Of all the topics that we as academic leaders have fielded over these past few months, in contemplating with colleagues what teaching and learning should look in the many different remote and hybrid schooling models under consideration in our districts, few have been more meaty – and, indeed, more professionally enriching – than those surrounding … Continue reading Synchronous and asynchronous instructional time are BOTH precious
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When we created modEL Detroit – a set of lesson resources designed to ease year one implementation of our ELA curriculum – we were trying to support our teachers. Little did we know that we were helping to prepare ourselves for a global pandemic, and also building a bridge to some of the top districts … Continue reading How Supporting the Field Paid Back in Spades: Our modEL Detroit Story
When we met this summer to collaborate and swap ideas, we kept returning to the same topic: synchronous versus asynchronous. How would we optimize instruction across these two modalities, given our different (and evolving) school reopening plans? Which forms of teaching and learning were friendliest to each approach? These are essential questions as we shift … Continue reading WEBINAR: Instruction Insights, Synchronous vs Asynchronous
In Baltimore City, all students work with rich, grade level texts in English Language Arts. Evidence shows that this approach fosters the most growth for learners, so we carefully selected a curriculum designed around grade level work for every student. The alternative – reading instruction that revolves around leveled reading groups, in which some students … Continue reading Getting All Kids Working With Grade Level Texts: Distance Learning Edition
Professional Development is my thing. Arguably nothing is more important than investing in our teachers... and yet it’s an area that all too often falls short. I’m passionate about solving that problem. It’s an urgent problem. In recent years, we’ve had a national reckoning about the critical need for professional development in reading instruction, as … Continue reading Illuminating the Opaque PD Landscape
We’ve never experienced a school reopening like this one. (Understatements.) When our ‘squad’ connected this season, the refrain was the same: “We would be LOST if we did not have high-quality curriculum in place in our districts.” We've been hearing this message a lot. This Spring, teacher Kyair Butts explained why Curriculum Matters More in a … Continue reading Making an Impossible Challenge More Manageable
A guest post by Dr. Jeffrey Lawson and Dr. Cathy Nacrelli of Cecil County Public Schools in Maryland. Right now, we need to be sharing positive stories in K–12 education! That’s true because we’re going through a tough moment – and we don’t just mean the challenge of the coronavirus. Midway through this school year, … Continue reading Cecil County Had the Highest Literacy Growth in Maryland. Here’s How We Did It.
A guest post by Kyair Butts, a sixth grade teacher in Baltimore City Public Schools where he works with Janise Lane. I never thought I’d be explaining how curriculum helped me to navigate a global pandemic – but here we are. It’s a story that deserves to be told. In social media, I see many … Continue reading Curriculum Matters Even More in a Crisis
by Robin McClellan and Millicent Smith We have the honor and privilege of working in districts that have achieved meaningful literacy gains in recent years (more on that below). This work inspires us daily – and it would inspire you too, if you could see it. Unfortunately, we're unable to provide windows into our classrooms … Continue reading Supporting Our Fellow Equity Warriors
Most reading comprehension assessments are grounded in the belief that reading is a specialized set of skills, such as finding the main idea or identifying the author’s purpose. This may be one of the ways in which the assessment cart drives the instruction horse: on state assessments, students read a random passage they’ve never encountered … Continue reading Reading Assessments Need an Upgrade
