ED Surge

JANUARY 21, 2025

Jami Rhue thought her first stint as a school librarian would be a quick detour in her career as a classroom teacher. But by the time she was heading up her own elementary school classroom in Chicago, she found herself missing the library and longing to teach media literacy again. If you can't manage, you can't teach.

Library 106

Library Charter School Education Lesson Plan 106

ED Surge

JANUARY 25, 2023

Problem-solving and critical thinning: Encouraged problem-solving and critical thinking. Instructional monitoring: Monitored student progress and adjusted their teaching strategy as needed. Older students were also more likely to report teachers using complex, high-impact teaching practices. “In

Teaching 123

Teaching Critical Thinking Middle School Research 123

Dangerously Irrelevant

JANUARY 24, 2023

And so it begins… I am on sabbatical in Spring 2023, unpacking deeper learning in elementary and middle schools. If there is an inquiry- and problem-based learning school that serves grades K-8 that you think I should try and visit, or if you’d like to learn more about what I’m doing and learning, please get in touch!

Middle School 86

Middle School Leadership Advocacy Critical Thinking 86

The Hechinger Report

JANUARY 2, 2023

Researchers randomly assigned 21 elementary and middle schools to receive arts education first and watched what happened to 8,000 of their students in grades three through eight. They compared them with 8,000 students at 21 other schools that had to wait and didn’t get the extra arts for at least a couple years.

Teaching 145

Teaching Museum Elementary School Critical Thinking 145

ED Surge

JANUARY 16, 2025

Analog Solutions for Digital Problems Shari Camhi, superintendent of Baldwin Union Free School District in New York, says that cell phones have never been seen as anything but a distraction in the district of about 4,500 students. Theyre not allowed at all on elementary and middle school campuses.

K-12 118

K-12 Middle School Critical Thinking High School 118

ED Surge

MAY 21, 2024

Ellen Galinsky has been on a seven-year quest to understand what brain science says about how to better teach and parent adolescent children. And then critical thinking, like making a decision on the basis of what you think is valid and accurate information and going forth in implementing that decision.

Teaching 140

Teaching Humanities Critical Thinking Middle School 140

Dangerously Irrelevant

MAY 31, 2017

Some folks know that I started my education career as a middle school Social Studies teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina. For instance, if I was teaching Social Studies today… My students and I definitely would be tapping into an incredible diversity of online resources.

Social Studies 76

Social Studies Teaching Archiving Geography 76

TCI

JANUARY 6, 2025

TCIs Social Studies programs for Mississippi were recognized for their comprehensive approach to fostering critical thinking, inquiry-based learning, and active engagement. TCIs K-12 programs are based on proven teaching strategies and practices that bring learning alive and achieve consistent, positive classroom results.

K-12 52

K-12 Social Studies Local History Critical Thinking 52

The Hechinger Report

FEBRUARY 11, 2021

West, an associate professor, and Professor Carl Bergstrom teach “Calling BS: Data Reasoning in a Digital World” (although the actual course listing uses the more colorful language). Related: Can we teach our way out of political polarization? We’re teaching web credibility as if it’s 2002,” he said.

K-12 145

K-12 Civics Critical Thinking Middle School 145

Digital Promise

JANUARY 15, 2019

Rather than taking a traditional multiple choice test at the end of their unit on weather, sixth grade students at Gilbert Middle School in South Carolina created their own live weather reports—complete with green screens and fake snow.

Middle School 134

Middle School Critical Thinking Tradition Teaching 134

The Hechinger Report

MARCH 8, 2021

“Naysayers may think that project-based learning is progressive and it’s chasing butterflies in the backyard,” said Kristin De Vivo, executive director of Lucas Education Research, a unit of the Lucas foundation that commissioned outside researchers to conduct the evaluations. Not every attempt at project-based learning worked.

Project-Based Learning 145

Project-Based Learning Middle School Social Studies High School 145

TCI

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

Research shows that active learning increases student performance, reduces failure rates, and fosters deeper critical thinking. In the 1980s and 1990s, research confirmed the effectiveness of active learning , leading to its integration into modern teaching methodologies across K-12 and higher education. What Is Active Learning?

