"Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day…" - 5 new articles

For the next several months, each week I’ll be republishing posts from the past that I think readers might still find useful. This post first appeared in 2022.

geralt / Pixabay

Today’s post in the latest of a series that I’ve been writing about this past year.

The previous ones have been:

This School Year Is Almost Over – Here Are My Reflections About 12 Changes I Want To Make In The Fall

Here’s A New Writing “Twist” I Plan To Add To Peer Tutors’ Responsibilities Next Year When Working With ELLs

Anonymous Evaluation Results From My Intermediate ELL Students

The 14 Online Learning Tools I Used Most This School Year & 2 I Want To Try In The Fall

I’ve found that it’s critical for me to find the time to reflect on school year before it ends or immediately afterwards.  Having it all fresh in my mind maximizes the lessons I can take into the following year.

Here are a few key strategies that seemed to work, and that I want to make sure I continue – and expand on – next year (note that most of these specifically relate to my ELL classes – except for a few minor changes in my TOK classes that I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I pretty much stuck there to what I had done the previous year and it worked very well):

1. At least in my ELL classes, continue using a hard-copy textbooks and paper notebooks, and next year reduce even further other computer-based lesson activities.  Clearly, based on anonymous student evaluations and my own observations, students prefer the paper-based activities.  The laptop has its place (see my previous post about online learning tools), and students greatly benefit from using it for writing, but I suspect more learning would happen for at least some if I went back to printing out materials (like data sets) that I had students reading on Google Docs this year (not least because it would reduce the temptation to surf the web).  It seems to be less of an issue in my IB Theory of Knowledge classes.
2. Pre-teaching keywords prior to reading textbook chapters through having students create slideshows about them and having them “jigsaw” teaching their classmates.  These “Word Splashes” created opportunities for small group work and practicing presentation skills, and appeared to substantially enhance reading comprehension of the textbook (based on student evaluations and my observations).  Though I’ve obviously done some pre-teaching vocabulary in prior years, I had not devoted as much time to it, and it clearly was worth the effort.  Again, this is for my ELL classes.
3. Increasing the number and use of peer tutors was hugely beneficial to students, and I’ve previously written how I plan to expand their use further next year.
4. Generally ending each class – ELL and TOK – with a short online game (see my post on online learning tools) was an activity I carried over from distance learning, and was always a winner.  Not only was it a review of what we had done, and a formative assessment, but it always ended classes on a high note.  The “peak/end” rule finds that people usually remember how they feel at the end of an activity, and that informs how they might approach doing it again.  Ending with an online game, I believe, also helps students leave the class – and then enter the next day – in a more positive frame of mind.
5. Having students complete a weekly short online Google Form letting me know how they are feeling/doing has been invaluable.  I began doing this in distance learning and, though I’m always checking-in with students verbally, I’ve learned so much information from the online forms and have been able to intervene with students in crisis more immediately.

What has worked for you this year?

     

It continues to be time for end-of-year “Best” lists.

Now it’s time for the Best Videos For Educators.

You can see all my previous “Best” lists related to videos and movies (and there are a lot since I’ve doing this since 2007) here. Note that they’re also continually revised and updated.

Here are my picks from the second half of 2026:

I’ve made many videos over the years, including quite a few animated ones with Education Week on differentiated instruction, learning transfer, and student motivation. You can see thirty of them all here. I’ve also made about 80 more on TikTok, which you can see here. I’ve begun uploading those TikTok videos to my YouTube Channel, which you can access here.

NBA great and now-announced Reggie Miller made this commercial in the 1990s.

I’m adding it to The Best Videos & Articles Where Athletes Explain How Reading & Writing Well Has Helped Their Career – Help Me Find More.

Below the video, I have embedded a tweet where he talks now about making the video:

 

Overlooked reason for the literacy crisis is that media has stopped pushing reading entirely. As recently as the 1990s books were at the center of culture. As kids it was drilled into us that to be successful, you had to read. We need a national campaign to make kids read again. https://t.co/ycuMnWSowl

— Boze the Library Owl 😴🧙‍♀️ (@SketchesbyBoze) March 9, 2026

Jon Becker shared this video on BlueSky.

It’s truly amazing!

The whole contemporary AI debate was predicted in 4.5 minutes of a 1973 episode of Super Friends. (h/t to colleague not on Bluesky)
youtu.be/BLF1k_UXEGc?…

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— Jon Becker (@jonbecker.bsky.social) September 17, 2026 at 5:32 AM

 

This is certainly a timely video!

I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning Economics & Practical Money Skills.

 

I like this idea of “Waterfall Reading” and think it could support reading fluency for ELLs and English-proficient students alike.

You can read more about it at Edutopia, and I’ve embedded a short video about it below.

I’m adding this info to The Best Resources On Reading Fluency (Including How To Measure It).

