From John Spencer’s (EMPOWER, VINTAGE INNOVATION) BLEND EDUCATION

INTENTION: CRITICAL CREATIVITY in the CLASSROOM

How might we choreograph a short story, remix a political party, sketchnote an equation, costume a scientific phenomenon, or hashtag a nutrition plan? Veteran classroom educators, AMY BURVALL and DAN RYDER, believe intentional acts of creative expression enables deeper learning, turning the creative spirit into a force for authentic understanding.

INTENTION: CRITICAL CREATIVITY IN THE CLASSROOM provides a catalog of field-tested, student-centered activities, lessons and experiences ready for integration into any classroom. Each item in the catalog features a pathway for facilitating the thinking and making, an inventory of critical thinking skills developed during the experience, multiple suggestions for content area integration, and ideas for further enrichment and exploration.

Turn the pages with an open mind and nagging curiosity; close the cover with a concrete plan and collection of strategies for integrating innovative imagination into your daily classroom practice.

Explore a catalog of OVER 40 CLASSROOM-READY ACTIVITIES, LESSONS & EXPERIENCES tailored to middle and high school, easily adapted to elementary and higher education
Discover over 80 ideas for integrating CRITICAL CREATIVITY into math and science, physical education and health, world languages and social studies, English language arts and more.
Tap into an increasingly diverse creativity toolbox, ranging from LEGO BRICKS and OREO COOKIES to programmable robots and mobile apps
Uncover strategies and tools for students to explain their intentions and go from “cool idea” to authentic understanding
Learn how CRITICAL CREATIVITY can be used for both formative and summative assessments and be put to work in both traditional and standards-based learning environments
Connect to an INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF EDUCATORS & ARTISTS & INNOVATORS harnessing the power of intention and serious fun

From Talks with Teachers

BEST LESSON SERIES: LITERATURE: 15 TEACHERS SHARE WHAT WORKS

(Chapter: Literary 3×3: Literary Analysis Remixed & Reshuffled)

We are all searching for new ideas and new possibilities for our classrooms. The Best Lesson Series: Literature offers 15 remarkable lessons from master teachers that will increase student engagement, boost their appreciation of literature, and transform your classroom into a place of discovery and deep critical thinking.

Our Best Ideas Become Your Best Lessons:

15 Master Teachers —

Step-by-Step Instructions — We are not fans of jargon. Each teacher guide you through their plan with clarity while offering options for differentiation. Each lesson is easy to understand and easy to implement.

Handouts Included — Each chapter includes links to free literature, online articles, and expertly crafted handouts that are ready to go.

“The Best Lesson Series is a breath of fresh air and a long overdue resource for educators. Brian Sztabnik assembles a superstar lineup of master teachers, who ease readers into each lesson with a friendly backdrop–the Story Behind the Lesson–followed by a simple overview, goals, why the lesson is memorable, and more. If you’re tired of last year’s instruction, The Best Lesson Series: Literature is a book that is right on time.”

— Mark Barnes, author of Assessment 3.0 and creator of the Hack Learning Series

“All teachers want to expand their craft, but trying something new is risky. That’s what makes the lessons in this volume pure gold: They have stood the test of time in classrooms of seasoned professionals. This book somehow manages to be both practical, with strategies teachers can apply immediately in their own work, and fascinating, letting us inside the minds of educators as they think deeply about how best to shape learning experiences for their students. English teachers will return to this one again and again.”

– Jennifer Gonzalez, NBCT in English Language Arts and Editor-in-Chief of Cult of Pedagogy

From US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of English Language Programs