activities, projects, and fieldwork to continually reinforce targeted literacy skills, as well as oral language development and vocabulary acquisition. Embedded in the context of engaging, units, these tested literacy practices provide a powerful and effective vehicle for raising the level of students’ reading and writing competencies, as well as listening and speaking skills. The power of this approach is exemplified in an EL video series featuring a Conservatory Lab 2nd-grade classroom entitled Inspiring Excellence: A Classroom of Quality in Reading, in Writing, in Listening, in Speaking, in the Arts, and in Science, available at. A consistent structure for common planning time with teachers, coaches, and administrators, including extended periods of planning time at key points during the year, is critical for the successful development and implementation of interdisciplinary, project-based learning. Reflection Partnering with the E. Greenwood, Thomas J. Kenny, and the P.A. Shaw schools underscored the importance of pacing and curriculum modifications to meet individual student and classroom needs, as well as videotaped and/or live models for celebrations of learning at the end of units that feature students showcasing and sharing their work in interactive ways with families and the school community. Resources The Curriculum section of the Conservatory Lab website features interdisciplinary project and student product descriptions, including bibliographies, videos, and other resources. .
activities, projects, and fieldwork to continually reinforce targeted literacy skills, as well as oral language development and vocabulary acquisition. Embedded in the context of engaging, units, these tested literacy practices provide a powerful and effective vehicle for raising the level of students’ reading and writing competencies, as well as listening and speaking skills. The power of this approach is exemplified in an EL video series featuring a Conservatory Lab 2nd-grade classroom entitled Inspiring Excellence: A Classroom of Quality in Reading, in Writing, in Listening, in Speaking, in the Arts, and in Science, available at. A consistent structure for common planning time with teachers, coaches, and administrators, including extended periods of planning time at key points during the year, is critical for the successful development and implementation of interdisciplinary, project-based learning. Reflection Partnering with the E. Greenwood, Thomas J. Kenny, and the P.A. Shaw schools underscored the importance of pacing and curriculum modifications to meet individual student and classroom needs, as well as videotaped and/or live models for celebrations of learning at the end of units that feature students showcasing and sharing their work in interactive ways with families and the school community. Resources The Curriculum section of the Conservatory Lab website features interdisciplinary project and student product descriptions, including bibliographies, videos, and other resources. .