The Hechinger Report

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

A ‘Knowledge Revival’ A 2025 book by 10 education researchers in Europe and Australia, Developing Curriculum for Deep Thinking: The Knowledge Revival , makes the case that students cannot learn the skills of comprehension and critical thinking unless they know a lot of stuff first.

Teaching 136

Teaching Charter School Social Studies Geography 136

TCI

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

History in elementary and middle school; also require at least one year of U.S. History and one semester of civics in high school. Emphasis on Social Studies Practices: Materials emphasize inquiry-based learning, analysis of primary and secondary sources, and the development of critical-thinking skills.

Civics 98

Civics Teaching Civic Engagement Social Studies 98

ED Surge

JANUARY 21, 2025

Though she didnt initially see herself ever becoming a school librarian, Rhue has come to love the dynamism and variety of her job. She teaches concepts as wide-ranging as American Sign Language, critical thinking, typing, conducting research and writing in cursive. I also teach cursive writing, which is a lost art.

Library 106

Library Charter School Education Lesson Plan 106

TCI

JANUARY 6, 2025

TCIs Social Studies programs for Mississippi were recognized for their comprehensive approach to fostering critical thinking, inquiry-based learning, and active engagement. The curriculum encourages active exploration of social studies concepts through hands-on learning and real-world applications.

K-12 52

K-12 Social Studies Local History Critical Thinking 52

TCI

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

Research shows that active learning increases student performance, reduces failure rates, and fosters deeper critical thinking. ” These real-world educator insights align with research showing that active learning fosters a deeper understanding, improves retention by up to 30%, and enhances critical thinking skills.

K-12 52

K-12 Education Critical Thinking Tradition 52

Active History Teacher

FEBRUARY 7, 2024

The events in these timelines are often times not related, which leads to some great critical thinking! High School Middle School STARR/EOC review JOIN Thank you for subscribing! Seriously, it’s my favorite. Students work in small groups to put “mini-timelines” in order. What are your favorite ways to review?

History 195

History Critical Thinking Middle School Social Studies 195

Digital Promise

JANUARY 15, 2019

Rather than taking a traditional multiple choice test at the end of their unit on weather, sixth grade students at Gilbert Middle School in South Carolina created their own live weather reports—complete with green screens and fake snow.

Middle School 134

Middle School Critical Thinking Tradition Teaching 134

Psych Learning Curve

JANUARY 31, 2020

Researchers say that reducing the burden of teaching experienced by so many teachers is critical to improve student success — both academically and behaviorally. The outsize influence of your middle-school friends (The Atlantic) The intensity of feelings generated by friendship in childhood and adolescence is by design.

Middle School 52

Middle School Psychology Critical Thinking Cultures 52

The Hechinger Report

FEBRUARY 11, 2021

More than 80 percent of middle schoolers couldn’t tell the difference between sponsored content and actual news stories. The middle school exercise was almost not included in the study because researchers thought it was too easy, said Sam Wineburg, Stanford professor and lead author of the report. “We

K-12 145

K-12 Civics Critical Thinking Middle School 145

ED Surge

JANUARY 25, 2023

Problem-solving and critical thinning: Encouraged problem-solving and critical thinking. Researchers say that positive teacher-student relationships tend to start declining after first grade, with the lowest drop in middle school, before evening out in high school. “Our

Teaching 123

Teaching Critical Thinking Middle School Research 123

The Hechinger Report

MARCH 8, 2021

This middle school project-based instruction was tested on more than 100 students in high-poverty schools in California. It’s the kind of learning that’s going to propel students who have been further from opportunity forward at a more rapid rate with the kinds of critical thinking and problem solving skills that they need.”.

Project-Based Learning 145

Project-Based Learning Middle School Social Studies High School 145

Digital Promise

MAY 23, 2019

Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, Kentucky (Cohort 5). The five Jefferson County Public Schools participating in the initiative—The Academy @ Shawnee Middle School, Frederick Law Olmsted Academy North, Lassiter Middle School, Newburg Middle School, and W.E.B.

Middle School 121

Middle School Leadership Public School Professional Development 121

ED Surge

MARCH 22, 2022

School is not the problem. This statement was shared by a former middle school student of mine during his freshman year of high school. John* was getting all A’s and one B in stark contrast to the B’s, C’s, and D’s received in middle school. Students are the problem.”