 

I’m adding this video to The Best Sites For Learning About The History Of Technology:

 

I’m adding this video to THE BEST INFOGRAPHICS HIGHLIGHTING THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR LANGUAGES:

 

I like the idea behind the instructional strategy explained in this Edutopia video.

Basically,  students have the elements of an essay they have to write printed out on papers that are laid on the floor, and student pairs discuss them as a planning step for their essay.

There are way too many steps, in my opinion, that students are discussing, but, as I said, it’s a good idea.

If you go to this Edutopia link, you can also download all the materials the teacher used in this exercise.

I’m adding this info to Best Posts On Writing Instruction.

 

This could be a good video for professional development – show it to teachers and discuss what Chiles remembers. Then ask, “What would former students remember about your classroom?”

 

     

geralt / Pixabay

At least, for now, I’m going to make this a weekly feature which will highlight additions to THE BEST NEW – & FREE – ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS THAT COULD BE USED IN THE CLASSROOM:

FreeAI offers lots of…free AI tools.

Transcribe Multimedia Clips with TurboScribe is from FLT Magazine.

Study Space will “teach” you anything in a somewhat interactive way.

I’m not a fan of historical chatbots, but it was interesting to have Freire and Dewey bots discuss the purpose of schooling in Legend Talk.

Learn With Frank will teach you math and physics.

Flagged is a simulation designed to help college instructors prepare for dealing with AI usage by students.

Podtyper has a very limited free plan, but the idea of just typing in the url address of any podcast and getting a transcript could come in quite handy.

I just had delightful lunch with group of former students who take me out 2 lunch every year. They attend different colleges & come from diverse backgrounds. If they r 2 b believed, & I do, less than 10% of students r doing assigned reading or video watching &, instead, have AI summarize it…1/2

— Larry Ferlazzo (@larryferlazzo.bsky.social) March 28, 2026 at 2:25 PM

They don’t believe as many college students their age use ai 4 writing – both because they view that more like cheating’ & because of fear of getting caught. They think that’s less the case 4 younger siblings still in HS. They also think their instructors’ ai policies are jokes & easily ignored 2/2

— Larry Ferlazzo (@larryferlazzo.bsky.social) March 28, 2026 at 2:25 PM

AI Educator Tools is a collection of AI tools recommended by…educators. I’m adding it to THE BEST COLLECTIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS.

This no-prep activity combines language development, content learning, & interaction. Using our template, Ss create video games to review content. With a few more steps, Ts can create an arcade for the class. 🙏🏻Liz Voci for the video inspo. 🔗https://t.co/pWCFclg6Na #Ell2point0 pic.twitter.com/BSMGbTAQ6L

— 🌍 Dr. Michelle Shory 💻 (@michelleshory) March 28, 2026

Schools messed up on cellphones and laptops. Perhaps they shouldn’t rush into AI?

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— Larry Ferlazzo (@larryferlazzo.bsky.social) March 29, 2026 at 6:25 AM

 

     

Another day, another end-of-year “Best” list.

Now, it’s time for research studies.

You can see all previous editions of this list, as well as all my ed research related “best” lists, here.

Here are my choices for the past six months:

Excellent Materials For PD On Increasing Student Engagement

Increased Lighting Is To Improved Public Safety As [Blank] Is To Improved Student Learning

New SEL Meta-Analysis Finds That SEL Improves “Prosocial Behavior” AND That Less Is More

The Best Research & Reflections About Why Test Scores Should Not Be The Be All/End All In Evaluating Schools & Student Progress

This Is The Most Interesting Piece About Education Research That I’ve Read In A Long Time

Study Found That Requiring Later Start Times For High School & Middle School Seems To Have Worked

The Best Research On How Having Books In The Home Helps Students

Yet Another Study Finds That English-Only ELL Classes Don’t Work As Well As A Positive Translanguaging Environment

New Study Reinforces What We Know: Factors Outside Of School Have Big Impact On Achievement & School Isn’t A Ticket To Equity

The “High-Dosage Tutoring” Bubble Appears To Be Popping, & That’s Why I’ve Been Pushing “Peer Tutoring” For Years, Instead

Study Finds That Enrollment In Ethnic Studies Classes Has Academic Benefits Across The Board

Great Summary Of Research On Writing Instruction Would Be A Good Focus For Professional Development

New Meta-Analysis Finds What Most ELL Teachers Know – Multilingual Teaching More Effective Than English-Only Approach

Apparently, Data Driven Learning Related To Language Learning Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Does

Review Of Research Suggests Reciprocal Teaching Could Be Best Strategy For Older Readers

Yet Another Study Finds That Human Connection & Relationships Are Key In Schooling

Two New, Important, & Useful Documents On Student Motivation

Interesting Survey Results – Teachers Think Aides & A Searchable Data Base For Lessons Are The Two Best Things That Could Save Them Time

Holding A Kid Back A Grade? Not So Fast, New Study Suggests

Another Study Finds That VAM Performance Rankings Penalize Teachers With Students Facing Many Challenges

The Best Research Out There On Using AI With English Language Learners

Here are a few others I think are useful, though I didn’t write separate posts about them:

Research in brief: Harnessing the translanguaging corriente is from ELT Planning. I’m adding it to THE BEST RESOURCES FOR LEARNING ABOUT TRANSLANGUAGING.

