Online Small Groups as Sites of Teaching


Book Description

Centered around a reflective narrative recounting the experiences of a participatory action research project into leading online small groups for adults in the Church of Sweden Diocese of Stockholm during 2021 and 2022, the dissertation argues for the need to reconceptualize and reemphasize teaching as an important aspect in Christian religious education. Employing creative non-fiction methods, the dissertation aims to broaden the scope of the initial Online Small Groups project, by inviting readers to join into a "learning journey." The narrative account is complemented with more traditional forms of analysis that connect experiences from online small groups in the Church of Sweden to similar research from Anglo-Saxon countries, noting especially how notions of community diverge due to different ecclesiological understandings. Insights are then synthesized into eight teaching strategies aimed at communicating actionable knowledge to small group leaders, before noting how the study complements research on Christian religious education and, particularly, the current debate about learning and teaching in the Church of Sweden.







Differentiated Instruction Made Practical


Book Description

Need to decide when, why, and how to differentiate instruction in the classroom? Differentiated Instruction Made Practical introduces teachers to All Learners Learning Every Day (ALL-ED), an easy-to-use framework that enables tailored instruction for every learner. These unique, self-regulated learning routines were developed by an experienced K-12 teacher and researcher in collaboration with an educational psychology scholar. Filled with useful classroom examples, evaluation procedures, self-reflection activities, and relevant background information, this essential guide will help classroom teachers think on their feet and promote success for all students—not just the middle of the pack.




147 Practical Tips for Teaching Online Groups


Book Description

From experienced distance educators comes this comprehensive collection of strategies for teaching effectively online. Beginning with pre-instruction preparation and progressing through actual online teaching, 147 Practical Tips for Teaching Online Groups will help you feel more comfortable and competent heading into an online course, whether you're a new instructor or an experienced professor. The authors dispel popular myths in online education and anticipate the potential problems you might face teaching in the online medium. They also advise you on how to set up and implement your online course, and make the course discussions as interactive as those you have in the traditional face-to-face classroom setting. If you're involved in web-based education -- or if you're about to be -- 147 Practical Tips for Teaching Online Groups will become one of your most trusted resources.




Making Sense of Mathematics for Teaching the Small Group


Book Description

When done right, small-group instruction is a powerful tool for facilitating student understanding in K-5 mathematics. Throughout the book, best practices for small-group math instruction are addressed in detail, from planning tasks that encourage deep understanding to asking effective questions to engaging learners in meaningful conversations. Readers will learn how teaching mathematics in small groups allows you to differentiate instruction for both remediation and enrichment. The included small-group instruction videos demonstrate the suggested strategies in a real-classroom setting, giving readers the opportunity to see best practice in action. Develop math-specific instruction strategies for teaching small groups in elementary school: Explore the benefits of small-group math activities and how these activities are unique compared to large-group instruction. Discover the teacher's and students' roles in small-group instruction and how teachers can help students develop the skills to fulfill their role. Learn how to apply the general tasks, questions, and evidence (TQE) process to small-group instruction in order to enhance student learning and improve your knowledge of teaching mathematics. View examples of small-group instruction, which provide both math intervention and math enrichment activities for different students. Contents: Acknowledgments Table of Contents About the Authors Introduction Chapter 1: Best Practices in Small-Group Instruction Chapter 2: The TQE Process in Small-Group Instruction Chapter 3: Discourse in Small-Group Instruction Epilogue: How to Tie It All Together References Index




Truly Free


Book Description

In Truly Free best-selling author Robert Morris invites us into a glorious truth—that the promise of being set free from the slavery of sin is a promise to be set free completely. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). As believers, we have Christ and never need to be afraid. Yet it’s also true that we are not immune to the effects of evil. Christ has conquered sin and death, but in his infinite wisdom—for reasons that are often difficult for us to understand—evil is still permitted to exist. Even if we’re saved and trust in Christ, we may still find areas in which we just can’t get victory. Maybe it’s a sin we’ve confessed again and again or a constant struggle with depression, anger, or lust. These long-imbedded patterns of shameful living continue to entangle us day after day, month after month, and even year after year. Although evil is real and Christians can be oppressed by it, we have the promise that the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Jesus saves us, trains us to resist the power of evil, and delivers us from anything that holds us back. With Jesus, we can be truly free forever.




Making the Most of Small Groups


Book Description

Author Debbie Diller turns her attention to small reading groups and the teacher's role in small-group instruction. Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All grapples with difficult questions regarding small-group instruction in elementary classrooms such as: How do I find the time? How can I be more organized? How do I form groups? How can I differentiate to meet the needs of all of my students? Structured around the five essential reading elements - comprehension, fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics, and vocabulary - the book provides practical tips, sample lessons, lesson plans and templates, suggestions for related literacy work stations, and connections to whole-group instruction. In addition to ideas to use immediately in the classroom, Diller provides an overview of relevant research and reflection questions for professional conversations.




The On-Your-Feet Guide to Blended Learning


Book Description

Blended learning is more than just "teaching with technology"; it allows teachers to maximize learning through deliberate instructional moves. This On-Your-Feet Guide zeroes in on one blended learning routine: Station Rotation. The Station Rotation model moves small groups of students through a series of online and off-line stations, building conceptual understanding and skills along the way. This On-Your-Feet-Guide provides: 7 steps to planning a Station Rotation lesson A full example of one teacher's Station Rotation A blank planning template for designing your own Station Rotation Helpful assessment strategies for monitoring learning at each station Ideas to adapt for low-tech classrooms or large class sizes Use blended learning to maximize learning and keep kids constantly engaged through your next Station Rotation lesson! Laminated, 8.5”x11” tri-fold (6 pages), 3-hole punched




Teaching Reading in Small Groups


Book Description

Meet instructional challenges effectively and efficiently by uncovering hidden time for meeting individual students' needs. With small groups, you'll work closely with more children each day with her how-tos on using formative assessment to create groups from common needs; differentiating for individuals, even in a group; and enhancing Tier 1 and Tier 2 instruction.




Making Sense of Mathematics for Teaching, Grades 3-5


Book Description

Develop a deep understanding of mathematics. This user-friendly resource presents grades 3–5 teachers with a logical progression of pedagogical actions, classroom norms, and collaborative teacher team efforts to increase their knowledge and improve mathematics instruction. Focus on an understanding of and procedural fluency with multiplication and division. Address how to learn and teach fraction concepts and operations with depth. Thoroughly teach plane and solid geometry. Explore strategies and techniques to effectively learn and teach significant mathematics concepts and provide all students with the precise, accurate information they need to achieve academic success. Benefits Dig deep into mathematical modeling and reasoning to improve as both a learner and teacher of mathematics. Explore how to develop, select, and modify mathematics tasks in order to balance cognitive demand and engage students. Discover the three important norms to uphold in all mathematics classrooms. Learn to apply the tasks, questioning, and evidence (TQE) process to ensure mathematics instruction is focused, coherent, and rigorous. Use charts and diagrams for classifying shapes, which can engage students in important mathematical practices. Access short videos that show what classrooms that are developing mathematical understanding should look like. Contents Introduction 1 Place Value, Addition, and Subtraction 2 Multiplication and Division 3 Fraction Concepts 4 Fraction Operations 5 Geometry 6 Measurement Epilogue Next Steps Appendix A Completed Classification of Triangles Chart Appendix B Completed Diagram for Classifying Quadrilaterals