K-12 52

K-12 Education Critical Thinking Tradition 52

ED Surge

MAY 8, 2023

That’s the question the middle school class was struggling to answer. Fractions hadn’t really connected with the students, says John Barclay, a teacher in Richmond Public Schools in Virginia. It takes critical thinking and a sense for the numbers to even understand how or why a student’s approach might be wrong, Barclay says.

K-12 135

K-12 Critical Thinking Middle School Pedagogy 135

ED Surge

FEBRUARY 14, 2024

Imagine IM’s Inspire Math video Climbing Mount Everest links the drama of mountaineering to middle school work on percentages. It fosters critical thinking, problem-solving skills and a deeper understanding of mathematical principles by placing students as active learners rather than passive recipients of information.

Education 125

Education Pedagogy Critical Thinking Middle School 125

Psych Learning Curve

JANUARY 31, 2020

Researchers say that reducing the burden of teaching experienced by so many teachers is critical to improve student success — both academically and behaviorally. Researchers say that reducing the burden of teaching experienced by so many teachers is critical to improve student success — both academically and behaviorally.

Middle School 52

Middle School Psychology Critical Thinking Cultures 52

ED Surge

MARCH 22, 2022

School is not the problem. This statement was shared by a former middle school student of mine during his freshman year of high school. John* was getting all A’s and one B in stark contrast to the B’s, C’s, and D’s received in middle school. Students are the problem.”

Middle School 120

Middle School Tradition Critical Thinking High School 120

Digital Promise

MAY 23, 2019

Verizon Innovative Learning schools standouts. Congratulations to the Verizon Innovative Learning schools’ 2018-19 Schools of Excellence Award winners: District of the Year: Strong Out of the Gate. Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, Kentucky (Cohort 5). Rising Star/Trailblazer Award. Model for Sustainability.

Middle School 121

Middle School Leadership Public School Professional Development 121

Digital Promise

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

Across the country, schools are adopting new approaches to teaching and learning in order to prepare students for life in a technology-rich world. Students who participate in guided collaborative projects improve critical thinking and social skills needed for college and careers ( P21 , 2015). Why is this important?

K-12 120

K-12 Education Civics Middle School 120

The Hechinger Report

DECEMBER 28, 2020

What stands out for me is how readers remain interested in basic research into how kids learn, from reading to critical thinking to collaborating with peers. A study on teaching critical thinking in science. Policymakers underfunded public colleges and universities as they steered people toward them.

Research 120

Research Tutoring Education Critical Thinking 120

ED Surge

NOVEMBER 7, 2022

Remember that heavy feeling you sometimes got as a kid heading into yet another school day? Middle school Guidance Counselor Rachelle Vallon remembers the feeling, too. But she doesn't want that to be how kids experience school going forward. It's very much scaffolded, especially when students come into sixth grade.

Middle School 120

Middle School Critical Thinking Humanities High School 120

The Hechinger Report

DECEMBER 21, 2023

. “At its core, it needs to really help students critically think and accelerate learning. Do the word problems pose questions that help students think critically about themselves or the data that they’re using?” That’s what I look at when I look at lessons.

K-12 131

K-12 Cultures Critical Thinking Middle School 131

ED Surge

AUGUST 16, 2023

Recently, EdSurge spoke with Molly Castner, a middle school ELA teacher who, intrigued by the prospect of providing real-time feedback to students and fostering critical thinking, embraced the integration of AI in her classroom. You are still a thinking and feeling human being!

Education 98

Education Middle School Critical Thinking Teaching 98

The Hechinger Report

OCTOBER 2, 2023

These and similar scenes from public schools around the country are more than just young learners having fun with recycled materials. This is STEM education in action: Hands-on projects help students develop critical thinking skills while sparking interest in science, technology, engineering and math.

K-12 138

K-12 Elementary School Museum Critical Thinking 138

ED Surge

OCTOBER 9, 2023

But nothing felt quite right, until he considered teaching. Teaching, Brown thought, offered him an opportunity to continue to learn and talk about history and government every day while paying forward the passion that was imbued in him at any early age. But I did enjoy teaching. This month, we are featuring Caleb Brown.

History 128

History Museum Social Studies Geography 128

Digital Promise

FEBRUARY 5, 2019

“The DLP seems to have taken hold and has been embraced by everyone,” said Teresa Engler, technology coach at McGuffey Middle School in Pennsylvania. I’ve seen the staff sharing ideas, working on projects collaboratively, showing interest in what others are doing, and teaching one another how to use new tech tools and devices.

