How To Make Every Day Human Rights Day in Your Classroom

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela, South African civil rights activist December 10 is Human Rights Day, which commemorates the day that the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). In 1948, a committee led by Eleanor Roosevelt presented 30 … read more »

Cozy Up With a New Book in December!

December is Read A New Book Month! Teacher self-care in December is important. What better time to cozy up with a new book? Reading isn’t just enjoyable—it’s beneficial for your wellbeing. Studies show it reduces stress, promotes relaxation, provides an escape, enhances focus, and improves brain function. While finding your next great read can feel … read more »

The Power of Retrieval Practice for Long-Term Learning

Every minute spent studying should strengthen a student’s grasp of the material, yet many common review techniques leave learners with a false sense of mastery while doing little to cement long-term understanding. In this post, we’ll explore how retrieval practice—a research-backed learning strategy that asks students to actively recall information—boosts retention, and we’ll share practical … read more »

Tech Tool of the Month: Wriddle – Part 2

In part one of this blog, we introduced you to Wriddle and discussed applying the SAMR Model and the Triple E Framework to using it in your instruction. Today’s post offers detailed instructions for using this tool and shares classroom ideas.  Wriddle is a free multimedia literacy tool where students can write, draw, and record … read more »

Celebrating Family Literacy: Engaging Ideas for All Ages

“Literacy is the most basic currency of the knowledge economy.” Barack Obama In 1994, Congress passed a joint resolution designating November 1 as Family Literacy Day. This day kicks off Family Literacy Month and emphasizes the importance of reading and learning together as a family. It’s vital to emphasize to students and families of all … read more »

Enhance Student Learning Through Underrepresented Historical Figures: Elizabeth Cady Stanton

I forged the thunderbolts. She fired them. Elizabeth Cady Stanton Elizabeth Cady Stanton is a name that might sound familiar, but what do you know about her contributions to American history? Perhaps, more importantly, what do your students know about her contributions? Students often obtain a deeper understanding of history when they learn about lesser-known … read more »

Tech Tool of the Month: Ba Ba Dum – Part 1

Ba Ba Dum is a language-learning site that uses games to teach 1,500 vocabulary words in more than 20 world languages, including Chinese, Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Arabic. There are five games, each with a different question type: matching images to a spoken word, filling in the blanks, multiple-choice response, unscrambling words, and matching images … read more »

Prompt Engineering for Teachers: Making the Most of AI, Part 2

In part one of this post, we explored the world of prompt engineering frameworks and tips for crafting effective prompts for AI chatbots and image generators. Now, let’s take a deeper dive into how to use prompts effectively to differentiate instruction in the classroom.  Generative AI tools provide suggested activities and lesson ideas that you … read more »

Prompt Engineering for Teachers: Making the Most of AI, Part 1

According to a recent article from EdWeek, approximately one-third of teachers use AI-driven tools in their classrooms for creating lesson plans, generating rubrics, writing letters and emails, and other purposes. However, another article reports that seven in ten educators have yet to receive any professional development about using AI and have concerns about using it … read more »

Misinformation, Disinformation, and AI – What Students Need to Know

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an amazing tool. Like all tools, it has benefits and deficits—one deficit affecting education is AI’s ability to produce misinformation and disinformation. Misinformation is false or inaccurate information, and disinformation is false information deliberately produced to mislead. Media literacy education is key to teaching students to recognize misinformation and disinformation produced … read more »