A brief guide to engaging students in narrative writing by having them program robots to act out their stories.

This site hosts a library of video lessons, projects, and investigations teachers can use with their gifted students. The focus is on the Depth and Complexity framework.

Classroom Discussion is when students are invited to speak about the topic at hand with clear procedures for engaging in different roles during discussion. This strategy expands upon a teacher or student posing the class a question, then another, etc., to promote student engagement through students discussing set topics with each other, often prompted from an open and not closed set of questions.

Standardized rubric showing proficiency|in particular|competes in student-friendly language. Students are allotted choice in representing their mastery.

Collective Teacher Efficacy refers to the shared belief that through their collective action, teachers can influence student outcomes and increase achievement for all students (Donohoo 2017). Hattie (2018) explains collective teacher efficacy goes beyond “growth mindset” and is a belief that a group of teachers “can make the difference.” In addition, this belief must be fueled by evidence that student learning is indeed increasing. Collective teacher efficacy is not a classroom strategy, rather it is a systems-level approach to supporting teachers and ultimately, students.

Designing inclusive instruction takes intentional planning and collaboration. The goal of these modules is to learn more about Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework developed by CAST, and how to support educators to design learning experiences that are inclusive for each and every learner.

Differentiation refers to a wide variety of teaching techniques and lesson adaptations that educators use to instruct a diverse group of students. It can involve different activities to different groups of students, recognition of multiple pathways and flexibility of time to complete the tasks. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a proactive approach to designing learning experiences to be accessible for all students, while differentiation is a reactive evaluation of the needs of individual students where adjustments are retrofitted into the learning environment. Some people use the terms synonymously, but they are different.

Enrichment Programs such as exploratory activities, in-depth materials on a topic, and self-selected independent projects provide gifted and talented students with opportunities to add to or go beyond the existing curriculum, since gifted and talented students generally gain a basic understanding of content standards quickly. Activities may also be extended to those who may not necessarily be officially classified as gifted, but excel in certain areas.

Explicit Instruction is an evidence-based approach to effective instruction that provides a series of engaging instructional supports or scaffolds. Explicit Instruction includes the design of effective lessons as well as highly responsive and interactive teaching. It teaches complex skills through the clear presentation of material, high levels of student engagement, frequent opportunities to respond with feedback, and systematic use of scaffolds. Initial practice is carried out with high levels of teacher involvement. As students gain proficiency, the educator reduces support, and provides sufficient practice so that students are able to independently apply their new skills in a wide variety of situations.

Flipped Classrooms are a structure in which traditional classroom activities (such as lecture) are reviewed at home or before the class, often via pre-recorded video or audio presentations, which prepares the students for more interactive, discovery, questioning, and engagement in active learning activities in the classroom itself. In a flipped classroom, the background knowledge is expected to be gained through what has historically been “homework” and the kinds of activities done historically outside of classroom hours, such as cooperative learning, application-and practice, are done at school with the support of the teacher and peers.

Inquiry-Based Teaching is the practice of allowing students to drive their learning through generating their own questions and seeking to develop answers through processes that involve gathering evidence, analyzing the data from that evidence and drawing conclusions based on their findings. Students demonstrate their understanding through the process of investigating the questions they have, as well as completing projects that allow them to experience learning through inquiry.

The secondary supplemental mathematics course is designed to provide just-in-time,
customized support for students during the school day who would benefit from extra scaffolded
instruction in addition to their core mathematics course.

Microteaching is a video recording of a lesson made by an educator followed by a debriefing with colleagues. The lesson is collaboratively reviewed in order to improve the teaching and learning experience.

Each Mini Moves for Writers video teaches you how to use one professional writing move that will enhance your writing style|argumentation|voice|grammar|or organization. Check out just one to help you master a specific move|or watch multiple videos to make your writing into a professional masterpiece.

Welcome to the world of Personalized Competency-Based Learning (PCBL) in the English Language Arts (ELA) classroom! Here, we believe that learning should be tailored to meet the unique needs and abilities of each student. By sharing resources, design strategies, and examples of successful implementation, the goal of this website is to empower educators and students to embrace this innovative approach to education. Join us as we explore the limitless possibilities of PCBL and discover how it can revolutionize the way ELA is taught and learned.

Response to Intervention (RTI) aims to identify students who are making inadequate progress and provide them evidence based support to address learning and/or behavior needs. The goal of RTI is to intervene through targeted teaching interventions before students fall too far behind. RTI relies on teachers using data to measure student progress and provide just in time support to learners. RTI is not a special education program, but can help educators identify struggling learners who may qualify for special education services.

Scaffolded supports (for example, visual, verbal and written supports) are provided as temporary assistance to students so they can successfully complete tasks that they cannot yet do independently and with a high rate of success. Teachers model and scaffold steps or processes needed to understand content and concepts, apply skills, and complete tasks successfully and independently. Ongoing changes (e.g., pacing, examples, etc.) occur throughout the sequence based on student performance.

Small Group Learning is an instructional approach where students are grouped into smaller groups within the class to facilitate collaborative learning. Students work together and receive customized supports from the teacher to achieve a shared learning goal, but unlike cooperative learning, they may not necessarily have specific roles or tasks assigned to them.

A form for students to brainstorm|plan|and submit a proposal for an interest-based project.