NOW
CLASSROOMS
GRADES 6–8
LESSONS FOR ENHANCING TEACHING AND LEARNING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
MEG ORMISTON
Lauren Slanker
Jennifer Lehotsky
Megan K. Flaherty
Janice Conboy
Whitney Cavanagh
Copyright © 2018 by Solution Tree Press
Materials appearing here are copyrighted. With one exception, all rights are reserved. Readers may reproduce only those pages marked “Reproducible.” Otherwise, no part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of the publisher.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Ormiston, Meghan J., author.
Title: NOW classrooms, grades 6-8 : lessons for enhancing teaching and learning through technology / Authors: Meg Ormiston, Lauren Slanker, Jennifer Lehotsky, Megan K. Flaherty, Janice Conboy, and Whitney Cavanagh.
Description: Bloomington, IN : Solution Tree Press, [2018] | Series: NOW classrooms. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017023981 | ISBN 9781945349423 (perfect bound)
Subjects: LCSH: Middle school education--Computer-assisted instruction. | Educational technology--Study and teaching (Middle school) | School improvement programs.
Classification: LCC LB1028.5 .O692 2018 | DDC 371.33--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017023981
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Edmund M. Ackerman, President
Solution Tree Press
President and Publisher: Douglas M. Rife
Editorial Director: Sarah Payne-Mills
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To all the passionate educators everywhere who have inspired me on this journey to change the world of education.
—MEG ORMISTON
To my significant other, Tikhon, whose own passion inspires mine; and to my mom, Vicki, who worked tirelessly to give me every opportunity possible to achieve my dreams.
—LAUREN SLANKER
To my mom, Colleen, who gave me the strength to become the strong person I am; to my husband, Bill, for supporting me at every turn; and to my two children, Gwen and Will, to show that determination makes your dreams come true.
—JENNIFER LEHOTSKY
To my mother, Emalee, who has always pushed me to reach for new challenges; and to my father, Joseph, who has always supported me in everything that I do; and to all the amazing colleagues, teachers, and students I have met on my professional journey.
—MEGAN K. FLAHERTY
To my wonderful husband, Eric, and my amazing son, Tyler, for all their love and support; and to my parents, Magin and Helen, for always believing in me and teaching me to follow my dreams. I would not be the person I am today without your love and guidance.
—JANICE CONBOY
To my best friend and husband, Connor, for always making me laugh and standing by my side; to my parents, Keith and Hope, for loving me unconditionally and giving me a life I could only dream of; and to my beautiful daughter, Reagan, who has truly taught me the meaning of the word agape.
—WHITNEY CAVANAGH
Acknowledgments
Thank you to all teachers everywhere! I am proud to say I am a teacher, and I believe it is one of the most important professions in the world. Specifically, I want to thank the collaborative writing team that coauthored this series of five books. I have never worked with a more dedicated, fun-loving, collaborative team of lifelong learners. Thanks to the Otus team for your support and to my family for putting up with our writing marathons. I give my deepest thanks to Douglas Rife and the entire team at Solution Tree for helping all of us craft this dream into a reality. Wow!
—Meg Ormiston
Thank you to the wonderful women I worked with on this book. You have all inspired me, and I have learned so much from you. I’d also like to thank my district, Berwyn South School District 100, for allowing teachers to blossom and try new things. Finally, I’d like to thank two of the most influential teachers and people in my life: Annie Forest and Anna Van Asselt. You pushed my thinking every day and made me realize that good teachers always learn and challenge themselves.
—Lauren Slanker
Thank you to our writing team for working so well together. It has been a pleasure to collaborate and learn with you. Special thanks to the staff
