Category: Classroom Application

History Comes Alive: Using AI and Thinking Routines to Build Student Empathy

Author: Ruth Okoye | Posted:
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I’ve been reflecting on our OK2Ask session about Thinking Routines and SEL skills. Specifically, with increasing student needs around social-emotional learning, I’ve been thinking about how we can make these routines even more powerful in our classrooms when it comes to learning history. I love using thinking routines because they serve multiple purposes in the … read more »

New Season, New Possibilities: Teaching with Sesame Street

Author: Sharon Hall | Posted:
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Did you sing along with the lyrics above or simply smile as you read them? Since Sesame Street first aired on November 10, 1969, those iconic lines have welcomed generations of children into a world of joyful learning. Through music, storytelling, and beloved characters—alongside memorable guests like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Amanda Gorman, and Simone Biles—the show … read more »

Day of the Dead: Building Family Connections Through Cultural Celebration

Author: Sharon Hall | Posted:
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Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a Mexican tradition that honors and celebrates deceased loved ones. Observed on November 1 and 2, this holiday blends Indigenous customs with Catholic influences, building a rich tapestry of rituals and symbolism. For educators, it’s an opportunity to explore themes of memory, family, and … read more »

Middle School Reading Strategies That Build Confidence and Connection

Author: Jennifer Williams | Posted:
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The magic of reading often begins in the early grades, with phonics, sight words, and the joyful discovery of stories. But the journey doesn’t end in elementary school. Middle school is a pivotal time for nurturing strong, confident, and diverse readers—especially as new distractions like phones, video games, and social media compete for students’ attention. … read more »

Building Background Knowledge: The Overlooked Equity Issue in Our Classrooms

Author: Darshell Silva | Posted:
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When we talk about educational equity, we often focus on access to technology, culturally responsive curriculum, or closing achievement gaps. But there’s another, quieter equity issue that sits beneath all of those: students’ background knowledge. Every text a student reads, every math problem they solve, and every science concept they encounter draws on an invisible … read more »

World Food Day: Building Empathy Through Food Stories

Author: Sharon Hall | Posted:
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World Food Day, observed on October 16, offers educators a meaningful opportunity to help students explore the connections between food, culture, and empathy. While food is a shared experience across all cultures, access, traditions, and meaning vary widely around the world. Bringing stories about food into the classroom helps students learn to see beyond their … read more »

Beyond 10/10 – Making the Metric System Stick All Year Long

Author: Traci Hedetniemi | Posted:
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October 10 may be a perfect 10 out of 10 day for teaching about the metric system, but achieving fluency with measurement is a year-long task. October is an opportune time for this essential mathematical learning.  While students have been developing their number sense in other areas, now they can work on building a conceptual … read more »

Bringing Poetry to Your Classroom with T.S. Eliot

Author: Erin Mulvany-Mankowski | Posted:
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Do you like Cats? Not the cute little fuzzballs that curl in your lap and purr as you read your favorite book, but the 1981, Andrew Lloyd Webber, fourth-longest-running-musical-masterpiece-performed-entirely-in-song Cats. If your answer is no, bear with me and don’t go anywhere. But if your answer is yes, then I’m sure you know that Cats … read more »

AI-Powered Interactive Activity Creation with Canva Code

Author: Sharon Hall | Posted:
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You probably already know that Canva (reviewed here) can create stunning visuals in minutes, but what if it could also generate interactive activities without you having to learn how to code? It’s now possible with their AI code generator, Canva Code.  Canva Code makes it easy to transform your content into custom games, activities, and … read more »