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Shaped

The learners of today will shape 

A community-driven blog supporting educators, building lifelong learners,
and shaping the future of education.* 

Latest Posts

Reading remote learning

4 Ways to Align Reading Instruction to a Remote Learning Environment

In remote learning, the context in which educators are teaching reading has changed, but the underlying principles of learning have not.

Kathleen Richards
Former HMH Senior Learning Scientist, ELA and Humanities

Differentiation remote learning

Why Is Differentiated Instruction Important During COVID-19?

Research says targeted, differentiated instruction is a powerful way to address learning loss and teach new material—even in a remote classroom setting.

Rachel L. Schechter, PhD
VP Learning Sciences, Learning Sciences and Research Advisory Board Chair

Ecr hero

Perceptions of the State of Teaching: Our 6th Annual Educator Confidence Report

Our annual report brings to the forefront educators' views on the state of K–12 education, their profession, and what their students need.

John "Jack" Lynch
President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director, HMH

EdTech trends

The Latest Trends in Educational Technology

Explore eight of the latest trends in educational technology—including differentiation, the use of big data, and virtual reality—as digital tools become more important than ever in K-12 education.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

South side school

Why and How This School Changed Its Mission Statement During COVID-19

An elementary school principal discusses how he worked to ensure that the words in his school's mission statement reflected his staff's actions during the transition to remote learning.

David Huber
Principal, South Side Elementary School, Connecticut

David oconnor

Don't Just Teach About Cultures—Teach Culturally. Here's the Difference

Teaching culturally means that the educator acts as a guide for students and is actively learning alongside them in their understanding of the content.

David J. O’Connor
American Indian Studies Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Call for Submissions Hero

Teachers, the Shaped Community Wants to Hear from You!

We value your thoughts on what we should be covering to improve your experience in the classroom, whether that's virtual or in person this year.

Adrian mims the calculus project hero opt2

Creating Equity in Math: Q&A with Dr. Adrian Mims, Founder of The Calculus Project

Dr. Adrian Mims is the founder of The Calculus Project, an initiative to increase equity in mathematics and get students of color in a calculus class before finishing high school. Mims shares his convictions on access to mathematics and equity in math education, along with his efforts that were responsible for his success in college and founding The Calculus Project.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

WF1287443 Shaped 2020 Overwhelmed by News HERO

Overwhelmed by News: Helping Students See the Bigger Picture

In an era of information overload, follow these tips to help your students prepare for reading and analyzing the news.

Erik Palmer
Program Consultant, Into Reading and Into Literature

WF1286153 Karl Grubaugh Hero 1

Podcast: Retiring During COVID-19 with Karl Grubaugh

Meet Karl Grubaugh, a former AP economics teacher and advanced journalism advisor at Granite Bay High School in California. A journalist and editor himself, Karl advised for the award-winning student newspaper The Granite Bay Gazette, and retired in 2020 after almost 40 years as an educator.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

Statue of liberty veterans day

8 High School Veterans Day Activities and Lesson Plan Ideas

Bring the experiences of U.S. military service members to life for your students with our high school Veterans Day activities and lesson plan ideas.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Students standing in front of a rainbow background

Fostering Safe Spaces: How to Start a GSA in Your High School

Learn how to start a GSA in your high school (or middle school or university). Educators can host a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club and help students feel safe and supported when they identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. GSAs provide a safe, supportive space for students who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, along with their cisgender allies.

Shaped Staff

WF1288378 Shaped 2020 Blog Halloween Math Activities Hero Literature

ELA Halloween Activities for Middle School and High School Students

Get your ELA class into the spirit with these fun Halloween activities for middle school and high school students, and learn from a few masters of horror how to really make those spines tingle and those bones shake.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Middle school writing strategies

Strategies to Teach Writing in Grades 3–12: Hear from the Experts

Listen to these podcasts from nationally acclaimed writing experts to help you find your stride when it comes to writing instruction for Grades 3-12.

Sara Buren
Shaped Contributor

WF1287913 ED Tech

How Has COVID-19 Impacted K-12 Education? Four Experts Weigh In

Education experts discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the work they do every day at a panel discussion at this year's ASU GSV Summit.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Election Ballot Hero

Quiz: How Well Do You Know U.S. Presidential Elections?

How much do you know about the U.S. presidency? Test your knowledge with this quiz, and learn some information about electing a U.S. president along the way!

Shaped Staff

Halloween math activites middle school high school hero

Halloween Math Activities for Middle School and High School Students

Here are fun Halloween math activities for middle school and high school students. Try these activities to celebrate Halloween in your math classroom and ensure that your middle school and high school students can enjoy the holiday while in school.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

WF1278015 Learning Science Myth Hero

Is the 10,000-Hour Rule True? How to Help Your Students Achieve Mastery

As the myth goes, 10,000 hours of practice leads to mastery of a skill. But is the 10,000-hour rule true? Simply put, not just any kind of practice leads to mastery, but deliberate practice with feedback.

Rachel L. Schechter, PhD
VP Learning Sciences, Learning Sciences and Research Advisory Board Chair

*The views expressed in our blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.