{"id":96389,"date":"2025-08-15T10:49:02","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T14:49:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danielschristian.com\/learning-ecosystems\/?p=96389"},"modified":"2025-08-15T10:56:27","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T14:56:27","slug":"great-teaching-numerous-pedagogical-related-postings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/danielschristian.com\/learning-ecosystems\/2025\/08\/15\/great-teaching-numerous-pedagogical-related-postings\/","title":{"rendered":"Great teaching &#038; learning-related items; numerous pedagogical-related postings"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.retrievalpractice.org\/strategies\/back-to-school-activities\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Here are my favorite back-to-school activities to strengthen learning<\/strong><\/a> &#8212; from retrievalpractice.org by Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<p>Welcome back to school! For most of us (myself included), the whirlwind of lesson prep, meetings, professional development\u2014and of course, teaching\u2014is here. Keep reading for my favorite back-to-school activities to engage students with retrieval practice during the first week of class.<br \/>\n&#8230;<br \/>\nIt may (or may not) surprise you to know that my first day of class is full of retrieval practice. Even if you haven\u2019t introduced content yet, <strong>use retrieval practice the first day or week of class<\/strong>. Here\u2019s how, with quick activities you can adapt for K\u201312 students, higher ed courses, and all content areas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Get students familiar with retrieval practice from day 1 with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.retrievalpractice.org\/strategies\/use-a-trivia-question\" target=\"\">no-stakes trivia questions<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.retrievalpractice.org\/strategies\/2018\/7\/20\/warmups\">warm up questions<\/a> where everyone knows the answer (<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/presentation\/d\/1JlcQQLPQ8WWLpbhzZ60hov4TQ_4dU9MlEFu-iMFTiXk\/edit?usp=sharing\">click here to download my free warm up slides<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Build a welcoming class culture with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.retrievalpractice.org\/strategies\/how-to-remember-names\">mnemonics to remember student names<\/a> (spoiler alert: trying to memorize names with students\u2019 LMS photos doesn\u2019t work)<\/li>\n<li>Jumpstart students\u2019 prior knowledge with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.retrievalpractice.org\/strategies\/2019\/8\/14\/start-with-retrieval\">an engaging ungraded pre\/post worksheet<\/a> (check out an example of my worksheet online)<\/li>\n<li>Boost students\u2019 long-term learning from previous classes with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.retrievalpractice.org\/strategies\/2018\/8\/24\/one-minute\">a brain dump or two things activity<\/a> in one minute or less<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.retrievalpractice.org\/strategies\/2019\/8\/21\/summer-learning\">Make students\u2019 break memorable<\/a> with a simple question to model how we retrieve in everyday life<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1o1W5KESgaAMBz2RUuXQUWvJZXL9vJk92\/view\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>How to Teach a Good First Day of Class<\/strong><\/a> &#8212; by James Lang; via Dr. Pooja Agarwal&#8217;s posting above<\/p>\n<p>What you can expect to find here:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I\u2019ll start, as we academics so love to do, with a little bit of theory \u2014 specifically, four core principles that can help shape your planning for the first day of your course.<\/li>\n<li>Next, I\u2019ll cover the logistics of a successful first day, including managing the space and technology as well as getting to know your students.<\/li>\n<li>To show you how to put the principles and the logistics into practice, I will provide examples of what a good set of first-day activities might look like in four disciplines.<\/li>\n<li>I\u2019ll finish with some suggestions for how to support the good work you have done on the first day with some follow-up activities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/article\/advice-new-teachers-hit-ground-running\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>7 Pieces of Advice for New Teachers<\/strong><\/a> &#8212; from edutopia.org by Brienne May<br \/>\n<em>Focus on relationships with students and colleagues to make a good start to the year\u2014and remember to ask for what you need.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Too often, teacher preparation programs are rich in theory but light on practical guidance.<\/span><\/strong> After working hard through my undergraduate classes, completing student teaching, and spending countless hours laminating and cutting, I still found myself on the first day of school, standing in front of a room full of expectant faces with eager eyes, and realized I had no idea what to do next. I didn\u2019t know what to say to students in that moment, let alone how to survive the following 180 days. <span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Twelve years later, I have collected a trove of advice I wish I could have shared with that fresh-faced teacher.