How to Introduce Group Work

Group work, when implemented correctly, can foster healthy communication skills and problem-solving strategies for all students.  It takes less work for the teacher during a project and places more accountability on the students.
The article below, from ASCD Expres, discusses introducing group work to your students and setting them, as well as yourself, up for success.

"How to Introduce Group Work"

NJ Science Assessment

From the NJ DOE Broadcast website....

November 8, 2017

Update on New Jersey’s New Science Assessments

• Applicable To: All Districts, Charters and Renaissance Project Schools
• Target Audience: Chief School Administrators, Charter School, and Renaissance School Project Leads, District Test Administrators, Information Technology Directors
• Files:
1. Update on New Jersey’s New Science Assessments.pdf

The new tests, published by the same company as before, will be computerized and sent out by Test Nav (same as Pearson PARCC tests).  Testing begins this spring.  Some of the new updates are as follows:

4th grade will not be a testing grade for the science

The grades tested will be 4th, 5th, and 11th grades.

The time window will be in May/June of this spring.

Follow the link above for more information from the state department of education

Posts and Links: Technology for Teachers

Teaching in the 21st century is vastly different from when we were students.  Year to year new technologies emerges that may seem daunting to implement in class.   Why not let these technologies help you and help get the students to become more engaged.  Below are some links to the tech4teachers blog I feel could be a great help for many of us.

Hashtags: A History of and How to Use Them

Typing Games and Practice

Hyper-Docs

CRITICAL THINKING

Overcoming Obstacles to Critical Thinking

The ability to think critically will benefit students throughout their lives. Here are a few tips on how to get started teaching it.

By G. Randy Kasten

March 2, 2012 Updated May 18, 2017

The ability to think critically is one skill separating innovators from followers. It combats the power of advertisers, unmasks the unscrupulous and pretentious, and exposes unsupported arguments. Students enjoy learning the skill because they immediately see how it gives them more control. Yet... 

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