Jim Thompson

Take a look as to what happens when you combine explicit instruction with high standards. This is amazing!!!

Really nice summary of retrieval practice here.

I remember !

@DarylAMichel @DyslexiaSPELD @tserry2504 @PCSnow1604 @EdResearchAU @HollyLanePhD @MrZachG Applause @DarylAMichel

Day 1: @DyslexiaSPELD - Australia! Presented w/@tserry2504, @PCSnow1604, & @EdResearchAU - preliminary findings from a 2-yr. RCT that included #StudentFocusedCoaching; met Stuart Kime (UK); and saw American colleagues, @HollyLanePhD & @MrZachG. #literacy #dyslexia #learning

Just saw it..on the 1-10 scale..it’s an “11”..totally Mercedes cast !

The Five Ways booklet. Free to download. headguruteacher.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/five-w…

I do ..happens a lot in grocery store aisles.. Call me “old school” but this is just common courtesy. Thoughts ?

The #Raiders team mom ❤️ #Mendoza #raidernation

Sunday nights !

The days of “dial up” internet ! Who else remembers ! 😀

@hastieteaches @karenvaites Also Huge waste of of time that could be allocated to something more useful too

@karenvaites @Doug_Lemov There’s a lot of PD happening in my area about AI, including training teachers on how to teach kids about AI. When I asked why we are so focused on this, I was told “let’s be real, the kids are going to use it. It’s inevitable.” But we aren’t powerless! We can reduce screen time!

I recently introduced myself at an event as: "Hi, I'm Karen, and I'm on a crusade to bring books back into reading curriculum." As it came out of my mouth, I realized how insane it sounds.

Interesting. I’m studying explicit direct instruction right now & so watching a ton of video. In the best lessons the teacher often begins the first round of retrieval right after teaching a concept. With new content potentially overloading WM, forgetting probably starts instantaneously. So retrieval even before the lesson ends. For clarity I think it helps to call this rehearsal and make it clear that it’s a subset of retrieval but one you use right away when content is dense. So for example 30 seconds after explaining what encoding is to people unfamiliar with it: “Great take 30 seconds to rehearse that with the person next to you: what is encoding and what are four factors that make it more likely to happen.”

Retrieval practice is so important in helping learners retain knowledge. Love to see more and more of it. One of the most common opportunities to improve though is in avoiding very general questions. Eg “What’s one thing you remember from yesterday’s lesson?” This Q will likely result in learners recalling the easiest thing, the most familiar… Ie “low hanging fruit.” Much better to say: “Yesterday we talked about four key principles of x. What were they (or even: how many can you recall?) and which one did we discuss as being the most important?” Now learners are prompted to recall full schema and to recall things that don’t come easily.

Congrats and Applause to my wonderful “Coaching Done Well” colleague @leaningshane !

Students should read 25 books or book-equivalents each year. In every elementary grade. Looking back at the standards my Mom worked from in the 2000’s, I’d say we lost something.

Wow! LA schools are going to limit the use of screens in the classroom and give parents the chance to opt for use of pen and paper rather than Chromebooks. Hope this catches on nationally.

This has to change.

Fascinating and troubling chart on boys' relative reading struggles from @aibm_org: