Building Engagement in Virtual Learning Environments, Part 1: Relationships Matter!

| Posted:
Categories:
Classroom Application
| Tags: , , ,
Leave a comment

Establishing strong teacher-student relationships in a virtual learning environment can be challenging. Students may sometimes feel their teacher is just a name on their gradebook, or they may think the computer is their teacher instead, particularly in canned curriculum situations. Research on learning and development emphasizes that student success is contingent upon learning conditions that … read more »


Using AI to Plan and Implement Gallery Walks

| Posted:
Categories:
Classroom Application
| Tags: , , , 3 Comments

Gallery walks transform classrooms by using movement, collaboration, and thoughtful discussions to turn students into active learners and help them develop critical thinking and social skills. If you aren’t familiar with gallery walks, they’re an instructional strategy in which students move in small groups around the room to actively engage with information at different stations. … read more »


Make History Come Alive: Teaching the 2025 Presidential Inauguration

| Posted:
Categories:
Classroom Application
| Tags: , ,
Leave a comment

The 2025 Presidential Inauguration, set for Monday, January 20th at noon ET, offers a powerful teaching opportunity that bridges past and present. More than just a ceremony, inaugurations serve as living snapshots of American politics, culture, and society throughout our nation’s history. While the political nature of this event may create sensitive moments in the … read more »


10 Cool AI Tools You Might Have Missed

| Posted:
Categories:
Classroom Application
| Tags: , , , 6 Comments

It seems that every time you open your inbox, another artificial intelligence (AI) tool promises to revolutionize education. Does this sound familiar? While the AI revolution has created a wave of educational tools, some have already proven their worth in classrooms nationwide. As educators, we’ve watched artificial intelligence transform everything from crafting the perfect lesson … read more »


Rocking in the New Year with TeachRock

| Posted:
Categories:
Classroom Application
| Tags: , ,
Leave a comment

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” Plato With the New Year upon us and resolutions abounding, resolve to add a little something special to your class lessons this year. Music is a universal … read more »


Time-Saving Lesson Planning Strategies for Teaching with Phenomena

| Posted:
Categories:
Classroom Application
| Tags: , , ,
Leave a comment

One of the most time-consuming parts of teaching is lesson planning. It’s often a barrier to trying new instructional strategies, even when we’re confident they’ll be a game-changer in the classroom. If you’re considering integrating phenomena into your science lessons to engage your students and encourage them to think critically about the world around them, … read more »


One Word for the New Year!

| Posted:
Categories:
Classroom Application
| Tags: , , , , ,
Leave a comment

What if you decided on one word to guide your life for the upcoming year instead of a lengthy New Year’s resolution? That is the idea behind the one word project. Choosing one powerful word that resonates with you and your goals to direct you through the new year. The one word project is an … read more »


Three Effective Retrieval Practice Activities to Level Up Test Review

| Posted:
Categories:
Classroom Application
| Tags: , , 1 Comment

The end of the semester can be stressful for students and teachers. With midterms, diagnostics, benchmark testing, and state end-of-course testing looming, teachers have to decide how much of their limited instructional time to dedicate to preparing students for these tests that cover months of content. While no magic formula exists, we can leverage high-impact … read more »


Thinking Routines: A Universal Tool for Deeper Learning Across All Subjects

| Posted:
Categories:
Classroom Application
| Tags: , , , 2 Comments

Finding a resource that works for all grade levels and subjects to promote student learning is rare. Project Zero’s Thinking Routines Toolbox (reviewed here) is one of those unicorns. It offers strategies that enhance critical thinking skills in many ways that apply to real-world situations, using research-based strategies that scaffold and support student thinking. Why … read more »


Remembering Pearl Harbor Using Choice Boards for Meaningful Learning

| Posted:
Categories:
Classroom Application
| Tags: , , ,
Leave a comment

A date which will live in infamy Franklin D. Roosevelt Each year, we commemorate Pearl Harbor Day to remember and honor the 2,403 Americans killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This significant event led to the United States’s consequential decision to declare war on Japan and enter World War … read more »