Middle School 120

Middle School Tradition Critical Thinking High School 120

ED Surge

FEBRUARY 14, 2024

Imagine IM’s Inspire Math video Climbing Mount Everest links the drama of mountaineering to middle school work on percentages. It fosters critical thinking, problem-solving skills and a deeper understanding of mathematical principles by placing students as active learners rather than passive recipients of information.

Education 125

Education Pedagogy Critical Thinking Middle School 125

ED Surge

MAY 8, 2023

That’s the question the middle school class was struggling to answer. Fractions hadn’t really connected with the students, says John Barclay, a teacher in Richmond Public Schools in Virginia. It takes critical thinking and a sense for the numbers to even understand how or why a student’s approach might be wrong, Barclay says.

K-12 135

K-12 Critical Thinking Middle School Pedagogy 135

Digital Promise

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

Students who participate in guided collaborative projects improve critical thinking and social skills needed for college and careers ( P21 , 2015). This includes non-cognitive skills such as self-discipline and collaboration, as well as academic knowledge and critical thinking ( Hewlett Foundation ).

K-12 119

K-12 Education Civics Middle School 119

The Hechinger Report

DECEMBER 9, 2021

The end goal is not to just provide access to digital devices — it’s to develop the skills to use these tools for heightened learning, critical thinking and self-expression. There is a growing need to reframe computing in classrooms as an inherently social and learned set of skills.

K-12 140

K-12 Critical Thinking Middle School Social Studies 140

The Hechinger Report

DECEMBER 28, 2020

What stands out for me is how readers remain interested in basic research into how kids learn, from reading to critical thinking to collaborating with peers. A study on teaching critical thinking in science. A well-intended effort to invest in education after the 2008 recession left many Americans in debt without degrees.

Research 115

Research Tutoring Education Critical Thinking 115

ED Surge

DECEMBER 20, 2021

Broad access to computer science resources is a critical enabler positively impacting the economic mobility of students. The study also uncovers that middle school and high school students overwhelmingly recognize the value of computer science knowledge in the U.S.

K-12 143

K-12 Economics Critical Thinking Middle School 143

The Hechinger Report

JANUARY 2, 2023

Researchers randomly assigned 21 elementary and middle schools to receive arts education first and watched what happened to 8,000 of their students in grades three through eight. They compared them with 8,000 students at 21 other schools that had to wait and didn’t get the extra arts for at least a couple years.

Teaching 145

Teaching Museum Elementary School Critical Thinking 145

ED Surge

NOVEMBER 7, 2022

Remember that heavy feeling you sometimes got as a kid heading into yet another school day? Middle school Guidance Counselor Rachelle Vallon remembers the feeling, too. But she doesn't want that to be how kids experience school going forward.

Middle School 120

Middle School Critical Thinking Humanities High School 120

ED Surge

AUGUST 16, 2023

Recently, EdSurge spoke with Molly Castner, a middle school ELA teacher who, intrigued by the prospect of providing real-time feedback to students and fostering critical thinking, embraced the integration of AI in her classroom. You are still a thinking and feeling human being!

Education 98

Education Middle School Critical Thinking Teaching 98

The Hechinger Report

SEPTEMBER 8, 2019

The arts provide dimension and perspective, and they help students develop the critical thinking, communication and collaboration skills they will need to succeed in school, work and life. This week marks National Arts in Education Week , a time for us to highlight the transformative power of the arts in education.

Education 102

Education Civics Critical Thinking Cultures 102

Digital Promise

FEBRUARY 5, 2019

After just one year, research suggests the DLP is changing school culture, as teachers are more collaborative and more open to trying new things in their classrooms. The DLP seems to have taken hold and has been embraced by everyone,” said Teresa Engler, technology coach at McGuffey Middle School in Pennsylvania.

Cultures 92

Cultures Middle School Critical Thinking Teaching 92

The Hechinger Report

DECEMBER 21, 2023

“At its core, it needs to really help students critically think and accelerate learning. Do the word problems pose questions that help students think critically about themselves or the data that they’re using? That’s what I look at when I look at lessons.

