How to Improve Student Outcomes with Blended Learning

Before and After: The Journey To Blended Learning  Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there were departments full of teachers fighting over laptop carts. Some departments

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Learning Journeys: How to Bring the Joy of Traveling Direct to Your Classes

Discovering Learning Journeys  What was the first thing you thought about on the last day of school? I bet I can guess? Vacation time! Where would you go? Who would you go with? What would

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How to support student writers without relying on writing formulas—Part 1: Quick Writes

Moving Beyond the 5-Paragraph Essay During my presentation at the Secondary Schools Writing Centers Association (SSWCA) Conference this past weekend, a participant asked how she could support her

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Why Traditional Approaches to Curriculum Design Don’t work

Why Traditional Approaches to Curriculum Design Don’t Work And What We Should All Be Doing Instead The Problem with Traditional Approaches to Curriculum Design The problem with traditional

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Why (and How) We Should All Be Teaching Living Poets

This past weekend, I had the great joy of participating in the VATE Conference in Orkney Springs, Virginia. One of the most impactful breakout sessions I attended was one in which the hosts explored

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5 Reasons to Use Rubrics

The Pitfalls of Trying to Measure “All The Things”  Are you using rubrics? This blog explores 5 reasons you should be. The other day, I came across a post in

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Preparing for the Unexpected: Crisis Management in the Classroom

The desks are arranged, the pencils are sharpened, and stacks of syllabi are waiting to be dispersed. Your classroom is ready for the new school year. Or is it?  When most

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Making Connections: How to Reimagine Back to School Activities

A Multi-Page Survey Anyone? How NOT to do Back to School It seems like every August the question on every teacher’s mind is: what am I going to

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High Interest Books for Teens

High Interest Books for Teens We all know that students need to read more. But if we’re being honest, we know that many teens are not reading the

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Fun & Functional: Developing Learning Activities That are Both Meaningful and Engaging

Fun and Functional Like many educators, I strive to develop learning activities that are both meaningful and engaging. No matter how important an instructional task may be, the

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