Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

September 21, 2017
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments

Study: Ninth-Grade ‘Grades’ Predict Graduation & College Attendance

The University of Chicago Consortium on School Research, whose research I always respect, has just published The Predictive Power of Ninth-Grade GPA.

It reinforces previous studies which emphasize the importance of ninth-grade, which our school and many others are taking seriously.

Here’s an excerpt from the report’s summary:

September 21, 2017
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments

Another Study Finds That Learning By Doing Works….

Yes, the infamous “Cone of Experience” (“We learn 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we see and hear, 70% of what we say or write…..[and] 90% of what we teach”) is made-up but, as I have pointed out, there is an extraordinary amount of research that learning by doing is much more effective than passive learning (No, The “Cone Of Experience” Is Not “Research-Based” & Yes, Some People Debunking It Have Way Too Much Time On Their Hands).

Another confirming study came out today and specifically focused on MOOC’s (Massive Open Online Courses). Here’s an excerpt from a summary of the research:

If you want to see other corroborating research, check out:

The Best Posts Questioning If Direct Instruction Is “Clearly Superior”

The Best Research Demonstrating That Lectures Are Not The Best Instructional Strategy

“What I Cannot Create, I Do Not Understand”

Important Study: “Expecting to teach enhances learning, recall”

I’m adding this post to The Best Posts & Articles On MOOC’s — Help Me Find More.

September 21, 2017
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments

Classroom Instruction Resources Of The Week

McKinney School: Instruction from Flickr via Wylio

Each week, I publish a post or two containing three or four particularly useful resources on classroom instruction, and you can see them all here.

You might also be interested in The Best Articles (& Blog Posts) Offering Practical Advice & Resources To Teachers In 2016 – Part Two andThe Best Resources On Class Instruction In 2017 – So Far.

Here are this week’s picks:

BEYOND JUST A CELLS UNIT: What My Science Students Learned from the Story of Henrietta Lacks is from ReThinking Schools. You might also be interested in resources I’ve previously shared about Ms. Lacks.

The New York Times Learning Network began two excellent new regular series this week: What’s Going On in This Graph? and Country Of The Week.

Why Students Forget—and What You Can Do About It is from Edutopia.

Questions as Invitations, Not Inquisitions is from Russ On Reading. I’m adding it to The Best Posts & Articles About Asking Good Questions — Help Me Find More.

Cognitive biases can hold learning back – here’s how to beat them is from The Guardian. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About Cognitive Bias.

September 21, 2017
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments

“Apps 4 EFL” Looks Like An Excellent Site For English Language Learners & Their Teachers

Thanks to Nik Peachey, I just learned about an excellent free site called Apps 4 EFL.

The site has a huge variety of ready-to-use interactives and games for English Language Learners. In addition, teachers can use the site’s tools to create their own.

Even better, teachers can create free virtual classrooms where students can enroll.

You can read more about it in Nik’s post.

I’m adding this info to:

The Best Sites Where Students Can Work Independently & Let Teachers Check On Progress

The Best Websites For Creating Online Learning Games

September 21, 2017
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments

Nice Climate Change “Explainer” From The NY Times

A couple of years ago, The NY Times published an excellent climate change “explainer” – a list of questions about it with short and simple answers.

They’ve just put a band-new, updated and more attractive interactive version headlined Climate Change Is Complex. We’ve Got Answers to Your Questions. I think it’s perfect for classrooms.

I’m adding it to The Best Sites To Learn About Climate Change.