PD Opportunity on Cognitive Load Theory

As readers of this blog will know, I've recently been writing a bit about cognitive load theory and how it's led to changes in my thinking and teaching. I debated some of its foundational ideas on a recent podcast, as well. After presenting on CLT in the fall, NWAIS asked me back as part of … Continue reading PD Opportunity on Cognitive Load Theory

Shifting to Online (again)? Check out this Poster

I am happy my community is back on campus; a beautiful learning space where teachers utilize their physical presence to guide attention and support students towards new understandings. I also realize, having been fooled too may times by COVID, that it’s possible that we’ll be forced to shift once again into a hybrid model (and … Continue reading Shifting to Online (again)? Check out this Poster

Is there a “Science of Learning” and what is in it?

A reoccurring theme (e.g., here, here, and here) of this blog is that we can improve education by leveraging findings from the science of learning. Most people in the field seem to agree with this statement, but it's not uncommon to find people who are convinced that there is no science of learning. The reasons … Continue reading Is there a “Science of Learning” and what is in it?

Summer’s Over. Now What?

Four years ago, I was just starting a PhD in online learning without ever having taught online. A few short years later and we are living in a world where almost every teacher has. When we first went remote, I was teaching Design Technology, a course for elementary students that was essentially "Makerspace" by another … Continue reading Summer’s Over. Now What?

Teaching WalkThrus 1 & 2: Game Changer or Paper Weight?

Teaching WalkThrus is a series of books by Tom Sherrington and Oliver Caviglioli that aims to improve teaching and instructional coaching through text and visuals. After buying the first book (Yellow) back when it first came out, John Catt Educational graciously sent me a copy of the second (Blue) for review here. As a leader … Continue reading Teaching WalkThrus 1 & 2: Game Changer or Paper Weight?

5 Research Articles for Amplifying Assessment and Feedback

I'm excited to announce that I am contributing a chapter on assessment and feedback for the upcoming book, Amplified Learning: A Global Collaborative! The book has quite an interesting concept: Each chapter begins by capturing the experiences of the contributing teacher through vignettes and examples before transitioning into the supporting research on a particular topic … Continue reading 5 Research Articles for Amplifying Assessment and Feedback

Asynchronous Learning: The Answer to Mid-Year Monotony and Teacher Burn-Out?

By far the most popular blog on this site (in recent years) is the The Unproductive Debate of Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Learning post that I wrote right as COVID hit, a post that already seems out of date. In a close second is the Scheduling Remote Learning to Allow for “Flow”. In both posts, I … Continue reading Asynchronous Learning: The Answer to Mid-Year Monotony and Teacher Burn-Out?

5 EdTech Myths We Should Leave Behind

This week I led a reading group session at my school on the article, "Have Technology and Multitasking Rewired How Students Learn?" by Daniel Willingham (here). Having led a lot of these, I'm convinced that reading groups are a more effective and enjoyable form of professional learning than ones that do not focus on a … Continue reading 5 EdTech Myths We Should Leave Behind

Bridging the Gap Between Teachers and Researchers

Something I've been trying to do for more than a year is transition this blog from one about "Zach and Stephanie's latest thoughts on teaching" to one about evidence-informed teaching and learning design. Compare this older blog post, for example, to a more recent one to see the difference. I haven't been modeling this blog … Continue reading Bridging the Gap Between Teachers and Researchers

how to present workshops that are worth attending educationrickshaw zach groshell

Presenting Workshops that are Worth Attending

Time and time again I find myself coming back to an essay called "'How Obvious”: Personal Reflections on the Database of Educational Psychology and Effective Teaching Research" by Gregory Yates (2005). It is a rich piece of work that covers topics ranging from the process-product research of the 70's and 80's to the failure of … Continue reading Presenting Workshops that are Worth Attending