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

The Birth Lottery will show your potential life trajectory if you had been born in a different country (“There but for fortune…”).

It could certainly make country comparisons in class personal.

I’m adding it to The Best Tools For Comparing Demographics Of Different Countries.

     

Mohamed_hassan / Pixabay

I often write about research studies from various fields and how they can be applied to the classroom. I write individual posts about ones that I think are especially significant, and will continue to do so. However, so many studies are published that it’s hard to keep up. So I’ve started writing a “round-up” of some of them each week or every other week as a regular feature.

You can see all my “Best” lists related to education research here.

Here are some new useful studies (and related resources):

What Teachers Say and Do to Support Students’ Autonomy During a Learning Activity is from Tips for Teachers. I’m adding it to Best Posts On “Motivating” Students.

Cellphone bans can help kids learn — but Black students are suspended more as schools make the shift is from The Hechinger Report.

Feeling stressed? Science finds a simple way to take back control is from Science Daily. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About Teens & Stress.

Strengthening K-12 Cellphone Policies to Support Student Learning and Well-Being: Research-Based Guidance for U.S. Education Leaders is from UCLA. I’m adding it to The Best Posts On Student Cellphone Use In Class — Please Contribute More.

Virtual tutoring is here to stay. New research points to ways to make it better. is from Chalkbeat.

I’m adding this post to The Best Resources On Providing Scaffolds To Students:

The most influential study on scaffolding timing just failed replication. My latest on why this matters and what the evidence actually shows. carlhendrick.substack.com/p/we-need-to…

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— Carl Hendrick (@carlhendrick.substack.com) October 24, 2025 at 1:28 AM

Does the Jigsaw method improve motivation and self-regulation in vocational high schools? is a recent study. I’m adding it to THE BEST RESOURCES FOR LEARNING ABOUT THE JIGSAW INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY.

The application of gamification to learning outcomes and motivation of biology students: A literature review is a recent study. I’m adding it to The Best Posts On “Gamification” In Education — Help Me Find More.

     

I have tons of resources for Social Studies instruction  (see Best Lists Of The Week: Social Studies).

And I’ve another bunch on instructional strategies (see Best Lists Of The Week: Instructional Strategies).

Of course, I’ve also published many Ed Week posts on Social Studies Instruction.

I thought educators might find it helpful if I tried to highlight a few instructional resources that might overlap between the three of them.

My Secret for Engaging Students in a Black History ‘Jawn’ , Studying Black History Primary Sources? Try the Sankofa Framework (Downloadable), and My Step-By-Step Framework for Taking Flight Into Black History are all from Ed Week, and specifically talk about Black History.  However, I think the strategies they discuss can be used in lots of other areas, too.  I’m also adding them to The Best Sites To Teach About African-American History and to The Best Resources For Using Primary Sources.

Of course, those lists, particularly the one on Primary Sources, is chockfull of practical instructional strategies.

The “Best” Lesson Ideas For Teaching About The Protests & Killings In Minneapolis includes lots of ideas on how to teach any current event that’s happening.

The Best Tools & Lessons For Teaching Information Literacy – Help Me Find More is what the headline says it is.

THE “BEST” IDEAS FOR STUDENTS & CLASSES TO BE ENGAGED IN COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS – PLEASE CONTRIBUTE MORE IDEAS!

The OER Project has lots of ideas, as does Facing History.

Tips and Tricks for Engaging Students in Social Studies Instruction is from CarolinaK12.

Teaching Strategies for Social Studies is from TCI.

Here’s A List Of “Interactive Teaching Methods” A New Study Has Found Effective In Social Studies Classes

Also, check out The Best Posts & Articles On How To Teach “Controversial” Topics and The Best Resources Sharing The Best Practices For Fruitful Classroom Discussions.

This is just a start!

     

Each week, I publish a post or two containing three or four particularly useful resources on classroom instruction, and you can see them all here.

You can also see all my “Best” lists on instructional strategies here.

Here are this week’s picks:

I’m adding this tweet to The Best Resources About “Culturally Responsive Teaching” & “Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy” – Please Share More!:

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://t.co/ULGXSYhfMG.

— Ralph Pantozzi (@mathillustrated) October 16, 2025

A 7-Step Process for Difficult Conversations With School Staff is from Edutopia.

The Radiologist is by Adam Boxer. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Doing Classroom Observations.

Making room for impact—with Embedding Formative Assessment is by Dylan Wiliam.

NEW: Invite Students to Map Their Lives and Learning.

There’s something attractive about going analog with map construction and inviting students to make surprising connections, writes teacher Stephanie Farley. #edutwitter #elachat @NCSSNetworkhttps://t.co/o8wjqyp2Vv pic.twitter.com/K6yTSm0qCX

— MiddleWeb (@middleweb) October 21, 2025

3 Ways to Reimagine Your Learning Wall is an interesting post from Edutopia. I’m adding it to The Best Ideas About How To Use Classroom Walls – Please Recommend More Resources.

At 250, the Declaration of Independence Still Sparks Hard Questions in Class is from The 74. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Helping Teach About The 250th Anniversary Of The American Revolution.

     

PublicDomainPictures / Pixabay

May 10th is Mother’s Day!

You might be interested in The Best Sites For Learning About Mother’s Day.