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Erik M. Francis

Erik M. Francis is an international author, educator, and presenter. He provides professional development on how to plan and provide engaging teaching and learning experiences that are academically rigorous, socially and emotionally supportive, standards-based, and student responsive.

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Erik M. Francis

Erik M. Francis is an international author, educator, and presenter with more than 25 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, site administrator, education program specialist at a state education agency, and staff development trainer. He is consistently ranked as one of the World Top 30 Education Professionals by the international research organization Global Gurus.

Erik provides professional development on establishing rigorous learning environments and delivering educational experiences that challenge students to demonstrate different levels of thinking and use their depth of knowledge (DOK) in different contexts. His areas of expertise include good questioning and inquiry, teaching and learning for depth of knowledge (Webb’s DOK), tiered instruction, authentic learning, differentiated instruction, personalized learning, standards-based grading and learning, and talent development.

Erik received a master’s degree in education leadership from Northern Arizona University and a master’s degree in television/radio/film production and management from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and rhetoric and English from the University at Albany.


Presentations by Erik M. Francis

Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Presentations

  • Deconstructing Standards for Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
  • Understanding and Using the Language of Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
  • DOK in the Content Areas
  • Planning and Prioritizing Standards-Based Learning with Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
  • Strengthening and Supporting PLCs with Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
  • Tiering Teaching and Learning with Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
  • Inquiry and Questioning for Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
  • Using DOK to Align Activities, Assessments and AI Resources with Academic Standards
  • Inquiry and Questioning with Good Questions Presentations

  • Inquiring Minds Want to Learn
  • Rephrasing Learning Objectives into Good Questions
  • The Inquiring Minds Framework: A Method and Model for Inquiry and Questioning
  • What Are the Seven Forms of Inquiry?
  • “Hooking” Students to Learn with Good Questions
  • How Could You Personalize Learning with Good Questions?
  • Using Students’ Good Questions for Foundational Inquiry
  • Asking and Addressing Good Questions with Generative AI

White Papers

  Click here for the Depth of Knowledge white paper