As a follow-up to her recent National Geographic Learning webinar, Lift co-author Tracey Gibbins answers a few questions about scaffolding from participants in the session. What is the difference between scaffolding and differentiation? Scaffolding for reading is the process of supporting students as they work towards becoming independent readers. I
Category: Teaching Teens
Assessment for Real-World Success
We each chart our own path forward in this incredible world—with help from family, friends, and teachers who inspire and guide us. At National Geographic Learning, our goal is to motivate students to experience the world through the visually rich stories of National Geographic photographers and explorers. But inspiration is
Role models: A vision for the future
I met Dean and Emma and their then-two-year-old daughter Liz (not their real names) in 1992 and we’ve been good friends ever since. When I first started socializing with them, I was struck by how comfortable they were as parents and how well they integrated their young child into their
Teaching the Whole Student
We all want the best for our students. We want them to do well academically, pass their exams, communicate effectively, and thrive socially. But sometimes our focus on academic achievement and paper qualifications can take precedence over our concern for their wellbeing. Of course, that’s understandable. Well-being is difficult to
Combining International Mindedness, Interdisciplinary Instruction and Service Learning in the IB Classroom
The International Baccalaureate (IB) focuses on teaching the value of perspectives, ideas, and connections from around the world. Whether you’re new to the IB, an IB educator, or are familiar with another curriculum framework, you probably know that it’s a challenge to think about how to take a big idea
Visible Thinking Routines in the ELT Classroom
As English language teachers and educators on the path of enrichment, we’re always on the lookout for new ideas and activities that we can incorporate into our classrooms to enrich our students’ learning experience. In the past, I would spend hours trawling my favorite ELT resource sites looking for that
Shifting Literacy Needs in English Medium Instruction: In Conversation with Nonie Lesaux
Nonie K. Lesaux is the Juliana W. and William Foss Thompson Professor of Education and Society at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She leads a research program that focuses on promoting the language and literacy skills of today’s children and youth from diverse linguistic, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Nonie
Global Citizenship Webinar Playlist
Global citizenship seems like an abstract concept at first glance. But what does it really mean to be a global citizen? Global citizenship does not eliminate passports or borders, and it is not a legal status. However, according to a survey by the BBC news portal, 56% of people identify
Lessons for english language teaching from “Clickbait”
Top doctor reveals the 3 worst things most people eat every day 12 unbelievable pet rescue stories. You’ll cry when you read #9! We’ve all seen online links like these, often accompanied by an eye-catching photo of an attractive person, a load of cash, a cute animal, or perhaps something
Maximizing Learning in the Synchronous Classroom with Classroom Presentation Tools
With a move to online learning, the value of the digital coursebook represented through classroom presentation tools has never been higher. While many teachers will have used them in their real-world classroom, they perhaps weren’t seen as an essential component of the classroom, rather a luxury. In contrast, in the