prevalent in almost every group. Logistics in implementing this approach in a system that is currently used is a common hurdle. Another hurdle is trying to integrate curriculums to determine what

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Renewing Our Dedication to Assessing for Learning

Assess with a commitment to compassion, collaboration, and the goal of helping students succeed It’s easy to become jaded about assessment, but I’m going to offer a different view that will hopefully make assessment a tool for learning instead of just an after-the-fact event. We can’t always control all of the assessments our students take, so set

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Collaborative, Individualized, and Competitive Learning

What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Collaborative, individualized, and competitive learning are instructional methods that can be used with the project-based learning approach in middle school, with collaborative learning (sometimes known as cooperative learning) likely being the most popular. Project-based learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by

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Four Ways to Tweak Group Projects

Fostering more risk-taking, creativity, and true collaboration Aiden, an eighth grader, wanted to vent about his latest group project. He had to work with classmates to design an environmentally sustainable home in Vietnam. This involved sourcing local palm thatching and bamboo, understanding the local culture, and calculating measurements. “I’m sure I’ll do the whole thing,”

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