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Each year, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognizes International Holocaust Remembrance Day on or about January 27. It serves as a reminder of the Holocaust, a tribute to the victims of the atrocities, and a time for UNESCO to reaffirm its commitment to countering antisemitism and other forms of racial intolerance. … read more »
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Critical thinking, social-emotional learning, culturally responsive teaching, authentic learning—these are a few of the latest terms found in many discussions of education and teaching. It might seem daunting to address all of them, but some issues offer the opportunity to embrace these concepts by providing lessons with a larger frame of reference. One such frame … read more »
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Do you use Choice Boards? If you find them interesting but still need some more information, let’s take a look at one example of how to get started in a way that incorporates science and STEAM activities based upon significant dates in history and student interests. December is a significant month for aviation history. On … read more »
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The Winter Solstice is the time of ending and beginning, a powerful time — a time to contemplate your immortality. A time to forgive, to be forgiven, and to make a fresh start. A time to awaken. Frederick Lenz It isn’t always possible to create well-developed cross-curricular lessons based upon a single theme. Still, many … read more »
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November 27 is the National Day of Listening. Celebrated each year on the day after Thanksgiving, it’s a time to gather families and friends for the specific purpose of recording and sharing histories and stories for preservation. Launched in 2008 by StoryCorps (reviewed here), this observance falls at a time when many families are together, … read more »
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Computational thinking (CT) is an essential set of skills required for success in the 21st Century. Wikipedia defines computational thinking as “a set of problem-solving methods that involve expressing problems and their solutions in ways that a computer could also execute.” The four problem-solving methods are problem decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms. But what does … read more »
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Each November, Americans celebrate Native American Heritage Month. It is a time to celebrate the culture and heritage along with the contributions of Native people. In addition, it is an opportunity to raise awareness of the real stories of Native Americans, not caricatures and stereotypes. A quick search of the TeachersFirst blog page finds many … read more »
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A digital citizen is “a person who develops the skills and knowledge to effectively use the internet and other digital technology, especially to participate responsibly in social and civic activities.” Dictionary.com Digital Citizenship Week is celebrated annually during the third week of October and encourages reflection upon the use and interactions with technology. October is an excellent … read more »
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October is National Bullying Prevention Month. It is a month-long effort to focus on and raise awareness of the short and long-term negative impacts. The statistics on the prevalence and effects of bullying on our students are frightening. Consider these facts published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Nearly 20% of high … read more »
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Noah Webster is broadly considered to be the father of the American dictionary. In his honor, October 12 commemorates National Dictionary Day, his birthdate. This date marks learning and encourages readers to improve vocabulary. Most classrooms now rely on digital dictionaries to look up word meanings. Digital dictionaries are easy to use and provide information … read more »