Using Microsoft Tools for Authentic Assessment

It’s important for 21st-century classroom teachers to consider how to include authentic assessments in their classrooms. Authentic assessments provide a valuable alternative to traditional assessments and allow students to practically and meaningfully demonstrate their knowledge and skills by incorporating real-world contexts and tasks. Authentic assessments emphasize critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity rather than relying … read more »

Using Retrieval Practice to Boost Student Learning

Retrieval Practice is a learning strategy that involves recalling information as a tool to improve learning and retention. First discussed by Hermann Ebbinghaus in his 1885 book Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology, a more recent book, Retrieval Practice by Kate Jones, explores classroom applications and methods to use retrieval practice to boost student learning. … read more »

Tech Tool of the Month: LyricsTraining – Part 1

LyricsTraining is a device-agnostic tool to learn and practice world languages and engage multilingual learners. This free resource offers an extensive collection of videos that can each be gamified into multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank questions. The game removes words from songs or videos, and players need to use context clues to figure out what word fits … read more »

Let’s Talk About: Book Lovers Day

As we approach Book Lovers Day, an occasion to celebrate our shared passion for literature, it’s the perfect time to ignite the love for books in our students. In this digital age, where distractions are aplenty, let’s take this opportunity to unplug and immerse ourselves in the world of literature. Here are five ideas on … read more »

What’s the Buzz: Artificial Intelligence?

Educators must stay up-to-date with the latest tools and resources to enhance classroom productivity and provide better instruction in today’s rapidly advancing digital landscape. One area that has been generating a lot of buzz is artificial intelligence (AI). In this blog post, we’ll demystify AI and explore how it can benefit teachers in creating a … read more »

Tech Tool of the Month: Teach with Movies – Part 2

In Part 1 of this blog, we introduced you to Teach with Movies and discussed applying the Triple E Framework using Teach with Movies in your instruction. This free resource provides lesson plans, guides, and movies in many subjects. Registering is unnecessary, and you can immediately access the lesson guides and discussion questions. Each month … read more »

Empowering Students for Responsible Social Media Use: Strategies and Resources to Celebrate Social Media Day

June 30 is Social Media Day and is an excellent time to consider options for providing students with the tools for responsible use of social media. With over 4.9 billion active users worldwide and teens spending an average of 3 hours daily on social media, it is vital to equip students with the necessary skills … read more »

Students and Nonfiction: A Winning Combination!

Nonfiction reading has something for everyone! Even your most reluctant readers will find a nonfiction book about a topic they are interested in. Reading nonfiction can help students learn about and make connections to their world and history, think critically about topics, learn new vocabulary, increase comprehension, motivate further reading about their own interests, and … read more »

Celebrating Juneteenth in the Classroom: Commemorating Freedom and Celebrating Resilience

Juneteenth has never been a celebration of victory or an acceptance of the way things are. It’s a celebration of progress. It’s an affirmation that despite the most painful parts of our history, change is possible—and there is still so much work to do. Barack Obama As educators, you have the honor of imparting knowledge … read more »