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/scienceoflearning.substack.com\/p\/the-transient-information-effect\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>The Transient Information Effect: Why Great Explanations Don\u2019t Always Stick<\/strong><\/a> &#8212; from scienceoflearning.substack.com by Nidhi Sachdeva and Jim Hewitt<br \/>\n<em>In this post, Dr. John Sweller describes how the Transient Information Effect can overload student working memory and what teachers can do about it.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Highlights:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>The Transient Information Effect<\/strong> happens when important information disappears before learners can process and remember it.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Dr. John Sweller, who first studied the Transient Information Effect, answers our questions about this overlooked learning challenge.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Turning transient information into something students can revisit (like writing key steps on the board) can help explanations stick.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/article\/41-elementary-classroom-jobs-build-shared-responsibility-community\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>41 Elementary Classroom Jobs to Build Shared Responsibility and Community<\/strong><\/a> &#8212; from edutopia.org by\u00a0Donna Paul<br \/>\n<em>Classroom jobs help students feel seen, trusted, and excited to contribute to their classroom community.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Each fall, one of the first routines I introduce is our classroom job board. It\u2019s more than a list of tasks\u2014it helps students feel that they belong and have real roles in our shared space. Over the years, I\u2019ve expanded beyond classic jobs like Line Leader and Pencil Sharpener to include creative roles with quirky titles that engage and resonate with students.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Here are the jobs that have helped my students feel seen, trusted, and excited to contribute.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/article\/guiding-students-overcome-learned-helplessness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Guiding Students to Overcome Learned Helplessness<\/strong> <\/a>&#8212; from edutopia.org by Michelle Singh<br \/>\n<em>New teachers can create an environment where students feel supported and understand that mistakes are part of the learning process.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/article\/book-awards-ceremony-elementary-school\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Creating a Kid-Led Hall of Fame for Books<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0&#8212; from edutopia.org by Eric Hall<br \/>\n<em>Allowing elementary students to nominate and vote for their favorite books of the year can create a culture of celebration in the classroom.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">When I started teaching, I remembered that conversation with my elementary school librarian. I thought, \u201cWhy should adults have all the fun?\u201d I wanted my students to experience the excitement of recognizing books\u00a0<em>they<\/em>\u00a0thought were the best. And just like that, the Hallbery Awards were born and continued twice a year for over 15 years. (Why Hallbery? Because my last name is Hall.)<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edmentum.com\/articles\/understanding-diagnostic-formative-and-summative-assessments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Understanding Diagnostic, Formative, and Summative Assessments<\/strong><\/a> &#8212; from edmentum.com<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Today, we\u2019re taking a look at the three primary forms of assessments\u2014diagnostic, formative, and summative\u2014with the goal of not only differentiating between them but also better understanding the purpose and potential power of each.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">At their core, each of the three primary assessment types serves a distinct purpose. Diagnostic assessments are used before instruction to help identify where students are in their comprehension of academic content. Formative assessments are used while content is being taught to understand what students are picking up, to guide their learning, and to help teachers determine what to focus on moving forward. Summative assessments are used after instruction to evaluate the outcomes of student learning: what, or how much, they ultimately learned.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hechingerreport.org\/how-one-state-revamped-high-school-to-reflect-reality-not-everyone-goes-to-college\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>How one state revamped high school to reflect reality: Not everyone goes to college<\/strong><\/a> &#8212; from hechingerreport.org by Kavitha Cardoza<br \/>\n<em>Indiana\u2019s initial plan for revised graduation requirements was criticized for prioritizing workforce skills over academic preparedness. The state has tried to find a balance between the two<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This story is part of Hechinger\u2019s ongoing coverage about rethinking high school. Read about\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/hechingerreport.org\/apprenticeships-for-high-schoolers-are-touted-as-the-next-big-thing-one-state-leads-the-way\/\"><em>high school apprenticeships in Indiana<\/em><\/a><em>, a\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/hechingerreport.org\/a-new-kind-of-high-school-diploma-trades-chemistry-for-carpentry\/\"><em>new diploma in