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World Storytelling Day is just around the corner. As the world gets ready to celebrate the art of oral storytelling, it seemed the perfect time to ponder the instructional case for storytelling. Storytelling is an ancient interactive art form in which one conveys a tale with gestures, words, and sounds while encouraging the listener to use … read more »
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Freedom of Information Day takes place on March 16th- James Madison‘s birthday. It is commemorated on this day because Madison was a staunch proponent of a free press and flow of information to the public. The Freedom of Information Act was first enacted in 1966 and updated 50 years later in 2016 after a lengthy … read more »
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March is Music in our Schools Month®️. This year’s theme – Music The Sound Of My Heart – brought to mind several ways that educators can leverage music to practice Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (CSP) in the classroom. Music is such an essential part of every culture that using it in instruction has been a strategy for ages. It … read more »
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“Toys are children’s words and play is their language.” Garry L. Landreth When you think about Barbie®, what image pops into your mind? Is it the iconic doll with the blonde ponytail and slim figure? Perhaps you conjure up a picture of Barbie with her many accessories that include a beautiful Dream House, her perfect … read more »
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In Part 1 of this blog, we introduced you to Duolingo and discussed the application of both the SAMR Model and the Triple E Framework to help you integrate Duolingo into your instruction. Today’s post offers detailed instructions about how to use this tool and shares classroom use ideas by subject. Duolingo: If you want … read more »
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Duolingo is a device-agnostic tool that offers free online language learning classes. The site currently offers personalized lessons in thirty-seven languages, including Spanish, French, Japanese, Italian, Arabic, Dutch, Polish, Greek, Romanian, and Swahili. Duolingo uses game-based learning to scaffold material and teach languages in chunks of time or assigned lessons. The personalized learning creates differentiated … read more »
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This year is the 10th annual celebration of Digital Learning Day. On February 25, educators will participate in an online celebration of ideas, stories, and promising practices related to incorporating digital learning into everyday instruction in schools. Using #DLDay and #DLDay2021 on Twitter and Instagram, educators collaborate and share new ideas, tools, and strategies for … read more »
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Sustained social isolation during the pandemic has taken its toll on everyone, especially our students. As educators, we need to help our students with ways to meet social-emotional learning (SEL) needs while we collectively continue to work towards overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic threat. Science tells us that kindness increases your happiness, so now is the … read more »
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The American Library Association recently announced the 2021 winners of the youth media award. In addition, many other book awards for K-12 books were recently announced. Award-winning books are always an excellent addition to school libraries and classrooms! It’s like having a ready-made, vetted buying list. Every year, the American Library Association honors outstanding books, … read more »
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TeachersFirst®️ hosts a book study at least twice a year – a deep dive into integrating technology in the classroom. We are currently studying Michelle Eaton’s The Perfect Blend and discussing how to create blended learning experiences while teaching remotely. This week, we’ve discussed several roadblocks – student motivation, simulating different spaces, and lesson organization. … read more »