iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Matt Van Dis @mvandis.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

It’s not our fault when a student chooses not to work. But it is our responsibility to respond when that happens. If a student fails to meet an expectation and we do nothing to address it, we are sending a pretty clear message: that a child’s responsibility to engage as a student is optional.

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Reposted by Matt Van Dis

Pooja K. Agarwal @retrievelearn.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

NEW: Use white boards for flexible retrieval practice! They are engaging and effective for learning, with flexibility for question prompts and student responses. Read tips by cognitive scientist Dr. Janell Blunt for this no-prep strategy. www.retrievalpractice.org/strategies/w... #EduSky

retrievalpractice.org

Use white boards for flexible retrieval practice | Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.

White boards for retrieval practice are engaging and effective for learning, providing flexibility for question prompts and student responses. Read tips by cognitive scientist Dr. Janell Blunt and mak...

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Reposted by Matt Van Dis

Jamie Clark @xpateducator.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

⚗️ Exciting news — the first edition of my new newsletter, DistillED, is live! DistillED is about making teaching crystal clear. Each issue breaks down key insights from research and classroom practice into short, sharp reads and downloadable takeaways designed for busy educators. lnkd.in/gSWydenr

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Reposted by Matt Van Dis

Todd Whitaker @toddwhitaker.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

The gift of confidence. #confidence

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Matt Van Dis @mvandis.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Our brains are naturally wired to notice what’s wrong. We automatically see the student who is off task or acting out. It takes a conscious, deliberate effort to notice and reinforce what’s going well. If we don’t intentionally look for positive behavior, we risk missing it altogether.

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Matt Van Dis @mvandis.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Anyone who has ever been a teacher immediately recognizes the language and tone used by schoolyard bullies. It sends shivers down my spine when I hear this kind of language used in a school hallway, much less the Oval Office. We should all be ashamed of ourselves for allowing this to happen.

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Matt Van Dis @mvandis.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

Normalizing error is essential to effective teaching. My most successful years of teaching were ones in which my students were not just comfortable taking risks, but enjoyed the practice of analyzing their errors - almost like solving a puzzle. Achieve this, and student growth = 📈 #edusky #tlac

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Matt Van Dis @mvandis.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

One challenge I’m seeing when working with teachers new to retrieval practice: understanding the difference between retrieval practice and checking for understanding.

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Matt Van Dis @mvandis.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Teacher burnout is real. That’s why we’ve prioritized building in a 3- or 4-day weekend into each month of our school calendar. I’m off to Marrakech. I know our teachers will be ready to tackle next week with renewed energy (and put some retrieval practice techniques to good use)! #edusky

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Matt Van Dis @mvandis.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

In our faculty meeting today, we discussed retrieval practice and the counter-intuitive concept that one must forget in order to learn. We shared Tom Sherrignton’s @teacherhead.bsky.social blog post and asked teachers to choose a few strategies to focus on in the coming weeks. bit.ly/3CCUdwR

teacherhead.com

10 Techniques for Retrieval Practice

Image Credit: I’ve written about retrieval practice several times in other posts but here I just want to make it easy to lay out various alternative methods for the process of reviewing your …

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Reposted by Matt Van Dis

Drew Perkins @drewperkins.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

Is it helpful to think about Cognitive Load Theory as a heuristic? This was just one question from our discussion with @dylanwiliam.bsky.social, @olicav.bsky.social, @drchendrick.bsky.social, and @cbokhove.bsky.social, which is available in full at the link in the reply. youtu.be/vOgrnJZiXho

youtu.be

Is it helpful to think about Cognitive Load Theory as a heuristic?

YouTube video by ThoughtStretchers Education

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Matt Van Dis @mvandis.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

I’m looking forward to attending these FREE webinars later this month - particularly learning more about the importance of retrieval practice in strengthening learning.

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Matt Van Dis @mvandis.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

Break up your lessons and promote better learning!

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