Connected Classrooms Podcasts

Learn what “pacing” really means and how experts say we teachers should be using our valuable instructional minutes.  Then, learn a new strategy called “My Favorite No,” which is a warm-up routine where your students review previous concepts and analyze common mistakes and misconceptions. 

Resource Page Connected Classrooms Resource Math Pacing

Learn what “explicit instruction” really means, why it matters, and how to execute a “think-aloud”, which will give your students a window into the thought process and decision-making that goes into solving a math word problem. 

Resource Page Connected Classrooms Resource Math Think Alouds 

The why, what and how of checking for understanding. Learn a simple technique called Reject Self-Report to elevate your questioning and find out not only if you “taught it” but if students really “got it.” Reject Self-Report tweaks the questions you’re probably already asking to more clearly and quickly see if students have reached mastery of an objective. 

Resource Page Connected Classrooms Resource Check for Understanding and Reject Self Report.pdf

How do we increase student engagement and how do we make learning relevant? Episode 4 examines how to connect students with content through the strategy of storification. This strategy uses stories to connect with student’s personal experiences with the hopes of improving interest, comprehension, and retention of information. 

Resource Page Connected Classrooms Resource Storification

Who is “doing the thinking” in our classroom – teachers or students? What practices will increase students’ cognitive engagement? Episode 5 discusses the importance of student cognitive engagement and shares a simple strategy to boost it! Learn about the 1-2-4 All strategy, which can draw 100% cognitive engagement from students. 

Resource Page Connected Classrooms Resource 1-2-4 Strategy

What does effective collaboration look like? How do we ensure equal participation and engagement? Episode 6 discusses research to support cooperative learning structures and provides a fun strategy, RallyRobin! This quick and simple strategy is used to boost participation and engagement. 

Resource Page Connected Classrooms Resource Collaboration with RallyRobin