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Unleashing Student Superpowers

Practical Teaching Strategies for 21st Century Students

By: Kristen N. Swanson, Hadley J. Ferguson

Foreword by Marilee Sprenger

Turn students into learning superheroes!

Every student has superpowers hidden inside, and you hold the keys to unlock them. With this cutting-edge handbook, transform your classroom into a place where students don’t just get an education—they use their powers to create it. Discover specific, ready-to-use instructional journeys that foster an inquiry-based, student-driven learning environment. Each research-based journey:

Supports one of the student superpowers: Wondering, Curating, Designing, Digital Inking, Gaming, and Connecting
Helps students become deep thinkers as required by the CCSS
Includes step-by-step lesson frameworks, aligned with the Common Core, that fit into your regular day

Ready-to-use instructional journeys support the student superpowers—Wondering, Curating, Designing, Digital Inking, Connecting, and Gaming—and include step-by-step lesson frameworks aligned with the Common Core.

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Product Details

Grade Level: PreK-12
ISBN: 9781483350967
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2014
Page Count: 176
Publication date: April 30, 2014

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Review copies may be requested by individuals planning to purchase 10 or more copies for a team or considering a book for adoption in a higher ed course. To request a review copy, contact sales@corwin.com.

Description

Turn students into learning superheroes!

Like we see in the movies, no two superheroes learn to use their powers in the exact same way. Each of your students has superpowers hidden inside, and you hold the keys to unlock them. With this cutting-edge handbook, you’ll turn your classroom into a place where students don’t just receive an education—they use their powers to create it.

Discover specific, ready-to-use instructional journeys designed to foster an inquiry-based, student-driven learning environment. Each research-based journey

Supports one of the six student superpowers: Wondering, Curating, Designing, Digital Inking, Gaming, and Connecting
Encourages students to think deeply; as required by the CCSS and NGSS
Includes step-by-step lesson frameworks, aligned with the Common Core, that fit into your regular day

Tear through the obstacles of achievement and show your students that anything is possible!

“Ferguson and Swanson explain why tapping into student competencies is imperative and show the road-map for matching engaging activities to specific standards. So many books on the market explain why a shift is needed; this one gives you the tools to do it.”
—Erin Klein, Teacher
Michigan Reading Association, Bloomfield Hills

“Unleashing Student Superpowers is an amazing resource for the creation and enhancement of student-centered classroom environments that focus on high-level questioning, inquiry, and passion-based learning. Each Superpower theme provides linkages to the Common Core and flexible lesson plans that promote relevant skills for students’ learning.”
—Victoria Olson, Teacher
West Langley Elementary School, Canada

Key features

Covers six student superpowers that foster inquiry based, student-driven classrooms: Wondering, Developing, Designing, Digital Inking, Seeking, and Advising
Will help students become deep thinkers as required by the CCSS and NGSS
Includes lesson frameworks to help teachers incorporate these strategies into their plans
Based on research by Bob Marzano, Ralph Tyler, Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, David Perkins, Mike Schmoker, and John Hattie
Day to day frameworks aligned to the CCSS for Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening; the NGSS; and the National Curriculum Standards for Social studies
Well-known authors - Edcamp

Author(s)

Kristen N. Swanson

Kristen Swanson helps teachers design meaningful, interactive curricula at the local and national level. She has taught at the elementary level, served as a regional consultant for Response to Intervention, and worked as an educational technology director for a public school district in Pennsylvania. She holds a B.A. degree from DeSales University, two M.A. degrees from Wilkes University, and an Ed.D. degree from Widener University. Kristen is currently an adjunct in the DeSales University instructional technology M.Ed program and a senior technology leader for BrightBytes.

In addition to her experience as an educator, Kristen is also passionate about meaningful professional learning. She serves on the board of the Edcamp Foundation, a nonprofit organization designed to facilitate local, grassroots professional development. She has shared her ideas and expertise at ASCD conferences, TEDxPhiladelphiaEd, TEDxNYED, and Educon. She has also been published in academic journals, including Literacy Learning: The Middle Years and the Journal of Reading, Writing, and Literacy. She is the author of Professional Learning in the Digital Age: The Educator’s Guide to User-Generated Learning and Teaching the Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards.

