Is spelling still relevant in the 21st century classroom? We think so! Although in the real world (where we are hoping most of our students end up!) most writing is now done on computers with spell check, there are still a few important reasons for students to learn to spell. One, a person has to…
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STEAM is the latest push to create students who are scientifically and technologically literate and able to solve real-world problems. This is a fantastic goal that we here at DataWORKS wholeheartedly endorse. Unfortunately, the jargon that underlies many STEAM lessons and programs suggests that projects, programs, and methods boil down to very little teaching. STEAMing…
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Parental Involvement Parents are their children’s first teachers. Children learn about life from the examples and expectations set by their parents or guardian. Once children start attending school, their social and educational world expands by leaps and bounds. But it is essential for parents, those first important teachers, to stay involved in their child’s education…
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Words, words, words! What words should students be taught? One of the most frequent requests we receive is for a list of words that students should be taught in each grade level. The quick answer is that students should be taught a rich mixture of academic, content, and support vocabulary in every grade. But what…
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Any person who has taken the requisite foreign language classes in high school can understand how difficult it is to learn a foreign language. But now imagine you are back in high school and you are also required to take English, math, science, and history all taught in that same foreign language! That is what…
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After reading The Diary of Anne Frank, a student is asked, “Who is Anne Frank?” To answer the question, the student simply recalls the information he or she memorized from the reading. With the implementation of Common Core, students are expected to become critical thinkers instead of just recalling facts and ideas from text. In…
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Deeper Learning is a term that represents a new direction in education that goes beyond the knowledge of content, to something which usually is hard to measure. What is beyond content? Skills like problem-solving, critical-thinking, creativity, and collaboration. The Hewlett Foundation has commissioned a major study of Deeper Learning, and is now committed to promoting…
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For more than a decade, the DataWORKS tagline has been “All students successfully taught grade-level work every day.” This is an important concept that we truly believe in, as it places the same expectations on all students, in every classroom. Every classroom has a diverse student population, however. Some students need additional support before tackling…
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Acronym Alphabet Soup Education is littered with a variety of acronyms. “EOCs MSL,” and “Good PD fosters a solid PLC,” are actual sentences. For anyone who isn’t shoulder deep in educational acronyms, these sentences translates to “End of Course tests Measure Student Learning” and “Good Professional Development fosters a solid Professional Learning Community.” STEM…
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In the United States, compulsory public schooling started in Massachusetts in 1852, and then spread to other states. By 1918, all states required it. Since that time, there has been constant discussion about what constitutes Better Education. Is it reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic? Is it class size? Is it the teacher? Is it the books…
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