Courage in Complexity
Three voices embrace the complexities of life and learning at this moment — and encourage us to push through them.
Want to build a discussion skills program?
Destination: Discussion
Information & Inspiration
from real teachers, real students & real research
Protagonists: Anna Gonzales
“…when a kid references something that another kid said in a previous class — that just shows, to me, that a kid deeply respects the humanity and intellect of their classmates and the work that we do together. They’re showing that they value discussion and showing the value of it at the same time.”
Can Introverts Learn through Active Learning?
Active learning, at least at first, benefits extroverts more than introverts. What can we do about it?
Office Hours with Natalie Nixon
An interview with Natalie Nixon, creativity wunderkind.
Use Some Logic Today
Arguing that the commonly upheld binary between logic and emotion is false, Eugenia Cheng suggests that we would all communicate clearly if we actively integrated both.
Protagonists: Ghassan Gammoh
“All the magic is in the classroom.” I really agree — it’s the best place to be in a school. I was always thinking that I wanted to be a school leader, and I think that when my department head told me to live in the moment and do my best — that what was meant to be for me would be — as a young teacher, I need that perspective.
Push Out Paraphrase
Paraphrasing, by Bergman’s definition, is a retelling of what a student has just said in similar, perhaps clearer, words. He notes, though, that in such moments paraphrase a teacher often “ignores missing pieces and inaccuracies.”
Favoritism, Fun, and the Future of Learning
As teachers, we’re taught not to play favorites, but that’s a difficult task. There are good reasons why.
Social Presence in the Online Classroom
Everyone’s afraid of Zoom fatigue these days. Lowenthal and Dunlop ask their students how to make social presence possible online.
Protagonists: Kendall O’Connor-Tappan
“The teacher who stands out in my mind is Ms. Hall, my Art and Art History teacher for all four years of high school. I don’t think I recognized it at the time, but I think she really showed me what it means to be in a flow state. And also the importance of a great playlist in the background of a classroom. She so delicately balanced giving her students personal space and structure.”
