Why Experience Matters When Teaching Critical Thinking

Why Experience Matters When Teaching Critical Thinking

A Conversation with the NorthStar Series Editors, Carol Numrich and Frances Boyd

Illustration by Ben Wiseman

In this Q&A with NorthStar Series Editors Carol Numrich and Frances Boyd, you will discover why the NorthStar idea – engaging content, integrated skills, and critical thinking- has been the touchstone of the classic series for more than 20 years.

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The Success of NorthStar: Enduring, Evolving, Engaging

2014_FrancesFrances Boyd

The prize-winning academic English series NorthStar continues to meet the needs of students and teachers all over the world. In its fourth edition, the series endures by retaining its essential qualities. Yet NorthStar also evolves with updated content and expanded online tools. And the books continue to engage and challenge the hearts and minds of learners.

Enduring
Why have secondary and tertiary institutions all over the world continued to rely on NorthStar to help students reach their academic goals? What qualities have endured in the fast-changing textbook landscape?

The NorthStar series takes high-beginners to an advanced level in carefully scaffolded units. The series pioneered the two-strand design, offering both a listening & speaking and a reading & writing volume on each proficiency level. Students work with authentic or semi-authentic listening and reading material that respects their intellect and feeds their curiosity. Exercises and activities constantly integrate skills and recycle language. In addition, students engage in critical thinking on virtually every page of every book. This seamless blending of intelligent content and rigorous language study has been a hallmark of the NorthStar series from the start. Continue reading

NorthStar 4e is a Winner!

2014 EDD WINN LOGO (1)CVR_NS4e_RW_03-1

We are excited to announce that NorthStar, Reading and Writing, Level 3 was one of this year’s EDDIE award winners! The awards are run by ComputED Gazette, a valuable educational resource, which has been serving the online community for over 20 years. The Gazette sponsors two national awards The Best Educational Software Awards (BESSIES) in the spring, and the Education Software Review Awards (EDDIES) in the summer.

The Awards target innovative and content-rich programs (including apps for iPad and Android) and websites that augment the classroom curriculum and improve teacher productivity, providing parents and teachers with the technology to foster educational excellence. Some selection criteria were academic content, potential for broad classroom use, technical merit, subject approach, and management system.

Checkout the new edition of NorthStar, so you can see what all the excitement is about!