7 Mistakes To Avoid In Student Assessment
7 Mistakes To Avoid In Student Assessment Quality assessments are essential for evaluating the effectiveness of teaching methods, curriculum, and student learning outcomes. Here are seven mistakes that quality assessments in education typically aim to avoid: 1. Lack...
Reclaiming Your Day: 3 Simple Digital Efficiency Hacks For School Principals
Reclaiming Your Day: 3 Simple Digital Efficiency Hacks For School Principals by Heather Warrell Let’s be honest—while school leadership can be highly rewarding, it can, at times, be absolutely brutal. From juggling district demands to tracking data to cooling down...
6 Strategies For Creating An Inquiry Teaching Classroom
6 Strategies For Creating An Inquiry Teaching Classroom by Irena Nayfeld Teachers juggle a lot. There are literacy, math, science, social and emotional development, learning standards, the needs of each child, materials to make activities engaging, safe, and...
Always-On Inquiry: Why You Should Be Asking More Questions In Your Classroom
Always-On Inquiry: Why You Should Be Asking More Questions In Your Classroom by Dr. Irena Nayfeld, Those of us who spend our days around young children hear it all the time: “What’s that?” “Why are you doing that?” “How? Why? HowWhyWhenWhatWhy?” Children are...
20 Ways To Provide Effective Feedback For Learning
20 Keys To Provide Effective Feedback For Learning Feedback plays a crucial role in the process of learning and personal growth. Whether you are an educator, manager, mentor, or a peer, knowing how to provide feedback effectively is essential for fostering development...
7 Facets of Learning to Learn Through Inquiry Based Learning
7 Facets of Learning to Learn Through Inquiry Based Learning The ability to learn how to learn is a skill set that empowers individuals to navigate the ever-changing modern world successfully. In this exploration, we delve into seven facets of learning to learn, with...
10 Keys to Success For Student Group Work
10 Keys to Success For Student Group Work Embarking on a group project can be both exciting and challenging for students. The collaborative nature of group work offers a unique opportunity for shared learning and diverse perspectives. However, effective management is...
Good Teachers Stick To The Lines, Great Teachers Inspire New Lines
Good Teachers Stick To The Lines, Great Teachers Inspire New Lines by Drew Perkins, Director of ThoughtStretchers Education On September 3rd, 2017 I was saddened by the news of the passing of musician Walter Becker. For those not familiar, he was one-half of the...
Go Ahead And Laugh At Kid Snippets: “Math Class” (Imagined by Kids)
Go Ahead And Laugh At Kid Snippets: "Math Class" (Imagined by Kids) Recently I had the privilege to spend some time in my oldest daughter's elementary classroom as I helped one of her teachers design and implement a fairly simple project based learning unit. In this...
Understanding Cognitive Load Theory: A Guide for Teachers
Understanding Cognitive Load Theory: A Guide for Teachers Effective teaching is an intricate process that involves the delicate balance of imparting knowledge effectively while considering the cognitive capabilities of your students. Cognitive Load Theory (CLT)...
10 Ways To Help Students Develop A Growth Mindset Through Inquiry-Based Learning
10 Ways To Help Students Develop A Growth Mindset Through Inquiry-Based Learning by ThoughtStretchers Education Staff, Fostering a growth mindset is a powerful tool to help students achieve their full potential. Coined by psychologist Carol Dweck, a growth mindset is...
Dear Teachers: Don’t Forget To Take Care Of Yourselves
Dear Teachers: Don't Forget To Take Care Of Yourselves by Susan Baumgartner We operate in a web. Educators are intimately connected to students, administrations, support staff, each other, AND the families of all those previously listed individuals. While less...
6 Common Misunderstandings About Assessment Of Learning
6 Common Misunderstandings About Assessment Of Learning Assessment is obviously a crucial aspect of the education process, guiding both educators and students on the path of learning. However, several misconceptions often cloud our understanding of the assessment...
7 Questions To Guide Your PBL Implementation Plan
7 Questions To Guide Your PBL Implementation Plan by Drew Perkins, Director of ThoughtStretchers Education It’s that time of year again when the students are walking out the door for the summer and the gears of next year start accelerating. Spring and late summer (in...
Study Shows Blue Denim Makes Great Teaching And Learning Unlikely
Study Shows Blue Denim Makes Great Teaching And Learning Unlikely by Drew Perkins, Director of ThoughtStretchers Education I'm not sure when the powers that be decided that blue denim pants were unacceptable for teachers in all but the most patronizing of situations...