Alabama<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0that trades chemistry for carpentry, and\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/hechingerreport.org\/schools-push-career-ed-classes-for-all-even-kids-heading-to-college\/\"><em>\u201ccareer education for all\u201d in Kentucky<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">The \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.in.gov\/doe\/diplomas\/\">New Indiana Diploma<\/a>\u201d \u2014 which was signed into law in April and goes into effect for all incoming first-year students this academic year \u2014\u00a0gives students the option to earn different \u201cseals\u201d in addition to a basic diploma, depending on whether they plan to attend college, go straight to work or serve in the military. Jenner describes it as an effort to tailor the diploma to students\u2019 interests, expose students to careers and recognize different forms of student achievement.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edweek.org\/policy-politics\/how-teachers-in-this-district-pushed-to-have-students-spend-less-time-testing\/2025\/08\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>How Teachers in This District Pushed to Have Students Spend Less Time Testing<\/strong><\/a> &#8212; from edweek.org by Elizabeth Heubeck<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Students in one Arizona district will take fewer standardized tests this school year, the result of an educator-led push to devote less time to testing.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">The Tucson Education Association, backed by the school board and several parents, reached an agreement with the Tucson Unified school system in May to reduce the number of district-mandated standardized assessments students take annually starting in the 2025-26 academic year.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Just 25 percent of educators agreed that state-mandated tests provide useful information for the teachers in their school, according to a 2023\u00a0EdWeek Research Center survey\u00a0of teachers, principals, and district leaders.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/article\/30-ways-to-bring-calm-to-a-noisy-high-school-classroom\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>30 Ways to Bring Calm to a Noisy High School Classroom<\/strong><\/a> &#8212; from edutopia.org by\u00a0Anne Noyes Saini<br \/>\n<em>From \u2018finding the lull\u2019 to the magic of a dramatic whisper, these teacher-tested strategies quickly get high school students focused and back on track.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/article\/approaching-experiential-learning-continuum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Approaching Experiential Learning as a Continuum<\/strong><\/a> &#8212; from edutopia.org by Bill Manchester<br \/>\n<em>Teachers can consider 12 characteristics of experiential learning to make lessons more or less active for students.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here are my favorite back-to-school activities to strengthen learning &#8212; from retrievalpractice.org by Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D. Welcome back to school! For most of us (myself included), the whirlwind of lesson prep, meetings, professional development\u2014and of course, teaching\u2014is here. Keep reading for my favorite back-to-school activities to engage students with retrieval practice during the first [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[472,68,115,302,324,343,848,141,533,121,71,150,3,419,119,46,102,7,838,559,173,196,345,248,855,66,89,50,321,214,852],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-active-learning","category-assessment","category-colleges","category-community-colleges","category-curriculum","category-education","category-emotion","category-engagement-engaging-students","category-experimentation","category-face-to-face","category-faculty-staff","category-formal-learning","category-higher-education","category-ideas-teaching","category-instructional-design","category-k-12-related","category-learning","category-learning-ecosystem","category-learning-experience-design","category-learning-hubs","category-pedagogy","category-productivity-tips-and-tricks","category-reading","category-relationships","category-skills","category-student-related","category-teachers","category-teaching-learning","category-united-states","category-universities","category-vocational-trades"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/danielschristian.com\/learning-ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/danielschristian.com\/learning-ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/danielschristian.com\/learning-ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/danielschristian.com\/learning-ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/danielschristian.com\/learning-ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96389"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"http:\/\/danielschristian.com\/learning-ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96389\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96440,"href":"http:\/\/danielschristian.com\/learning-ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96389\/revisions\/96440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/danielschristian.com\/learning-ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/danielschristian.com\/learning-ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/danielschristian.com\/learning-ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}