Novel Ideas: Winter 2018/2019

In our dreamiest of teacher dreams, some of us might imagine days when our students spontaneously erupt into complex, nuanced conversations about the things they’re learning in our classes. If we borrow the language of the Common Core, they would “engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade-level topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.”

Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? And maybe the “teacher-led” kind is possible, because we could structure and guide it, but that doesn’t give students much ownership of their learning. In groups? That might be a bit harder to accomplish. And one-on-one? Well, how do you even manage that?

Jeff Frieden, a high school English teacher in southern California, wondered the same thing. Wanting a less teacher-centered class, he was looking for ways to get students talking to each other about the content. He’d tried all kinds of techniques— think-pair-share, appointment clocks, groups of four—but none of them gave him the results he was looking for.
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"Like many kids of my generation growing up in India, I was an avid reader of Enid Blyton’s novels. Many of her books were written as a series (“The Famous Five,” “The Secret Seven” and “Five Find-Outers”) and I recall wondering if the lives of characters overlapped in any way. Did a character from one series ever run into one from another, for example? I recall wondering the same thing in later years about P.G. Wodehouse’s Blandings Castle and Jeeves series.

Today, in a world where communities real and imagined are digitally connected via platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr, we can reframe that question in terms of those common nodes (or friends) in those characters’ social networks.

As it turns out, network theory as an analytic technique, or what I’d call computational literary analysis, is not just a bona fide research endeavor. It’s also a great example of how computational thinking (CT) is truly a cross-disciplinary skill that can be weaved to enrich learning in any subject (not just math and science, as is sometimes the assumption)."
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By this point in the school year, you’re tired and don’t need another long list of self-care strategies. At the same time, perhaps you’re worried about burnout and are experiencing the negative effects of stress. Perhaps you’d also like to do something to boost your reserves of energy so that you can make it through the year, and even experience joy.

I’ve been studying resilience in educators for a long time—for my own sake and to support the educators I coach. The following are small ways to assist with managing the daily stresses of teaching. When I take action and do any of these, l know that I’ll feel better emotionally and physically and also that I’m filling my reserves of resilience.
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Recognizing that early reading skills are strong predictors of lifelong academic and career success, many states across the nation have adopted legislation that brings renewed focus on early literacy. In July 2019, Nebraska’s legislature enacted the Nebraska Reading Improvement Act, which is contained within LB 1081. First introduced by the Education Committee and later amended by Senator Lou Ann Linehan, the Nebraska Reading Improvement Act contains provisions of LB 651, which began as a 3rd grade retention bill. Click link to read the full article and find more information on Nebraska Legislative Updates.

How do roller coasters affect your body? Why don’t poisonous animals poison themselves? These are the type of questions tackled with the amazing TED-Ed videos for students and teachers!

If you’ve ever watched a TED talk before you’re familiar with the power of those short videos, focused on a single idea. An expert walks to the center of a stage and uses stories and visuals to explain a concept or share a message. Well the folks at TED also have a platform for students and teachers. It’s called TED-Ed, and you’ll find lots of short videos, resources and discussion questions for your classroom.