Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from March 2023. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Ignite creativity and learning with Adobe Express for Education. Provide challenging learning opportunities for your students by using media creation to engage them and deepen their content area knowledge. Students can create posters, presentations, images, animations, web pages, videos, and more that demonstrate their knowledge construction skills. Learn to use Adobe Express for classroom projects and personal productivity, and brainstorm with others about ways you and your students can use this tool to demonstrate learning. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn basic use of Adobe Express for Education; 2. Explore three different ways to use Adobe Express in the classroom; and 3. Plan for the use of Adobe Express in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): assessment (147), creativity (86), professional development (385)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from January 2023. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Looking to change things up in your classroom? Try using podcasts! Improve your students' listening comprehension skills, build academic vocabulary, and strengthen literacy skills with this easy-to-use, research-based instructional strategy. Join us and learn to find appropriate podcasts and use them instructionally. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn ways to use podcasts as an instructional strategy; 2. Explore podcasts series created for students; and 3. Plan for the use of podcasts in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): podcasts (108), professional development (385)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from January 2023. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Do you want to engage your students while still being able to give extra support to those who need it? Then you need to use flipped and/or blended learning! In this session, we will simplify these instructional models and introduce tools that support them. Learn to use free teaching resources to deliver instruction digitally while allowing flexibility for student pacing. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Understand the instructional case for flipped and blended learning and the differences between the two; 2. Explore tech tools that can deliver digital content; and 3. Plan an authentic learning activity using a flipped/blended learning approach. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): blended learning (37), flipped learning (9), Microsoft (80), professional development (385), remote learning (54)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from January 2023. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Many technology tools are available for classroom use, but which are teachers' favorites? This session will share and compare some of TeachersFirst contributors' favorite resources. Help us decide which tool is this session's winner of our Smackdown! As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn about and compare some of TeachersFirst contributors' favorite technology tools; 2. Evaluate uses for one or more tools for classroom use; and 3. Share ideas for using resources with other participants. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): classroom management (120), professional development (385)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from October 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Research shows that students who feel safe and included are more likely to be academically motivated. Take time to focus on supporting and facilitating students' sense of belonging in the classroom. Join us to explore tools that will help students communicate and collaborate, support their social and emotional needs, and build a safe and inclusive environment. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn community-building strategies; 2. Explore tech tools that support communication and collaboration; and 3. Plan to use community-building strategies in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): communication (129), communities (35), professional development (385), social and emotional learning (102)

In this collection, we share many educational podcasts for students of all ages in various subject areas. The act of listening to podcasts offers many benefits to our students. The podcasts are available anytime, making them ideal for in-person, remote, blended, and flipped instruction. Students can listen a second time to deepen their understanding.

tag(s): podcasts (108)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from August 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

