It’s about a month into the semester and my students have just received feedback on their first major exams. For many, their score is a positive affirmation of their hard work. For others, well . . . let the gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair commence! This has happened in every course during my twenty-year teaching career, and no matter how thoroughly I think I’m preparing students or coaching them with study suggestions, the first exam always becomes a major decision point for students.
Author: nortonlearningblog
Behind the Book: Q&A with Elisabeth Kerr, Executive Director, Global Rights
We’re offering readers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the bookmaking process—the people behind the books and the products we create! Through our “Behind the Book” blog series , discover who plays a role in creating a book, what daily life looks like at Norton, and what being part of an independent and employee-owned company means. Elisabeth Kerr Elisabeth …
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Rethinking How to Engage Students in the American Government Classroom
Bobbi Gentry is Associate Professor of Political Science at Bridgewater College and a youth voting scholar. Gentry is the author of, Why Youth Vote: Identity, Inspirational Leaders, and Independence and coedited Internships in Political Science. Her current work investigates youth identity development and intersectional identities and civic engagement through the lifetime. Bobbi GentryImage Credit: Kirsten …
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The Whys of Poetry: Affordances of Poems in the Classroom and Life
With National Poetry Month underway, the authors of this post wanted to share why we read, write, and teach poetry. The curriculum in today’s English Language Arts classroom is often over packed, and poetry offers an immediate entry to a classroom experience that allows young people to be critical and reflective thinkers. In a time …
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Five Questions to Help Environmental Science Students Understand the Current Energy Transition
Daniel J. Sherman is the Luce-Funded Professor of Environmental Policy and Decision Making and Director of the Sound Policy Institute at the University of Puget Sound. He studies the roles individuals and groups play in environmental politics, policy, and sustainability. In addition to his undergraduate text, Environmental Science and Sustainability, Sherman published Not Here, Not …
Behind the Book: Q&A with Stacy Loyal, Senior Marketing Research and Strategy Director
We’re offering readers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the bookmaking process—the people behind the books and the products we create! Through our “Behind the Book” blog series, discover who plays a role in creating a book, what daily life looks like at Norton, and what being part of an independent and employee-owned company means. Stacy Loyal …
Advancing Equity through Teaching with Artificial Intelligence
In this age of Generative Artificial Intelligence (often abbreviated GenAI or, simply, AI), many educators are understandably apprehensive about students’ illicit use of these tools and the possible negative impacts on students' critical thinking and authentic learning. I frequently hear from dedicated instructors who worry about how to ban or detect their students’ use of AI. While I empathize with and validate these concerns, I’ve concluded that ultimately this is not a productive way to spend our intellectual energy. Instead, I propose that we reframe the opportunity in front of us: we can help our students learn the ethical and responsible use of AI. In doing so, we are advancing equity in teaching, learning, and society more broadly.
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not to their own facts:” Teaching Intro American Government in an Election Year
William T. Bianco is professor of political science at Indiana University, Bloomington. His research focuses on congressional institutions, representation, and inequality. He is the co-author (with David Canon) of a Norton textbook, American Politics Today, as well as numerous journal articles and books. William T. BiancoImage Credit: Paul B. One of the priorities in the …
Science Education Needs Storytelling. Here’s Why.
An award-winning science writer based in Boston, Massachusetts, Megan Scudellari works with editors, scientists, and organizations to craft compelling science narratives. With fifteen years of journalism, editing, and content development experience, she specializes in the life sciences and technology, with expertise in genetics and cell biology. She is also the author of the nonmajors biology …
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A Sixty-Year Tradition: Q&A with Today’s Authors of Norton’s First Composition Reader
The W. W. Norton Composition team sat down with editors of The Norton Reader to discuss its growing legacy at Norton and what instructors can look forward to in the Sixteenth Edition, publishing this summer. Why do you think The Norton Reader has endured for six decades? Joseph Bizup: John Brereton, a former editor of …