It’s an essential skill across subject areas, something we expect students to just do, but rarely do we actually teach them how.
I wonder if many teachers who are not "Reading Teachers" feel comfortable teaching their students to write notes about the texts they're reading.
Students who are going to share their new knowledge about a topic might use an audio tool like Soundtrap to create a podcast, and ones who will gather a handful of videos they recorded during a science experiment might use Book Creator to share their learning. Focusing on the features students need in order to share their learning with the world can help us place tasks before apps.
Often the best way to close a unit of instruction is to invite students to showcase their process of learning, particularly if the unit features a hands-on component. I'd like to collaborate with a teacher who wants to have students use Book Creator to articulate their understanding of new knowledge/skills.
Ensure ownership of classroom norms by building them together with students and focusing on the positive qualities you all want to see in the classroom community (e.g., “Show respect by listening when others talk” versus “no talking over each other”).
Creating norms together, rather than posting rules, has a way of getting buy-in and students hold each other accountable.
When they return to school in the New Year, it’s not always an easy reentry. Things they had pretty well figured out by December may suddenly prove difficult or unfamiliar come January.
Can someone share an example of this from recent classroom or shop experience?