Kristen is active in the educational technology sphere. She is a Google Certified Teacher, Twitter Teacher, Edublog Award Nominee, and avid blogger. She strongly believes that rigorous curriculum fosters meaningful technology integration, and she is also interested in the learning opportunities provided by asynchronous learning.

Hadley J. Ferguson

Hadley Ferguson is a middle school teacher at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, an independent school in Philadelphia. She teaches History and Humanities as well as Entrepreneurship. Hadley is passionate about developing new curriculum to meet the needs of her students, working with other teachers, both in her building and through her personal learning network, to develop the best strategies to enhance the learning in her classroom. Hadley has a B.A. and an MEd from Smith College.

Because of her experiences of how important collaboration is for learning and growing as an educator, Hadley is actively involved in helping to develop connections among educators. She is a member of the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources Mentor Advisory group, where she helps teachers connect with the Library. She also advises groups of teachers on strategies for working together to develop curriculum that includes the resources from the Library of Congress. She was named a “Teacher of the Future” by the National Association of Independent Schools and part of a network to enhance support for independent school teachers. Hadley also seves on the board of the Edcamp Foundation, a nonprofit organization designed to facilitate local, grassroots professional development.

She has presented at a variety of conferences, including ISTE, National Middle School Association, Educational Computing Conference of Ontario and Educon. She has written articles for ISTE’s Learning and Leading on how teachers can take control of their professional development to directly impact the classroom. Her latest presentation is “On Being a Risk-Taking Teacher,” based on her work with ungrading. Her blog explores the challenges of teaching middle school in a digital world.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Marilee Sprenger

A Preface From the Superpower Guardians

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Chapter 1. Anything Is Possible: So Why Do Our Classrooms Have So Many Limits?

What's the Point of School?

The Knowing-Doing Gap

Teachers Are Designers

I'm Busy! Where Does This Fit?

Research Reminders

What About the Standards?

All About the Common Core State Standards

Look Back and Step Forward

A Question to Consider as You Reflect

Chapter 2. The Student Superpowers

The Student Superpowers

What Is an Instructional Journey? How Does It Promote Student Superpowers?

The Superpowers Are Bigger Than Specific Journeys

Debunking Departmentalization

Included Components of Each Instructional Journey

A Few Final Considerations

Look Back and Step Forward

A Question to Consider as You Reflect

Chapter 3. The Wondering Instructional Journey: What Do You Wonder?

Superpower Summary and Overview

Wondering Journey at a Glance

Instructional Journey Goals

Student-Friendly Authentic Learning Problem

General Progression

Connecting the Standards

Learning Activities and Tech Upgrades

Formative Assessment and Tracking Student Progress Toward Goals

Final Assessment: Have Your Goals Been Achieved? GAME SHOW REDESIGN

Differentiation: Meeting the Needs of All Learners

Window Into the Classroom

A Question to Consider as You Reflect

Chapter 4. The Curating Instructional Journey: Solving a Puzzle

Superpower Summary and Overview

Curating Journey at a Glance

Instructional Journey Goals

Student-Friendly Authentic Learning Problem

General Progression

Connecting the Standards

Learning Activities and Tech Upgrades

Formative Assessment and Tracking Student Progress Toward Goals

Final Assessment: Have Your Goals Been Achieved? CREATING SCHOOL CLUBS

Differentiation: Meeting the Needs of All Learners

Window Into the Classroom

A Question to Consider as You Reflect

Chapter 5. The Connecting Instructional Journey: Sharing Stories

Superpower Summary and Overview

Connecting Journey at a Glance

Instructional Journey Goals

Student-Friendly Authentic Learning Problem

General Progression

Connecting the Standards

Learning Activities and Tech Upgrades

Formative Assessment and Tracking Student Progress Toward Goals

Final Assessment: Have Your Goals Been Achieved? CONNECTING AROUND THE WORLD

Differentiation: Meeting the Needs of All Learners

Window Into the Classroom

A Question to Consider as You Reflect

Chapter 6. The Digital Inking Instructional Journey: What Should We Tweet?

