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Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

Education Opinion

Q&A Collections: Instructional Strategies

By Larry Ferlazzo — September 05, 2017 4 min read
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I’ll begin posting new questions and answers in early September, and during the summer will be sharing thematic posts bringing together responses on similar topics from the past six years.

Here are the ones I’ve posted so far:

This Year’s Most Popular Q&A Posts

Classroom Management Advice

Race & Gender Challenges

Implementing The Common Core

Best Ways To Begin The School Year

Best Ways To End The School Year

Student Motivation & Social Emotional Learning

Teaching Social Studies

Project-Based Learning

Using Tech In The Classroom

Parent Engagement In Schools

Teaching English Language Learners

Student Assessment

Brain-Based Learning

Reading Instruction

Writing Instruction

Education Policy Issues

Differentiating Instruction

Math Instruction

Science Instruction

Advice For New Teachers

Author Interviews

Entering The Teaching Profession

Administrator Leadership

Teacher Leadership

Relationships In Schools

Professional Development

Today’s theme is on instructional strategies, and I’m using that term broadly. I’ve shared many instructional strategies in previous specialized thematic collections. The ones in this post are important ones that don’t quite fit into the previous lists (this is the last “compilation” post and I’ll begin posting new questions next week):

You can see them following this excerpt from one of them:

* Genius Hours Can Be ‘Transformative’

Rebecca Mieliwocki, Gallit Zvi, Denise Krebs, Yvette Jackson, Veronica McDermott, Amy Sandvold, Josh Patterson, and Maurice J. Elias share their responses on how to incorporate “Genius Hours” into the classroom.

* Ways to Promote Transfer of Learning

Cathy Beck, Heidi Pace, Anna Bartosik, Jenny Edwards, Josh Patterson, Ashley Roberts, and Andrew Miller contribute their suggestions on how to emphasize learning transfer in the classroom.

* Learning ‘Transfer Is Our Collective Goal’

Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Adeyemi Stembridge, Todd Finley, Kenneth Baum, and David Krulwich share their ideas on transfer of learning.

* Bloom’s & SOLO ‘Are Not Just Colorful Posters We Hang on the Wall’

Tan Huynh, Russel Tarr, Laura Greenstein, Dr. Eric Jabal, Erik M. Francis, and Andrew Miller share their ideas on taxonomies and the classroom.

* Ways to Use Learning ‘Taxonomies’ in the Classroom

Meghan Everette, Dr. Rebecca Stobaugh, Dr. Sandra Love, Michael Fisher, Susan M. Brookhart, Howard Pitler, and Tony Frontier contribute their advice on using learning & questioning taxonomies in the classroom.

* ‘Great Field Trips Expand the Mind’

Daniel L. Schwartz, Jessica M. Tsang, Kristen P. Blair, Otis Kriegel, Stephanie Smith Budhai, Faye Brenner, and Effuah Sam offer their suggestions on handling field trips.

* Leveraging Field Trips to ‘Deepen Learning’

Ron Berger, Camille A. Farrington, Gail Desler, Abby Schneiderjohn, and Mike Janatovich contribute their thoughts on the best ways to plan and use field trips.

* ‘Field Trips Are Powerful Learning Experiences’

Jennifer Orr, Herb Broda, Anne Jenks, Russel Tarr, and Andrew Miller share their ideas on how to maximize the learning potential of field trips.

* How To Use Data—& How Not To Use It—In Schools

What data is, how can it be used effectively, and how can it be misused are questions we’ll consider today with commentaries from Nancy Fichtman Dana, Dr. Jenni Donohoo, Myron Dueck, Pete Hall, Andrew Miller, Jessica A. Hockett, Kristina J. Doubet, and Kimberly Long.

* ‘Best Practices’ Are Practices That Work Best for Your Students

This post features contributions from Roxanna Elden, Barnett Berry, and Pedro Noguera, along with comments from readers.

* ‘Start By Matching Student Interests, Then Build From There’

Diana Laufenberg, Jeff Charbonneau, Ted Appel, and special guest John Hattie share their thoughts.

* ‘Help Students Be Organized By Being Organized Yourself’

Debbie Diller and Leslie Blauman share their thoughts, as do readers.

* Practical Ideas to Help Students & Teachers Stay Organized

Three educators—Julia Thompson, Ariel Sacks, and Gini Cunningham—contribute their responses.

* The Role Of Arts Education in Schools

This post features guest responses from three educators—Virginia McEnerney, David Booth and Heather Wolpert-Gawron.

* Best Homework Practices

Educator/authors Dr. Cathy Vatterott and Bryan Harris contribute their thoughts here.

* Assisting Students With Special Needs

Three experienced educators—Michael Thornton, Gloria Lodato Wilson, and Ira David Socol—offer their thoughts on the topic.

* Several Ways We Can Help Students Develop Their Creativity

This post features guest contributions from Jonah Lehrer, former staff writer for The New Yorker and author of Imagine: How Creativity Works, and from Ashley Merryman, co-author of NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children.

* Several Ways to Help Students Become Better Listeners

Middle school teacher Heather Wolpert-Gawron, author of ‘Tween Crayons and Curfews: Tips for Middle School Teachers and I share our ideas...

* Several Ways to Teach Critical Thinking Skills

Three guests share their recommendations: Ron Ritchhart, author and researcher for Harvard’s Project Zero; educator Todd Stanley, co-author of Critical Thinking and Formative Assessments: Increasing the Rigor in Your Classroom; and Robert Swartz, director of The National Center for Teaching Thinking.

* Thoughts on the Meaning of “Rigor”

Barbara R. Blackburn, author of Rigor is NOT a Four-Letter Word; Cris Tovani, author of So...What do They Really Know?; and “Senior Provocateur” Ira Socol provide diverse guest responses, and I throw in an intriguing chart.

I hope you’ve found this summary useful and, again, keep those questions coming!

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The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.