My teacher dream is for my school to have a copy machine operator. Teachers would send over a PDF file with instructions on how to print it, and before you know it, perfectly made copies would be delivered right to your classroom. 😌
I don’t think people outside of the classroom understand how chronic absences and tardies greatly affect student learning. “Just give students the make-up work.” That is not a viable solution. 🧵
I decided not to use Chromebooks during the first few days of school. Instructed my students to keep it in their backpacks. Only pencil and paper.
How did it turn out? ⬇️
Everyone was focused. Everyone was learning.
Of course, students need to develop computer skills but that can be done occasionally instead of every day. I don't think I want to go back.
My school implemented a cell phone ban 2 years ago & it has been a total game changer. Students are less distracted and I no longer spend energy trying to manage phones and student attention. Which means my students can focus more on learning and I can focus more on teaching. 1/2
71% of the public would also to support a national ban on smartphones in schools for people under 16, with every age group more likely to support than oppose such a ban.
I think experts carry knowledge in their long-term memory for so long that recalling it feels automatic. Because of this automaticity, they don't recognize it as something they’ve memorized. And then they tell people that memorization is not important for learning.
When I first introduced retrieval practice, my students resisted. They still preferred checking their notes or copying from a partner because it felt easier (habits are hard to break). So I took a step-by-step approach to show them why retrieval works using a gym analogy. 🧵
If I had a penny for every time a student asked, "How many points is this worth?"
Asking this question shows that many students aren’t concerned about their learning. They’re just trying to figure out the bare minimum effort needed to earn a grade. (1/5)
The U.S. invested $190 billion to make up for learning loss during the pandemic and yet test scores continue to drop.
My take: Money is being spent on pedagogical practices that are ineffective and not backed by solid research.