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Browse by Topic: Teaming

Student Agency

Research Summary

A typical middle school classroom includes young adolescents with a range of skills, interests, abilities, and personalities. One student may relate any topic of study to a favorite sport or video game. Another...
Author: Amanda Wall, Dixie Massey, Margaret Vaughn
Number of views (9048)/Comments (0)/
Topics: Research
Tags: Student EngagementStudent MotivationDemocratic ClassroomResearch Summary

Moving into Action: Middle Level Learners as Change Agents

Robust learning happens when students have choice and voice in curriculum.

"Students in the middle grades … have the ability to perceive deep truths and are making decisions that will affect the way they live the rest of their lives. This transitional time between childhood and...
Author: Maggie McHugh, Penny Reedy, Ann Yehle
Number of views (12340)/Comments (0)/
Topics: School Culture/ClimateTeaching
Tags: Student EngagementStudent MotivationDemocratic ClassroomInquiry-based Learning
"Hands-Joined" Projects

"Hands-Joined" Projects

A framework for co-developing projects with teachers and students.

Ask a middle school teacher to explain why student-centered projects are a logical choice for young adolescents and you are bound to hear about the numerous ways in which these projects provide students with...
Author: Jessica Demink-Carthew, Jeremy DeMink
Number of views (18062)/Comments (2)/
Topics: CurriculumTeaching
Tags: Project Based LearningDemocratic ClassroomInquiry-based Learning
Tag It—"Graffiti" in the Classroom

Tag It—"Graffiti" in the Classroom

Graffiti murals promote comprehension and student voice.

Some see graffiti as vandalism; others see it as a work of art. Urban artists use graffiti to send political messages—as a form of meaning making in the larger society. Indiana University Professor David Hanauer...
Author: Samina Hadi-Tabassum
Number of views (33598)/Comments (1)/
Topics: ELL/ESL/ESOLTeaching
Tags: Student EngagementDemocratic ClassroomLiteratureReadingLiteracy
Driving Instruction: Giving Students the Wheel

Driving Instruction: Giving Students the Wheel

Giving students choices speaks to their wants and needs.

Think back to the last time you took a road trip. As the driver, you might have used a GPS or map to help you navigate, or even asked advice from your passenger. But ultimately, as the driver, you made the final...
Author: Olga Lehmann, Joyell Weimer
Number of views (16536)/Comments (0)/
Topics: Teaching
Tags: Student EngagementDemocratic ClassroomVocabulary
Value of Talk at the Middle Level

Value of Talk at the Middle Level

Why is talk important for learning? It helps us articulate what we know and believe and gives us the chance to try out different ideas to see if they have credibility under scrutiny from others. If we can learn to...
Author: Susan Edwards
Number of views (23353)/Comments (0)/
Topics: Teaching
Tags: Democratic ClassroomNew TeachersOral Language
The Power of Positive Relationships

The Power of Positive Relationships

The research is clear: humans are literally "hard-wired" with the desire and need to connect. We are social beings who thrive on healthy relationships. And yet, the importance of positive relationships in our schools...
Author: Tara Brown
Number of views (91746)/Comments (0)/
Topics: Classroom ManagementTeaching
Tags: Democratic Classroom

Losing the Fear of Sharing Control: Starting a Reading Workshop

We stood in the empty classroom. Lisa looked up at me. "I couldn't understand what I read last night," she said. I looked at her, speechless. The class was reading a novel, and I wondered why Lisa had been failing...
Author: Lesley Roessing
Number of views (14165)/Comments (0)/
Topics: Language Arts and Literacy
Tags: Student EngagementDemocratic ClassroomLiteratureReadingLiteracy

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