Teaching in my classroom was not easy. I was made for the profession, but there were plenty of challenges. However, I was still able to manage behavior, produce an effective lesson (most days), maintain strong relationships, and look for new technology to increase engagement and productivity in the classroom. Although…
In the next thirty years, more students will be graduating through our education system than all of history combined! Because of this, our labor force will become flooded with identically qualified individuals with identically qualifying degrees. If our ultimate goal is to create students who are helpful and significant members…
We are in the second week of our “Read Across America” series, where we celebrate this motivational reading awareness program to encourage every child in every community to develop a love of reading. If you missed part one of this series, we investigated five excellent strategies to get your kids…
For the next two weeks, political differences will be set aside for patriotic unity. We cheer as formerly unknown athletes become household names in their quest for gold, and we are crushed when they fall short. We are glued to our TVs for the qualifying rounds of luge, curling, and…
As schools open their doors and students open their minds to another year of learning, we as educators are inspired by the possibilities of a clean slate and a fresh perspective. As you begin to construct new learning opportunities for your classroom, it’s important to evaluate the role of technology.…
Inspiration has kicked in and you’ve built an arsenal of great technology-rich lesson plans. You can hardly wait to unleash them in your classroom. Sound familiar? Digital learning is both thrilling and challenging. Before you introduce the latest tech tool or a new gadget, it’s important to define a roadmap…
As we come to the end of another school year, assessments are often the first thing that come to an educator’s mind. We are familiar with the concept of our students testing for hours at a time for multiple days, but what if there was a more engaging way to…
I’ve seen a collective number of teachers post on social media asking how to manage students being on their cell phones during class. This question is usually followed by a rant on how annoying it is, how it takes away from their learning or how they can’t get students to…
I recently had the pleasure of reading David Sax’s 2016 book The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter in which he explores recent movements away from the digital realm and towards high quality, analog experiences. His premise is impossible to deny. Two decades into the digital revolution…
Ever find yourself wishing for a few extra minutes or even hours in your day? Looking for the proverbial easy button? If you’re a Chrome user, Chrome extensions may hold the key to unleashing a new era of efficiency and workflow joy. Found in the Chrome Web Store, extensions are small…