What Science Tells Us About Arguing With Your Father-in-Law is from The NY Times.  I’m adding it to The Best Posts & Articles On Building Influence & Creating Change.

Supporting Students in Transition to and from High School is a report from VCU. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About The Importance Of Ninth-Grade For Students – & How To Support Them.

Teacher Talk and Language Development: What a Large Meta-Analysis Shows About Quality versus Quantity is from Experience To Meaning. I’m adding it to THE BEST RESOURCES SHARING RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT “TEACHER TALK”

INTEGRATING PODCASTS TO IMPROVE WRITING SKILLS OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN ELT CLASSROOM is actually a study of the use of dictogloss. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning How To Use The Dictogloss Strategy With English Language Learners.

Does something crack in secondary school? A large meta-analysis on student engagement is from Experience To Meaning. I’m adding it to The Best Posts & Articles On Student Engagement.

Student engagement declines across adolescence: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies – I’m adding it to The Best Posts & Articles On Student Engagement.

It’s never too late to learn a language – adults and kids bring different strengths to the task is from The Conversation. I’m adding it to The Best Research About The Best Ages For ELLs To Learn English.

AI broke our exams. Are oral exams the fix? Hold your horses… is from From Experience To Meaning. I’m adding it to The “Best” Strategies For Creating AI-Resistant Assignments.

When school size matters and when it doesn’t is from The Hechinger Report and discusses research around small high schools.  I’m a big believer in the idea of dividing existing high schools in small learning communities, the way my old school operated during most of my time there.  Learn more at The Best Resources For Learning About Small Learning Communities.

I’m adding Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions to Best Posts On “Motivating” Students.

     

For the next several months, each week I’ll be republishing posts from the past that I think readers might still find useful. This post first appeared in 2018.

Tumisu / Pixabay

Many of us have students who are facing challenges who find difficult to reach, and I am no exception.

I have a long list of strategies that I can pull from, all which have worked at one time or another, as well as failing many more times than they have worked.

But, often times it’s just a matter of throwing a lot of things against the wall to see if anything sticks.

This past month, I have had a little success with having a couple of students complete a sheet I developed that is sort of a combination of previous goal sheets I’ve used (see Best Posts On Students Setting Goals) and a longer-term “visioning” activity I have often used and that I borrowed from Dan Pink (see The Best Resources For Doing A “One-Sentence Project”).

Basically, I have had students complete a form (you can download it here, and I’ll also copy-and-paste it here in this post) – one part everyday.  Since one of the challenges these students might have is difficulty focusing, keeping it short and simple has worked well.  After they have completed the form, which take a few days, I apply an idea I learned from Edutopia (see I LIKE THE IDEA IN THIS NEW EDUTOPIA VIDEO: “60-SECOND STRATEGY: DAILY INTENTIONS”) where I ask them at the beginning of each class which of the actions they listed on the form as ones they want to focus on that day. We then have a short individual discussion at the end of class.

It seems to have been helping, based on their commentaries and my observations.

Here’s what the two-page form looks like:

NAME __________________________________________________________

NEXT YEAR

My school goal for next year is ___________________________________.

My outside-of-school goal for next year is ____________________________.

Next year, I want my friends to describe me by saying I am _______________

______________________________________________________________.

Next year, I want my teachers to describe me by saying I am _____________

______________________________________________________________.

Next year, I want my parents/guardians to describe me by saying I am __________________

_____________________________________________________________.

TEN YEARS FROM NOW

In ten years, I want to ________________________________________.

In ten years, I want my friends to describe me by saying I am

________________________________________________________.

In ten years, I want my parents/guardians to describe me by saying I am

_______________________________________________________.

TWENTY YEARS FROM NOW

In twenty years, I want to _______________________________________.

In twenty years, I want my partner/wife/husband to describe me by saying I am

_______________________________________________________________.

In twenty years, I want my children (if I have them) to describe me by saying I am

_____________________________________________________________________

NAME ____________________________________

Things I can do NOW to help achieve these goals:

1.

2.

3.

When I don’t feel like doing these things, actions I can take to help me get back on track:

1.

2.

3.

When I don’t feel like doing these things, actions my teachers can take to help me get back on track:

1.

2.

3.

I’m not suggesting it’s some brilliant new intervention, but it’s just the latest strategy that may work with these particular students.

And then flop next year.