Cultures 97

Cultures Middle School Critical Thinking Teaching 97

TCI

OCTOBER 15, 2024

With schools facing the challenges of remote learning, different learning styles, and changing dynamics, video teaching strategies have become an important tool for teachers. While watching videos can be passive, video teaching strategies engage students in active learning.

Teaching 52

Teaching Education K-12 Critical Thinking 52

TCI

OCTOBER 15, 2024

With schools facing the challenges of remote learning, different learning styles, and changing dynamics, video teaching strategies have become an important tool for teachers. While watching videos can be passive, video teaching strategies engage students in active learning.

Teaching 52

Teaching K-12 Critical Thinking Tradition 52

ED Surge

JULY 17, 2023

As technology becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, schools are recognizing the importance of equipping every student with a personal device to facilitate digital learning. EdSurge: What was the device rollout planning process like for Newburg Middle School? When you explain the why to people, they are all in.

Education 98

Education Middle School Library Professional Development 98

Digital Promise

FEBRUARY 21, 2017

Educators can lay the groundwork for this generational shift not only by teaching environmental science, but also by fostering an awareness of how students’ own actions can help or harm our world. Middle school, with flexible curriculums and idealistic, determined students, can be an ideal time to delve into environmental causality.

Teaching 48

Teaching Middle School Critical Thinking History 48

The Hechinger Report

MAY 23, 2020

How Schools Are preparing – and Not Preparing – Children for Climate Change,” reported by HuffPost and The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. When Rebecca Brewer started teaching high school biology 20 years ago, it seemed like everyone trusted science.

Controversial Topics 117

Controversial Topics Middle School Lesson Plan Teaching 117

Digital Promise

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

Through school visits and panel discussions with TDSB officials, district leaders explored local policies and systems, the use of data for equity, and professional development and training for teachers and leaders, keeping an eye and ear toward what they could bring back to their own school communities.

Middle School 106

Middle School Social Justice Cultures Professional Development 106

Digital Promise

MARCH 5, 2020

The Future Ready Librarians ® initiative has already changed the conversation about ways in which teacher librarians lead, teach, and support innovative learning in schools. Bobbie Lowe Teacher Librarian. With teacher librarians across the U.S. A key part of the Future Ready Librarians Framework is empowering students as creators.

Library 117

Library Artifacts Advocacy Tradition 117

TCI

SEPTEMBER 16, 2024

Building a toolbox of teaching strategies can help educators meet the needs of students and bring social studies to life. By integrating activities that require movement and discussion, educators can foster critical thinking and deeper engagement with the material. Through active learning, students tap into their curiosity.

Social Studies 52

Social Studies Teaching Professional Development Geography 52

The Hechinger Report

OCTOBER 4, 2016

Ryan Ren, 14, loves the soccer fields around his middle school in Arcadia, California. But Ryan, now a student at Dana Middle School, hasn’t been to Guangzhou in a while. Dana Middle School is located in the Arcadia Unified School District, home to over a thousand students learning English.

K-12 111

K-12 Private School Middle School Tutoring 111

The Hechinger Report

MAY 8, 2019

Their school schedules don’t make distinctions among the four core subjects, which are co-taught by two teachers in an interdisciplinary, project-based environment. After piloting it last year, the public middle school expanded the concept to seventh grade, too, though it looks a little different with the older students.

Project-Based Learning 112

Project-Based Learning Tradition Middle School Social Studies 112

Digital Promise

JUNE 13, 2018

According to the Future of Jobs Report by the World Economic Forum, creativity is one of the top three most important skills for future workers, along with complex problem solving and critical thinking. With its tech-infused curriculum, Verizon Innovative Learning is changing the way teachers teach and students learn.

Middle School 82

Middle School Critical Thinking Economics History 82

Digital Promise

DECEMBER 15, 2014

We expanded the League of Innovative Schools , our national network of forward-thinking school districts, and partnered with middle schools to create innovative learning environments. League of Innovative Schools. At Digital Promise, we saw tremendous growth in 2014. ” Melissa Gedney.

Education 110

Education Civics Pedagogy Lesson Plan 110