Signature Pedagogy Series, Part 6: Essential Pedagogies of Learning to Read
The following article is a part of our Signature Pedagogies in the K-12 Classroom series. “Signature pedagogies,” as defined by Schulman in 2005, are “the types of teaching that organize the fundamental ways in which future practitioners are educated for their new professions” and they include three critical aspects: how to think, perform, and act […]
4 Ways for Facilitators to Respond When Challenged in Training
In my career, I’ve been a teacher leader, a technology coach, an educational consultant, a professional learning coordinator, director of a virtual school, and a Director of Curriculum. I have presented on many, many topics to every level of teacher–from PreK all the way to PhD. I’ve had smooth sailing training sessions where everything went […]
Why the Digital Revolution Hasn’t Revolutionized Education…And Four Things We Can Do About It
by Kate Wolfe Maxlow You’ve bought the most current and groundbreaking technology for your schools. You’ve done the training session for all your teachers. And yet, how often have you seen any of the following? When the Digital Revolution started, educational leaders rightly proclaimed that it had the power to make learning accessible for all […]
Engaging Classrooms: Rethinking Instructional Time in Education (AbCD Learning Cycle)
by Kate Wolfe Maxlow In this age of screens and 30-second clips, it’s vital that educators keep abreast of the current research on student attention spans and how we leverage our instructional activities so that they’re developmentally appropriate. There’s both an art and science to stretching students’ attention spans successfully. Enter then: the AbCD Learning […]
Engaging Classrooms: Are Students Engaged…or Just Compliant? Here’s how to tell and what to do about it.
by Kate Wolfe Maxlow Picture it: you’re teaching your heart out with your carefully crafted slideshow. MacKenzie, as usual, sits in the front of the room, nodding along eagerly. As you make another brilliant point, you see her furrow her brow thoughtfully and write it down. William, meanwhile, sits in the back row, digging through […]
Engaging Classrooms: Why We Need More Arts in Every Classroom, Every Day
By Kate Wolfe Maxlow I can still sing the entire jingle from a Milky Way commercial that played non-stop on TV when I was five. I remember all of King Henry VIII’s wives from a coloring page activity I did when I was eight. I can name all of the states in alphabetical order because […]
Leadership Matters: Growth Mindsets…Do Our Actions Match our Words?
by Kate Wolfe Maxlow The term “growth mindset” is a well-worn phrase in education. Yet, sometimes we see schools where the staff talks a good talk about growth mindset, but certain actions or beliefs undercut the philosophy. It turns out, this can actually negatively impact the growth mindset of students. Why does this happen? Let’s […]
Follow through: It isn’t just about your golf swing (Part 1)
A couple of years ago I was looking at our school district’s data regarding the number of classroom observations that were being conducted. We had been focusing on using walk-through forms to collect data and follow through conversations to give teachers objective feedback regarding their teaching, Visible Learning and Teaching and student engagement. Many hours […]