Archive for November, 2011
Lesson Study and the Six Instructional Shifts
David Coleman’s mock lesson relevant to King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail offers initial perspective about what instruction with the Common Core might look like. It also raises some important questions, …
Facilitating Curriculum Design and Coaching Instruction with the Common Core: An Archive of Posts
Recently, I created a landing page for all of the posts that I’ve been sharing relevant to my work with the Common Core. I plan to update it at the …
Engaging All Readers With Complex Text: Potential Challenges
As we’re preparing to engage classrooms full of kids in the shared reading of sufficiently complex text, the teachers that I am working with have made some predictions about the …
Critical Thinking, Complex Text, and the Common Core
In addition to learning what we can about the art of close reading, teachers that I am working with are also finding their study of the following very helpful as …
Sizing Up the Staircase of Complexity
As we’ve begun examining each of the six instructional shifts called for by the Common Core, teachers have shared their own stories, often times lingering over many details that support …
On Beautiful Questions and Things Worth Reading
I’ve had the pleasure of working with some incredibly honest teachers over the years. So, reactions like these (in response to this video) didn’t surprise me one bit: “Wow. I …
Approaching the “Six Shifts” in English Language Arts
When we write anything, it’s important to seek a bit of understanding before we begin drafting. For instance, it makes sense to read some quality fiction before we try our …
Inspiring Teachers to Design Powerful Learning Experiences with the CCLS: Part Two
This post is the second in a series on unit design and the CCLS. You may find the first one here. I have always had a passion for curriculum design. …
Race to the Top: Voices from the Trenches
This post is the next in a lengthy series intended to make the work that I am facilitating relevant to Race to the the Top and specifically, the alignment of …
Inspiring Teachers to Design Powerful Learning Experiences with the CCLS
Perhaps you’re more than little bit invested in the idea of increasing job satisfaction for yourself and for those that you work with even as you’re Racing to the Top. …
Elsewhere