Weaving the fun of cosplaying with social studies gives history a life of its own. Every summer, thousands of comic book fans make the trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, for HeroesCon. During this three-day convention, hundreds of fans dress up like Batman, Stormtroopers, Spiderman, Iron Man, taking on the persona of their favorite superheroes. The
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A student assistant program opens up opportunities for students and teachers. “So, you’re saying you think the length of the pendulum is the most important variable affecting its frequency. Do you have data you can show me that supports this?” A question like that is common in sixth grade science classrooms across the country, but
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Make introductory lessons opportunities for higher-level critical thinking. One of my favorite administrative responsibilities is visiting classrooms and observing lessons. I view those visits and the follow-up conversations with teachers as opportunities to share ideas and expand our thinking about what good teaching entails. Recent conversations with teachers got me thinking about introductory lessons—the lessons
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Graffiti murals promote comprehension and student voice. Some see graffiti as vandalism; others see it as a work of art. Urban artists use graffiti to send political messages—as a form of meaning making in the larger society. Indiana University Professor David Hanauer suggests that graffiti offers marginal groups the opportunity to express themselves publicly. In the middle
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Changing the classroom structure can be as effective as differentiating content. Konawaena Middle School was created as a school within a high school to meet the unique needs of the early adolescents. One of the outstanding features of this school is its commitment to the heterogeneous grouping of students. When I began teaching at Konawaena
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With more testing than ever in years past, I realized that I was forgoing the most important part of my job description, which was getting to know my students. One lazy Saturday morning, an idea came to me while watching Inside the Actors Studio. Why not hold an interview for my students and allow their
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