Unleashing Student Superpowers

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 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.

"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."

• Foreword by Marilee SprengerA Preface From the Superpower GuardiansAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorsChapter 1. Anything Is Possible: So Why Do Our Classrooms Have So Many Limits?What′s the Point of School?The Knowing-Doing GapTeachers Are DesignersI′m Busy! Where Does This Fit?Research RemindersWhat About the Standards?All About the Common Core State StandardsLook Back and Step ForwardA Question to Consider as You ReflectChapter 2. The Student SuperpowersThe Student SuperpowersWhat Is an Instructional Journey? How Does It Promote Student Superpowers?The Superpowers Are Bigger Than Specific JourneysDebunking DepartmentalizationIncluded Components of Each Instructional JourneyA Few Final ConsiderationsLook Back and Step ForwardA Question to Consider as You ReflectChapter 3. The Wondering Instructional Journey: What Do You Wonder?Superpower Summary and OverviewWondering Journey at a GlanceInstructional Journey GoalsStudent-Friendly Authentic Learning ProblemGeneral ProgressionConnecting the StandardsLearning Activities and Tech UpgradesFormative Assessment and Tracking Student Progress Toward GoalsFinal Assessment: Have Your Goals Been Achieved? GAME SHOW REDESIGNDifferentiation: Meeting the Needs of All LearnersWindow Into the ClassroomA Question to Consider as You ReflectChapter 4. The Curating Instructional Journey: Solving a PuzzleSuperpower Summary and OverviewCurating Journey at a GlanceInstructional Journey GoalsStudent-Friendly Authentic Learning ProblemGeneral ProgressionConnecting the StandardsLearning Activities and Tech UpgradesFormative Assessment and Tracking Student Progress Toward GoalsFinal Assessment: Have Your Goals Been Achieved? CREATING SCHOOL CLUBSDifferentiation: Meeting the Needs of All LearnersWindow Into the ClassroomA Question to Consider as You ReflectChapter 5. The Connecting Instructional Journey: Sharing StoriesSuperpower Summary and OverviewConnecting Journey at a GlanceInstructional Journey GoalsStudent-Friendly Authentic Learning ProblemGeneral ProgressionConnecting the StandardsLearning Activities and Tech UpgradesFormative Assessment and Tracking Student Progress Toward GoalsFinal Assessment: Have Your Goals Been Achieved? CONNECTING AROUND THE WORLDDifferentiation: Meeting the Needs of All LearnersWindow Into the ClassroomA Question to Consider as You ReflectChapter 6. The Digital Inking Instructional Journey: What Should We Tweet?Superpower Summary and OverviewDigital Inking Journey at a GlanceInstructional Journey GoalsStudent-Friendly Authentic Learning ProblemGeneral ProgressionConnecting the StandardsLearning Activities and Tech UpgradesFormative Assessment and Tracking Student Progress Toward GoalsFinal Assessment: Have Your Goals Been Achieved? CREATING AN INTERACTIVE CAMPAIGNDifferentiation: Meeting the Needs of All LearnersWindow Into the ClassroomA Question to Consider as You ReflectChapter 7. The Designing Instructional Journey: What Can You Make?Superpower Summary and OverviewDesigning Journey at a GlanceInstructional Journey GoalsStudent-Friendly Authentic Learning ProblemGeneral ProgressionConnecting the StandardsLearning Activities and Tech UpgradesFormative Assessment and Tracking Student Progress Toward GoalsFinal Assessment: Have Your Goals Been Achieved? DESIGN A SCHOOL BUSDifferentiation: Meeting the Needs of All LearnersWindow Into the ClassroomA Question to Consider as You ReflectChapter 8. The Gaming Instructional Journey: Make Life More Fun!Superpower Summary and OverviewGaming Journey at a GlanceInstructional Journey GoalsStudent-Friendly Authentic Learning ProblemGeneral ProgressionConnecting the StandardsLearning Activities and Tech UpgradesFormative Assessment and Tracking Student Progress Toward GoalsFinal Assessment: Have Your Goals Been Achieved? GAMIFY YOUR HOMEWORKDifferentiation: Meeting the Needs of All LearnersWindow Into the ClassroomA Question to Consider as You ReflectChapter 9. The Superpower Audit: How Am I Doing?How Can I Track Progress?How Should These Audits Be Used?SummaryA Question to Consider as You ReflectChapter 10. Start Today: Ten First StepsFinding Small Wins1. It′s All About Choice2. What Does Good Work Look Like?3. Knowing What I Know4. Different Every Day5. List-Group-Label6. Student-Directed Share7. Think Time8. Three-Finger Self-Assessment9. Gallery Walk10. A Class BlogA Question to Consider as You ReflectChapter 11. More Readings: The Fab FiveContinuing the JourneyA Question to Consider as You ReflectReferencesIndex