The Case for Shifting Formality
Two recent articles push us to expand the formality of language and setting that counts as “engagement” in discussion-based courses.
Protagonists: Abby Cacho
“…community matters. Teaching starts with our relationships to one another and trickles down to students.”
Protagonists: Sunni Winkler
“…I want my students to know that I’m as much of a learner as they are. I want them to see me learning and engaging with content.”
Discourse in our Time
This week’s Beyond the Syllabus brings together of-the-moment public debates, critical research, and retellings of history that cause us to renew our perspective on and passion for discourse in the classroom and beyond.
Office Hours: Jamie Poskin
We spoke with TeachFX Founder Jamie Poskin to learn about his inspiration for and vision of technology’s role in improving class discussions.
Stealth Assessment
Even without sophisticated video games at our disposal, we find Shute and Ventura’s embrace of games for formative assessment inspiring and wonder, after reading, what it might look like for teachers to enact “stealth” assessments in existing classrooms without sophisticated technology.
Politics, Economics, and the Lives of Teenagers
After a pandemic, and an election, what does work look like for teenagers, and how can educators and employers work together to (re)imagine the future of teen work?
Office Hours with Jessica Yarbro
“If students are used to group discussions being just “talk,” it’s important to be up front about what, specifically, you’re doing. It’s formative.”
Office Hours with Natalie Chapman
“Before, during, and after writing, there are opportunities to leverage classroom community, and I actually think that writing and discussion can both improve each other. We say that writing should happen every day and be a key element of the classroom, and I think discussion is the same way.”
Norms, Moral Correctness, and Safety in School
The value of norms, respect, and safety, in our country as in our schools.
