#TeachDifferent – Reading Roundup

A collection of articles and posts from my virtual PLN, inspiring innovation in education.

Ineffective (But Common) Teaching Methods

5 Common Teaching Practices I’m Kicking to the Curb–An excellent post by Jennifer Gonzalez on teaching strategies that remain common in our classrooms even though research has shown that they are ineffective.  I've been guilty of every one at some point in my career. "Are any of these ineffective teaching methods still part of your practice? Time to reconsider."   Cult of Pedagogy

Better Professional Development

Five Ways to Create More Teacher Rockstars in Your School (EdSurge News)–Ideas for incorporating teacher choice and sandbox time into professional development.   EdSurge

Intro to Gamification

Gamification: Engaging Students With Narrative–A clear and concise introduction to gamification from Alice Keeler. Edutopia

School Funding & Inequality

Why America’s Schools Have A Money Problem–A must-read for anyone who cares about public education in the U.S.  It's the first story in a series that NPR is doing to investigate "what happens when many of America's poorest students also attend its poorest schools."   NPR.org

Money, Race and Success: How Your School District Compares–The New York Times takes a look at the relationship between socioeconomic status and academic achievement.  The article also features an interactive image where you can search for your school district to see how it compares. "Sixth graders in the richest school districts are four grade levels ahead of children in the poorest districts."   www.nytimes.com