Better Learning for Schools

http://traffic.libsyn.com/remarkablechatter/writing_for_the_governement.mp3 This podcasts explores what it is like to be an educator who writes for the government.  Our guest is Suzy[...] The post Writing For The Government (Better Learning For Schools #40) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/remarkablechatter/Minkels_Elementary_Writing_Tips.mp3   This podcast explores writing in education with our guest–Justin Minkel.  Justin is an elementary school teacher and was[...] The post Minkel’s Elementary Writing Tips (Better Learning For Schools #39 appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/remarkablechatter/interview_glenn_wiebe.mp3   In this podcast, we visit with Glenn Wiebe.  He is an educator, social studies guru, and blogger on[...] The post Making Time to Write (Better Learning For Schools #38) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/remarkablechatter/academic_writing_tips_janet_stramel.mp3   Since writing is an attempt to fix meaning on the page, do you think educators are held to[...] The post Academic Writing Tips From The Doctor (Better Learning For Schools #37) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

Did you know there are essentially five different types of writing? The types of writing teachers are engaged in the most depends[...] The post Different Writing Strokes For Different Folks (Better Learning For Schools #37) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

Conventional wisdom holds that one of the best ways to help student learn to engage in critical thinking is to[...] The post Critical Thinking and Writing (Better Learning For Schools #36) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

It is one thing to help teachers to find the time to write.  It is quite another to give them[...] The post Getting Teachers to Write (Better) {Better Learning For Schools #35} appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

One of the most challenging aspects of being an educator is getting those outside of the profession to take you[...] The post When A Teacher’s Writing Goes Viral (Better Learning For Schools #34) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

In education, just because everyone claims to be doing something similar doesn’t ensure that they are doing it well…or the[...] The post Recalibrating Project-Based Learning (Better Learning For Schools #33) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

As human-beings, we tend to learn the most when we are given something to do and a problem to solve.[...] The post Getting Your Feet Wet with Project-based Learning (Better Learning For Schools #32) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

Young people’s brains are designed to solve problems. Once they are invested in a something challenging, they will often do[...] The post Orchestrating Compelling Problems for Students to Solve (Better Learning For Schools #31) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

If you ever want to have a bit fun, walk up to a group of educators and ask them—does spelling[...] The post Does Spelling Really Matter? — Part 2 (Better Learning For Schools 30) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

What do Charlie Sheen, Jane Austen, Paris Hilton, John F. Kennedy, Kanye West, and Benjamin Franklin all have in common?[...] The post Does Spelling Still Matter? (Better Learning for Schools #29) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

I have never met an educator who was opposed to higher-level thinking activities. Yet, if you or I were to drop[...] The post What Schools, Technology, and Curriculum Can Do To Support Higher-Level Thinking In The Classroom (Better Learning For Schools #28) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

One the most challenging aspects of being an educator is knowing when to answer questions…and when not to. For example, the other[...] The post Teaching Students HOW To Think Instead Of WHAT To Think (Better Learning For Schools #27) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

Human beings seemed to be innately adept at asking questions. Over the past few weeks here are just a few[...] The post Three Types of Questions for Fostering Higher-level Thinking (Better Learning For Schools #26) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

Not everything we do in schools can be fun and games, but much of what we do in the classroom[...] The post What Happens When Students Play – and Design – Games (Better Learning For Schools #25) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

How do you get learning to stick? That is the question on the minds of a number of educators I[...] The post 3 Tips for Creating ‘Sticky Learning’ in Schools (Better Learning For Schools #24) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

In this podcast, we finish our visit with author Alfie Kohn. Alfie insists on the need to for educators to[...] The post Beyond Menus and Ladders—Offering REAL Choice and Control to Students (Better Learning For Schools #23) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

One of the most effective ways to improve student engagement and student learning is to extend students a bit of[...] The post Working WITH…Rather than AGAINST…Students (Better Learning For Schools #22) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

My wife is a vegetable ninja. You see, over the years, she has secretly employed a handful of tricks to[...] The post Beyond the Digital Zombie Stereotype: Three Tips for Empowering Student Agency and Decision-Making (Better Learning For Schools #21) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