There are many digital storytelling tools available for classroom use, but which ones are teachers' favorites? Join TeachersFirst as we showcase and compare some of our contributors' favorite edtech resources for digital storytelling. Explore new and tried-and-true technology tools for your classroom and help us decide which tool is the winner of this season's smackdown! As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn about and compare some of TeachersFirst contributors' favorite technology tools; 2. Evaluate one or more tools for classroom use; and 3. Share ideas for using resources with other participants. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): digital storytelling (154), professional development (385)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from August 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Take your choice boards to the next level! Regular choice boards allow your students to complete equally active, interesting, and engaging assignments that demonstrate their comprehension of the presented material--but not all students learn at the same pace or have the same background knowledge coming into a lesson. In this session, you'll learn to differentiate your choice boards by process, product, or content to support students as necessary. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn the basics of Tomlinson's differentiation model; 2. Learn to differentiate choice boards for both instructional and assessment purposes; and 3. Use a template to create a differentiated choice board. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): differentiation (84), personalized learning (10), playlists (8), professional development (385)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from August 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Looking for a new way to engage your learners as they study a topic? Try Multimedia Text Sets (MMTS)! In this session, we'll learn to curate topically related materials and organize them in order to help students build background knowledge and vocabulary. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn the difference between HyperDocs and MMTS; 2. Explore sample Multimedia Text Sets; and 3. Plan for the use of MMTS in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): curation (32), professional development (385)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from July 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, every student has an individual learning path. Chances are your students grasp subjects differently and have varying levels of ability--so how can you better deliver instruction to reach everyone in class? Branching forms allow teachers to differentiate assessments and account for differences in pacing and outcomes. Join us to learn how to use Microsoft Forms to apply this strategy in your lessons. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn how Microsoft Forms can support differentiation; 2. Understand how to plan for a branching form; and 3. Learn multiple uses for branching forms. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): differentiation (84), Microsoft (80), professional development (385)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from July 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Reading Progress in Microsoft Teams is a tool that encourages students to build fluency through independent reading practice. Recording students as they practice allows educators to check student progress regularly while freeing time for active instruction. Reading Progress provides a running record for educator review and summary data insights to help with instructional decision-making. Join us to learn how to put this powerful tool to work in your classroom. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Explore why fluency is an essential reading skill; 2. Understand how to create, assign, and review a Reading Progress assignment in Teams; and 3. Explore insights and analytics in Reading Progress. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): Microsoft (80), professional development (385), science of reading (34)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from July 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Get ready for digital storytelling--a valuable strategy for instruction and formative and summative assessments. You or your students have a story idea, but now what do you do? In this session, we'll review the digital storytelling process, talk about tech tools you can use to create your product, and share ideas for managing your classroom while students are working on digital storytelling projects. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Understand the digital storytelling process; 2. Explore a technology tool for digital storytelling; and 3. Plan for the use of digital storytelling in instructional settings. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): digital storytelling (154), professional development (385), writing (325)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from July 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Help students focus on building knowledge, understanding, and essential skills by empowering them to choose how they will meet their learning goals. Learning menus or choice boards allow your students to complete equally active, interesting, and engaging assignments that demonstrate their comprehension of the presented material. This session will teach you to use choice boards to help students demonstrate mastery of content. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Understand how choice boards support student voice and choice; 2. Learn about the use of choice boards for both instructional and assessment purposes; and 3. Plan for the use of choice boards as part of instruction. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): professional development (385)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from July 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Provide challenging learning opportunities for your students while promoting innovative classroom instruction by using digital image creation to engage students and deepen their content area knowledge. Students can create posters, social posts, videos, presentations, and more that demonstrate their knowledge construction skills. Learn to use Canva for classroom projects and personal productivity, and brainstorm with others about ways you and your students can use this tool to demonstrate learning. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn basic use of Canva; 2. Explore three different ways to use Canva in the classroom; and 3. Plan for the use of Canva in your instructional setting. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): creating media (14), graphic organizers (48), professional development (385)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from July 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Microsoft Forms is often overlooked when discussing free tools for blended and remote instruction. Join us for this session and learn to use Forms to personalize instruction, accommodate learner differences, foster independent learning, and implement formative and summative assessments. Come prepared to explore and add this tool to your teaching toolkit. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn the basic functions of Microsoft Forms; 2. Understand how to use Forms to support remote instruction; and 3. Create a form for instructional use or data collection. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): blended learning (37), Formative Assessment (74), Microsoft (80), professional development (385), remote learning (54)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from July 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Pixel art is an older artform that uses blocks of color to create a picture. Today, it's been revived and repurposed as an engaging instructional activity. Come to this session and learn to create and use these self-checking practice activities in a variety of settings. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn how to create pixel art; 2. Understand how to set up a pixel art activity; and 3. Brainstorm curricular applications for pixel art activities. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): Formative Assessment (74), Google (47), professional development (385)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from July 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Google Sites is an easy tool you can use to create a variety of websites. This includes portfolios, which are a great way for students (and teachers!) to share what they've learned and/or created. In this session, we will explore the basics of using Google Sites to set up a portfolio and share tips and tricks for making your content stand out. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Identify the basic page types and features available in Google Sites; 2. Become familiar with strategies for creating and organizing a portfolio site; and 3. Brainstorm ways to use portfolios in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): Google (47), portfolios (23), professional development (385)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from May 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Using digital storytelling in the classroom doesn't have to be complicated! Start your first digital storytelling project in just a few easy steps and learn to use this strategy to support and engage students, enhance your instructional cycle, and showcase your students' knowledge construction skills as they connect to the real world. Learn to use digital storytelling as a formative or summative assessment that includes 21st Century Skill practice. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Develop an understanding of the digital storytelling process; 2. Understand multiple ways digital storytelling can be used in the classroom; and 3. Learn about tools that can be used to implement the digital storytelling cycle. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): digital storytelling (154), professional development (385)