Engaging methods for teaching 21st-century skills Today's students must be more than good test takers. They must be able to collaborate, innovate, and think critically to solve real-world problems. As content demands increase, how can teachers make time to teach these advanced skills? Sparking Student Synapses, Grades 9-12 describes how master teacher Nigel Scozzi used Rich Allen's Green Light strategies to teach content in a memorable and efficient way. Backed by research, this practical guide provides secondary teachers with tried and trusted lesson plans, in multiple subject that: Engage students Accelerate learning Encourage critical thinking Improve test results When you apply the book's effective strategies, your students will learn to make appropriate judgments based on the evidence available, understand relationships between ideas, evaluate content validity, and reflect upon their values. Changing the way you teach may be daunting, but the results are worth it-improved student engagement and behavior, better test results, and a rewarding reminder of why you became a teacher!
The Private and Social Benefits of Higher Education
A college education has long been acknowledged as essential for both personal success and economic growth. But the measurable value of its nonmonetary benefits have until now been poorly understood. Walter W. McMahon, a leading education economist, suggests that higher education accrues significant social and private benefits. McMahon argues that ......
"A captivating topic for teachers, as we all have students who are capable and yet choose not to learn." -Melissa Miller, Sixth-Grade Teacher Lynch Middle School, Farmington, AR "The authors are clearly passionate about the need to uncover and build upon students' desire and motivation to learn." -Paul Parkison, Assistant Professor of Teacher Education University of Southern Indiana Discover how to release the will to learn in all students! Students who have a strong sense of self-worth and know what they can achieve are more likely to be fully engaged in the learning process and capable of significant academic achievements. This updated edition of Connecting With Students' Will to Succeed offers practical lessons to help all students channel their emotions and energy into becoming positive, self-motivated, and self-directed learners. Focusing on the concept of conation-"the internal drive that pushes one beyond ordinary expectations and accomplishments"-the authors offer research-based strategies that enable teachers to nurture self-esteem in students and inspire learners with low expectations to strive for excellence. This revised resource offers: Updated research that informs teaching methods Chapter-opening quotes from teachers and students Additional grade-specific individual and group activities that include instructional objectives for specific content areas Suggestions for both formal and informal assessments in each chapter Strategies That Promote Student Engagement is a road map for connecting the heart, mind, and will of teachers and students to the lifelong pursuit of learning.
"These activities will foster participation and critical thinking in the classroom." -R. Jon Frey, Director of Speech Activities Aberdeen Central High School, SD "Cooperative group learning is a powerful approach, and this book provides explicit ideas and guidelines." -Stephanie van Hover, Associate Professor of Social Studies Education University of Virginia Give your students the opportunity to think, discover, and learn together in social studies! Teamwork helps students strengthen individual retention, improve performance, and promote meaning-making in the classroom. To give adolescent minds practice in critical thinking, the authors use their considerable teaching experience to present more than 40 problem-solving activities that are ready for immediate use in the social studies classroom. This second edition of Catch Them Thinking in Social Studies demonstrates how to use collaborative learning strategies to fully engage students in meaning-making. Cooperative Problem-Solving Activities for Social Studies, Grades 6-12 offers lessons in five areas of social studies instruction: geography, politics, economics, culture, and history. Each activity includes background information, clue cards, objectives, tasks, and worksheets. This updated edition helps teachers: Develop students' decision-making, analysis, and communication skills Foster teamwork and interdependent learning Construct cooperative problem-solving activities using their own curriculum Featuring current research and new activities, this hands-on resource helps teachers facilitate cooperative problem solving in social studies and provides teacher tips throughout the book.
"These activities will foster participation and critical thinking in the classroom." -R. Jon Frey, Director of Speech Activities Aberdeen Central High School, SD "Cooperative group learning is a powerful approach, and this book provides explicit ideas and guidelines." -Stephanie van Hover, Associate Professor of Social Studies Education University of Virginia Give your students the opportunity to think, discover, and learn together in social studies! Teamwork helps students strengthen individual retention, improve performance, and promote meaning-making in the classroom. To give adolescent minds practice in critical thinking, the authors use their considerable teaching experience to present more than 40 problem-solving activities that are ready for immediate use in the social studies classroom. This second edition of Catch Them Thinking in Social Studies demonstrates how to use collaborative learning strategies to fully engage students in meaning-making. Cooperative Problem-Solving Activities for Social Studies, Grades 6-12 offers lessons in five areas of social studies instruction: geography, politics, economics, culture, and history. Each activity includes background information, clue cards, objectives, tasks, and worksheets. This updated edition helps teachers: Develop students' decision-making, analysis, and communication skills Foster teamwork and interdependent learning Construct cooperative problem-solving activities using their own curriculum Featuring current research and new activities, this hands-on resource helps teachers facilitate cooperative problem solving in social studies and provides teacher tips throughout the book.