My wife and I have four boys—four squirrely boys. They aren’t what we would consider belligerent or even really disruptive.[...] The post ‘Moving’ Towards Better Learning For Students (Better Learning For Schools #20) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

Most concepts can be covered in the lecture hall, but are better experienced away from a desk.oncepts can be covered in the lecture hall, but are[...] The post Getting Students Out of Their Chairs (Better Learning For Schools #19) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

While much of education acknowledges the need for us to focus on literacy and numeracy, not everyone realizes the paramount[...] The post Lasagna, Santa Clause, and Other Lessons in Listening and Speaking (Better Learning For Schools #18) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

There has been a lot of talk lately on how we might improve student learning and student engagement.   One widely[...] The post TEACHER ENGAGEMENT-The Key to Improved Student Learning (Better Learning For Schools #17) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

As human beings, most of us tend to avoid things that are difficult. For example, I was recently visiting a[...] The post What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Student Motivation and Engagement (Better Learning For Schools #16) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

Over the past decade it seems that I have had the same literacy conversation dozens of times with parents.  Around the[...] The post Improving and Assessing Teens Engagement in Literacy Activities (Better Learning For Schools #15) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

Recently, much attention has been turned to the importance of listening and speaking.  Across the United States, for instance, new curricular standards encourage[...] The post Engaging Students in Listening, Speaking, and Thinking (Better Learning For Schools #14) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

Not too long ago I was at school, and came around the corner to find several students crowded around one[...] The post Improving Teacher Feedback To Students (Better Learning For Schools #13) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

Human beings are wired for two things—learning and playing.  No one is likely to argue with the first claim…that we[...] The post Learning Through and From Games (Better Learning For Schools #12) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

A couple of weeks ago, when the weather turned ridiculously cold, I was on my way home from visiting with[...] The post We Need More Problems in Schools…Not Less (Better Learning For Schools #11) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

What can a professional jazz drummer and my dad’s garage band possibly teach us about collaboration and leadership? As a[...] The post Garage Band Lessons In Collaboration And Leadership (Better Learning For Schools #10) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

In this episode, we seek to uncover the key to putting the right text in front of the right kid.  Sadly,[...] The post Hunting And Gathering—Getting The Right Books In The Hands Of Students (Better Learning For Schools #9) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

I have no doubt that many a parent has been intrigued by what I call the box phenomenon. You know what I[...] The post Three Neighborhood Boys and Their Boxes (Better Learning For Schools #8) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

As a teacher and as a father, I have watched a number young people fall in…and then out of love with books.  Even[...] The post Working to Reach the Reluctant Reader (Better Learning For Schools #7) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

Choice, control, ownership of learning, a few games, and a bit of technology can have a powerful impact on mathematics[...] The post Making Math Fun (Better Learning for Schools #6) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

I recently visited a classroom where a teacher was working with students to examine changes that are underway in ‘how’ and[...] The post Big Time Learning in Small Time Towns (Better Learning For Schools #5) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

Lately, I have been doing much more traveling than I would like to be doing.  This often means car traffic,[...] The post Engaging Students In History (Better Learning For Schools #4) appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

  In the year 1989, I was just a kid, and Batman was practically a god.   This was largely due to the fact that the movie directed by Tim Burton—starring Michael Keaton as the Caped-Crusader and Jack Nicholson as the menacing Joker—was in the theater of our smallish Texas town for nearly four months.  At […] The post Batman, Commissioner Gordon, and Harvey Dent’s Thoughts on ‘Smarter’ Assessments appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

There are times when I am really glad that we have tests…and lots of them. For example, those who know me best are aware that I am absolutely, positively terrified of flying.  My friends and family try to tell me that it is irrational to get so nervous on a plane, and that ‘statistically speaking, […] The post Thank goodness for tests!!!–Super Heroes Speak about Assessments Part 1 appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.

As teachers, we must seek to move beyond traditional, prescriptive classrooms and instead, utilize tools and techniques that meet students where they are at right now—tools and techniques that make learning accessible, meaningful, and fun. This article also appeared on Gettingsmart.com Not too long ago, my four boys went outside, disappeared for a couple of […] The post A ‘Customized’ Approach to Student Learning appeared first on Remarkable Chatter.