Superpower Summary and Overview

Digital Inking Journey at a Glance

Instructional Journey Goals

Student-Friendly Authentic Learning Problem

General Progression

Connecting the Standards

Learning Activities and Tech Upgrades

Formative Assessment and Tracking Student Progress Toward Goals

Final Assessment: Have Your Goals Been Achieved? CREATING AN INTERACTIVE CAMPAIGN

Differentiation: Meeting the Needs of All Learners

Window Into the Classroom

A Question to Consider as You Reflect

Chapter 7. The Designing Instructional Journey: What Can You Make?

Superpower Summary and Overview

Designing Journey at a Glance

Instructional Journey Goals

Student-Friendly Authentic Learning Problem

General Progression

Connecting the Standards

Learning Activities and Tech Upgrades

Formative Assessment and Tracking Student Progress Toward Goals

Final Assessment: Have Your Goals Been Achieved? DESIGN A SCHOOL BUS

Differentiation: Meeting the Needs of All Learners

Window Into the Classroom

A Question to Consider as You Reflect

Chapter 8. The Gaming Instructional Journey: Make Life More Fun!

Superpower Summary and Overview

Gaming Journey at a Glance

Instructional Journey Goals

Student-Friendly Authentic Learning Problem

General Progression

Connecting the Standards

Learning Activities and Tech Upgrades

Formative Assessment and Tracking Student Progress Toward Goals

Final Assessment: Have Your Goals Been Achieved? GAMIFY YOUR HOMEWORK

Differentiation: Meeting the Needs of All Learners

Window Into the Classroom

A Question to Consider as You Reflect

Chapter 9. The Superpower Audit: How Am I Doing?

How Can I Track Progress?

How Should These Audits Be Used?

Summary

A Question to Consider as You Reflect

Chapter 10. Start Today: Ten First Steps

Finding Small Wins

1. It's All About Choice

2. What Does Good Work Look Like?

3. Knowing What I Know

4. Different Every Day

5. List-Group-Label

6. Student-Directed Share

7. Think Time

8. Three-Finger Self-Assessment

9. Gallery Walk

10. A Class Blog

A Question to Consider as You Reflect

Chapter 11. More Readings: The Fab Five

Continuing the Journey

A Question to Consider as You Reflect

References

Index

Reviews

"Ferguson and Swanson take teachers on a step-by-step journey through the process of planning powerful pedagogy for today's learners. They not only explain why tapping into student competencies is imperative, but they show the road-map for matching engaging activities to specific standards. So many books on the market explain why a shift is needed; this one gives you the tools to do it."

Erin Klein, Teacher, Second Grade Teacher and Technology Chairperson
Michigan Reading Association, Bloomfield Hills, MI

"Unleashing Student Superpowers is an amazing resource for the creation and enhancement of student-centered classroom environments that focus on high-level questioning, inquiry, and passion-based learning. Each Superpower theme provides linkages to the Common Core and flexible lesson plans that promote relevant skills for students learning, curating, questioning, connecting, authoring, and creating in a digital age."

Victoria Olson, Grades 3-4 Teacher and Technology Coach
West Langley Elementary School, West Langley Elementary School

"Swanson and Ferguson make the case that anything is possible in our classrooms. Student superpowers are not something to hope for, but instead they are real, tangible, and accessible ways to unleash each student’s potential. If you want to prepare our young students to be successful in today’s world, and in the future, read this book and watch your teaching change into a powerful motivational force. The “ten first steps” to starting today will have you moving toward this type of learning in no time!"

A. J. Julian, Author and K-12 Technology Staff Developer
Wissahickon School District, Ambler, PA

"In this book, Swanson and Ferguson provide a practical framework set to unlock the potential inside every student. The many easy-to-use strategies can be implemented in classrooms tomorrow. This book will help any teacher see and bring out the very best of each one of his/her students."

Thomas C. Murray, Director of Technology and Cyber Education
Quakertown Community School District, PA

Other Titles in: Teaching Methods & Learning Styles | Learning Styles | Elementary Teaching Methods

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Related Resources

Access to companion resources is available with the purchase of this book.
Formative Assessment Tracking Sheet [Checklists and Assessments]
Unleashing Student Superpowers Pinterest Board [Other]