5 Facilitation Tips To Help Learners Grow
5 Tips To Be A Better Facilitator by Drew Perkins, Director of ThoughtStretchers Education A few weeks ago as I was wrapping up an Inquiry Workshop with a really fun and great group of Agricultural Science Educators I was approached by a young man who said he would...
How To Up Your Llama Llama Red Pajama Game
How To Up Your Llama Llama Red Pajama Game by Drew Perkins, Director of ThoughtStretchers Education We wouldn't recommend playing this version for your kids as a substitute for reading it to them as there is a bit of an "adult-ish" spin toward the end but it's...
Why Your School’s Copy Machine Should Be Named Bob Marley
Why Your School's Copy Machine Should Be Named Bob Marley by Drew Perkins, Director of ThoughtStretchers Education Who doesn't love a little copyroom humor right? We snapped this picture in the copy room of Norfolk Collegiate while we were there for an Inquiry...
How To Get Quality PBL Work From Your Students
Lessons Learned On The Journey To High-Quality Student Work (Part 2) by Eric White, ThoughtStretchers Education Workshop Facilitator *this blog is part 2 of 2 In my previous post, I discussed three major lessons learned on my way to high-quality student work. Let’s...
3 Ways To Get High Quality Student Work
Lessons Learned On The Journey To High-Quality Student Work (Part 1) by Eric White, ThoughtStretchers Education Workshop Facilitator *this blog is part 1 of 2 ( (read part 2 here) While educators have differing philosophies on how students best learn, one statement I...
Shifting Your Assessments To Grow Higher-Level Thinking
As a new principal, I sat at my desk reviewing classroom assessments and I dropped my head in dismay.
It was no wonder our students were receiving high marks on classroom assessments—almost all the questions required students to recall memorized information. However, our state assessment and content standards demanded higher levels of thinking. Due to this misalignment, our school results on the state assessment were expectedly low.
20 Practical Everyday Assessment Strategies
20 Practical Everyday Assessment Strategies It's crucial for teachers to have a toolkit of effective assessment strategies to gauge student understanding and progress. Daily assessments not only inform educators about their students' comprehension but also provide...
5 Powerful Teaching Strategies For Project Based Learning
5 Powerful Teaching Strategies For Project-Based Learning by Jill Ackers-Clayton and Dayna Laur, Have you ever been sitting at your table thinking about how to start planning for your first, second, or twenty-second project and thought to yourself, “Where do I begin?”...
The Difference Between Personalized Learning And Individualized Learning
The Difference Between Personalized Learning And Individualized Learning contributed by John McCarthy, EdS What is the difference between personalized learning and individualized learning? The terms personalization and individualization are often used synonymously for...
5 Inquiry Based Learning Strategies for Metacognition
5 Inquiry Based Learning Strategies for Metacognition Metacognition, often referred to as "thinking about thinking," is a crucial skill that empowers students to take control of their own learning processes. When students understand how they learn and can reflect on...
The Future Of Learning Includes Spiral Slides
The Future Of Learning Includes Spiral Slides by Drew Perkins, Director of ThoughtStretchers Education Innovation comes in many shapes and sizes and I love the way Eminence Independent Schools included fun in their new building addition they call The EDhub. The EDhub...
Are You Using Technology Because You Can Or Because You Should?
Are You Using Technology Because You Can Or Because You Should? by Drew Perkins, Director of ThoughtStretchers Education As I watched Christmas, and the corresponding break from school for my daughters, come and go I was reminded of the fun that technology toys can...
5 Ways To Supercharge Your 3D Printing Program
5 Ways To Supercharge Your 3D Printing Program by Rich Lehrer 3D Printers are becoming increasingly common in schools – yet, in many cases, pedagogy is struggling to catch up with the technology. Large capital investments in printers and filament result in pressure on...
5 Ways To Use Online Video In Your Classroom
5 Ways To Use Online Video In Your Classroom by Mike Paul By now, you’ve probably used some form of online video in your classroom. Whether you’ve shown a video to your entire class or posted something on your class web page, video is a growing part of our connected...
Why Formative Assessment Is Important For Teachers Too
Why Formative Assessment Is Important For Teachers Too In the bustling halls of Greenwood High School, Mrs. Rodriguez, a seasoned mathematics teacher, was on a quest for continuous improvement. Recognizing the transformative potential of formative assessment not just...
