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Categories: Have You Heard2 Comments
This quote is spot on! Nothing is more important in education than a good teacher — after all, they teach us HOW to think — something we will use every day for the rest of our lives. As a long-time tech coach, I have known many teachers who think they can’t use technology and still … read more »
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Categories: Professional Learning
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Are you counting down the days until summer vacation? I mean, did I really need to ask that question?! I remember one of the hardest parts of transitioning from a teacher to an administrator was not getting to have that feeling of pure exhilaration and excitement going into summer break. It’s a time to recharge, … read more »
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Categories: Let's Talk About
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June is Great Outdoors Month. It’s great timing because this time of year can be difficult for both teachers and students. While many schools are getting ready to close for the summer, getting through the remaining days with antsy students and tired teachers can be hard. It’s time to plan for some “fun” outdoor instructional … read more »
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Categories: Classroom Application
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“There’s something so wonderful about writing in rhyme where it isn’t just the meaning of the words, it’s the music to the words and the shape and the sound.” Gary Ross Learning about rhyming words is one of the earliest skills taught to young readers. Exploring rhymes helps students understand how language works through sounds … read more »
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Categories: What's the Buzz3 Comments
After the VSTE annual conference, I’ve done a lot of thinking about frameworks. One of the Keynote presentations introduced a framework that was new to me and then questioned the continued use of structures like SAMR. I had to do some reflection, because here at TeachersFirst we use the SAMR model a lot. I … read more »
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Categories: Classroom Application
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Game-based learning and gamification are hot topics in education. This month I was given the task to find ONE tech tool to share related to games in the classroom. This task was quite the challenge due to the quality sites that I am already familiar with. But then I started to think about “what if” … read more »
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Categories: Classroom Application2 Comments
School culture and climate is a passion of mine— I find the topic interesting, and there are so many different ideas, philosophies, tips, articles, books, blogs—you get the point. I truly enjoy reading them all and taking little bits and pieces with me to create my vision for leadership. I think most everyone out there … read more »
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Categories: Classroom Application
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Did you know the first cartoon appeared in a U.S. newspaper way back in 1754? Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette featured the political cartoon “Join or Die” on May 9, 1754. The picture showed the American colonies as a snake divided into eight pieces and presented the political point of view that the colonies should unite. … read more »
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Categories: Let's Talk About
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Teacher Appreciation week is right around the corner. Every administrator agrees they value the faithful teachers who work alongside them. With a limited budget, it can be difficult to demonstrate how much. I thought it might be helpful to suggest five free ideas as with no cost and a little effort we can make sure … read more »
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Categories: Classroom Application
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National Arbor Day is celebrated the last Friday in April each year. Local Arbor Day celebrations differ by state; many states observe this holiday at the best time for planting trees in their part of the country. For example, Maine observes the holiday on the third full week of May while South Carolina’s observation is … read more »