K-12 127

K-12 Cultures Critical Thinking Middle School 127

The Hechinger Report

OCTOBER 2, 2023

These and similar scenes from public schools around the country are more than just young learners having fun with recycled materials. This is STEM education in action: Hands-on projects help students develop critical thinking skills while sparking interest in science, technology, engineering and math.

K-12 137

K-12 Elementary School Museum Critical Thinking 137

Digital Promise

APRIL 12, 2016

Inside its borders are two of the nation’s best school districts — Cajon Valley Union School District and Vista Unified School District — that are working to provide students with the highest caliber of education possible. Vista Unified School District.

Middle School 91

Middle School Elementary School Critical Thinking Social Studies 91

ED Surge

JULY 17, 2023

As technology becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, schools are recognizing the importance of equipping every student with a personal device to facilitate digital learning. EdSurge: What was the device rollout planning process like for Newburg Middle School? When you explain the why to people, they are all in.

Education 98

Education Middle School Library Professional Development 98

The Hechinger Report

MAY 8, 2019

Their school schedules don’t make distinctions among the four core subjects, which are co-taught by two teachers in an interdisciplinary, project-based environment. After piloting it last year, the public middle school expanded the concept to seventh grade, too, though it looks a little different with the older students.

Project-Based Learning 112

Project-Based Learning Tradition Middle School Social Studies 112

The Hechinger Report

AUGUST 16, 2017

They also prepare students for life in college, careers, and beyond, helping improve these essential skills: Critical thinking and problem-solving using evidence from the text. Working effectively with other people requires activating emotional intelligence as well as these critical thinking and collaborative skills.

K-12 106

K-12 Critical Thinking Middle School Cultures 106

The Hechinger Report

OCTOBER 4, 2016

Ryan Ren, 14, loves the soccer fields around his middle school in Arcadia, California. But Ryan, now a student at Dana Middle School, hasn’t been to Guangzhou in a while. Dana Middle School is located in the Arcadia Unified School District, home to over a thousand students learning English.

K-12 111

K-12 Private School Middle School Tutoring 111

The Hechinger Report

FEBRUARY 14, 2017

In November 2015, middle-school students from Westchester County, New York, found themselves on a windswept field in Southern Sudan mingling with a crowd of refugees fleeing civil war. Cayne Letizia, middle school English teacher, Valhalla, N.Y. “We Photo courtesy Global Nomads Group.

Teaching 102

Teaching Middle School Humanities Professional Development 102

Digital Promise

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

The school visit demonstrated how they integrate culturally relevant pedagogy, differentiated instruction, and varied assessments to highlight Black brilliance in mathematics. Bessborough Drive Elementary and Middle School is a dynamic neighborhood school that uses technology predominately to redefine learning.

Middle School 99

Middle School Social Justice Professional Development Cultures 99

Digital Promise

JUNE 13, 2018

According to the Future of Jobs Report by the World Economic Forum, creativity is one of the top three most important skills for future workers, along with complex problem solving and critical thinking. Another teacher in a Verizon Innovative Learning school also observes an increase in creativity among students. If so, how?

Middle School 77

Middle School Critical Thinking Economics History 77

Digital Promise

MARCH 5, 2020

This micro-credential focuses on how Future Ready Librarians “encourage and facilitate students to become increasingly self-directed as they create digital products of their learning that engage them in critical thinking, collaboration, and authentic real-world problem solving.” With teacher librarians across the U.S.

Library 111

Library Artifacts Advocacy Professional Development 111

Dangerously Irrelevant

MAY 31, 2017

Some folks know that I started my education career as a middle school Social Studies teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina. Maybe my students would write their own textbooks like those at Beachwood (OH) Middle School. I could garner ideas from the City University of New York’s American Social History Project.

Social Studies 76

Social Studies Teaching Archiving Geography 76

ED Surge

MAY 21, 2024

And then critical thinking, like making a decision on the basis of what you think is valid and accurate information and going forth in implementing that decision. In middle school, everyone's pressuring you to be ready for high school. In high school, everyone's pressuring you to be ready for college.

Teaching 140

Teaching Humanities Critical Thinking Middle School 140