"Traditional schooling included giving students a series of packets, and the proficient students could really "kill" those worksheets! They enjoyed the challenge of working their way through a maze of crooked, mimeographed chaos while inhaling the alluring smell. When it came to grading, students got the grade they got and didn't dare ask why. These relics of the past don't encourage student engagement, offer useful feedback, or help struggling students be college and career ready"--
Make better use of the tools you already have to improve learning outcomes and improve your work-life balance
Beyond Worksheets helps K-12 teachers make learning fun, engaging, and relevant using the latest research, actionable classroom strategies, and the ed tech software and systems they already have. Used correctly, these tools let you deepen learning, student engagement, and student participation. As a former teacher, author Amy Minter Mayer knows that, regardless of schoolwide initiatives and rollouts, it's what happens behind the closed doors of a classroom that affects the teacher's success. She wrote Beyond Worksheets as a self-paced guide that empowers teachers, without waiting for school-wide adoption of new tools. Readers will:
- Learn skills to cultivate classroom culture in a technology-infused environment
- Transform teaching strategies to meet the needs and challenges of learners
- Prepare effective lessons that include accommodations while also supporting student focus and engagement using research and brain-based approaches
- Access templates, strategies, and techniques any educator can employ to drive engagement and increase learning in the classroom
Beyond Worksheets is for teachers and instructional leaders who want to make the most of available on-hand tools and the latest research with strategies and resources that will help students learn and improve the lives of teachers.
Introduction ix
Chapter 1 Giving Up the "Good Old Days" of Education 1
Chapter 2 What Is a Worksheet? 25
Chapter 3 New World, New Rules 47
Chapter 4 Systems, Teachers, Expectations, and the Worksheet 67
Chapter 5 Student-Centered or Teacher-Focused 91
Chapter 6 Im Scared They Dont Care 115
Chapter 7 Behavior, Motivation, and the Worksheet 133
Chapter 8 Student Choice Continuum and Why Choice Matters 151
Chapter 9 Stop Stealing the Learning 167
Chapter 10 Fair Team Grading Strategies That Work for Humans 187
Chapter 11 Is Artificial Intelligence a Worksheet Killer? 217
Chapter 12 Becoming a Worksheet Killer 247
Acknowledgments 261
About the Author 263
Index 267
Amy Minter Mayer, M.A., the visionary behind the PD firm friEdTech, is a celebrated figure in the educational technology landscape. Beginning her career in classrooms near Houston, Texas, Amy has evolved into an authority in education. Her expertise in pedagogy, coupled with her innovative approaches as a school district leader in instructional technology and staff development, has profoundly shaped her professional trajectory. friEdTech collaborates with giants like Google and Adobe to create enjoyable and impactful learning experiences for educators across the United States and around the world.
