Connect to Nature with Earth School

How do you celebrate Earth Day? Has remote learning made it more difficult? Earth School, a resource by TED-Ed, may be the answer to your distance teaching needs while also being adaptable to in-person lessons. The first celebration of Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin designated Earth Day … read more »

School Librarians and Digital Citizenship

Teaching Digital Citizenship…..whose responsibility is it? School librarians today take on many roles in the digital world. They are leading the way in the conversation around teaching digital citizenship in their schools and districts. From compiling resources for their students to teaching digital citizenship to promoting digital citizenship, school librarians are at the forefront. Digital … read more »

Tech Tool of the Month: Pathbrite – Part 2

In Part 1 of this blog, we introduced you to Pathbrite and discussed the application of both the SAMR Model and the Triple E Framework to help you integrate Pathbrite into your instruction. Today’s post offers detailed instructions about how to use this tool and shares classroom use ideas by subject. Pathbrite: As you arrive … read more »

Celebrate Freedom of Information Day 2021

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 »

Engage with Award-Winning Books in Your Classroom!

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 »

Tech Tool of the Month: Nearpod – Part 2

In Part 1 of this blog, we introduced you to Nearpod and discussed the application of both the SAMR Model and the Triple E Framework to help you integrate Nearpod into your instruction. Today’s post offers detailed instructions for how to use this tool and shares classroom use ideas by subject. Nearpod: If Nearpod is … read more »

Tech Tool of the Month: Nearpod – Part 1

Nearpod is a device-agnostic tool for creating interactive presentations and assessments. Teachers can also use one of the pre-made presentations from an extensive library that includes both lessons and videos. When creating your own presentation (or editing an already-created lesson), you can add images, audio clips, PDF files, videos, multiple-choice questions, polls, and more. There … read more »

Be a Sport! Lessons for Increasing Literacy Using Sports Heroes

One method for engaging reluctant readers is to provide books and activities that connect to their interests and passions. Making this connection is especially helpful when introducing nonfiction reading materials to students. Matching the appropriate books and articles to individual students takes time but provides long-term rewards, such as increased interest in reading.  Many students … read more »

Presidential Inaugurations Through A Primary Source Lens

Presidential inaugurations are one of the United States of America’s oldest traditions. They are a founding ceremony of our democracy. Studying inaugurations through a primary source lens is an engaging and at times fascinating classroom activity.  General resources for inaugural primary sources abound. The Library of Congress contains a wealth of resources on every presidential … read more »

Bring Letter Writing into Your Classroom: Here’s How

“To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.”Phyllis Theroux When is the last time you wrote a letter using paper and pencil? For many of us, it has been quite a long time. The art of letter writing is under assault from easy access to email … read more »