A bold, brain-based teaching approach to culturally responsive instruction To close the achievement gap, diverse classrooms need a proven framework for optimizing student engagement. Culturally responsive instruction has shown promise, but many teachers have struggled with its implementation—until now. In this book, Zaretta Hammond draws on cutting-edge neuroscience research to offer an innovative approach for designing and implementing brain-compatible culturally responsive instruction. The book includes: Information on how one’s culture programs the brain to process data and affects learning relationships Ten “key moves” to build students’ learner operating systems and prepare them to become independent learners Prompts for action and valuable self-reflection

Reimagine your school community. This practical guidebook will help you shift your mindset of online and blended learning from “backup plan” to unprecedented opportunity for rich connections and high-level learning. New and veteran teachers alike will gain insight on how to build in-person and online relationships with students and coworkers to achieve a learning community that supports social-emotional learning, equitable and inclusive instruction, and academic success. Educators of hybrid learning environments will: Understand why relationship-building is fundamental to student success and gain best practices for establishing this foundation Discover new blended, online, and in-person strategies for strengthening connections with your diverse students Gain strategies for offering instruction that is affirming, representative of our diverse world, and rooted in equity Be empowered to think critically about and to change systems currently in place that limit students’ ability to connect and thrive Choose strategies that fit your teaching style from the myriad of vibrant experiences contributed by educators around the world Contents: Preface: Our Journeys to Blended Education Introduction: People-Centered Approaches to Teaching Part I: Reimagining the Online Classroom Chapter 1: Reimagining School as a Global Community Project Chapter 2: Cultivating Strengths-Based Approaches for Inclusion, Support, and Counseling Chapter 3: Fostering Relationships Through Connection-Based Feedback Part II: Inclusive Practices: Diversity and Equity in the Online Classroom Chapter 4: Centering Student Stories Chapter 5: Honoring Multilingual and Multicultural Learners Chapter 6: Accelerating Opportunities for Gifted and Talented Students Epilogue Appendix Glossary References and Resources Index

The world of middle level education is rapidly evolving. Increasingly, online learning platforms are complementing or replacing traditional classroom settings. As students exchange classroom interaction for online collaboration, pencils for keyboards, face-to-face conversations for chat room texts, and traditional lessons for digital modules, it becomes apparent that teachers, schools, and administrators must identify ways to keep pace. We must identify ways to meet the needs of middle level learners within this digital context. In this volume, researchers and teachers share a variety of resources centered on the growing world of virtual education and its implications for the middle level learner, educator, and classroom.