Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

TeachersFirst offers free, hands-on OK2AskA'® workshops for teacher professional learning. This collection of on-demand session recordings is available for those who attended as a recap and for new viewers to watch any time. Gather your teacher friends and learn together! Note that TeachersFirst does not award professional development certificates to teachers for watching archive recordings. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

tag(s): professional development (317)

Promote books beyond traditional book reports and at the same time work toward Common Core Standards in Speaking and Listening. This article includes suggestions, step by step strategies, resources, and tips--from tech-savvy to low-tech or no tech--so your students can promote books and build CCSS skills as they contribute to their community of readers and writers. Want to know more about implementing Common Core? See the full series of articles, read-alouds, and more here.

tag(s): speaking (23), process writing (33), book reports (26), listening (120), commoncore (63), help article (63)

Curation is the process of selecting, collecting, organizing, and presenting content a,,?" and it is a skill that serves students well across every subject and grade level. When students learn to curate, they move beyond simply gathering information and begin thinking critically about what is worth keeping, how it connects to their learning, and how to present it meaningfully. This collection includes free curation tools suitable for all grade levels, providing students and educators with a structured, purposeful way to manage research, organize notes, and build their own resource libraries. Whether a teacher is building a curated resource library for an upcoming unit or students are organizing sources for a research paper, these tools streamline information management and make collaboration, sharing, and staying on track easier than ever.

tag(s): curation (26), Research (95), organizational skills (93)

Register to view this on-demand OK2Ask professional learning workshop from July 2024. Educators seeking recertification credit must watch the recording, complete the feedback survey, and pass the assessment. For details, read the Registration & Credit Options section on the registration page.

In this one-hour session, we'll explore the exciting world of premade game templates and learn how to use them to create engaging gameboards and dynamic educational games. Whether you teach math, language arts, science, or another subject, game-based learning can enhance student engagement and deepen learning. Discover how to transform your classroom into an interactive playground where students can actively practice and reinforce their skills. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Understand the benefits of game-based learning. 2. Examine Google Slides templates that can be customized to create interactive learning activities. 3. Learn to integrate games across subjects. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): Google (23), game based learning (294), OK2Askarchive (64)

Educational simulations offer immersive learning experiences that bridge the gap between theory and practice for students across various disciplines. These resources allow students to explore, experiment, and problem-solve in risk-free settings. Science simulations enable virtual lab experiments, while historical simulations transport students to pivotal moments in time, and language simulations create authentic conversational scenarios. By providing immediate feedback and encouraging active learning, simulations help students develop critical thinking skills, improve decision-making abilities, and gain deeper insights into various topics. Simulations offer great differentiation options for students who may need extra support.

tag(s): game based learning (294), simulations (48)

Register to view this on-demand OK2Ask professional learning workshop from August 2025. Educators seeking recertification credit must watch the recording, complete the feedback survey, and pass the assessment. For details, read the Registration & Credit Options section on the registration page.

Take your Adobe Express skills to the next level by exploring powerful applications for student-centered learning! This workshop will show you how to leverage Adobe Express for authentic assessment, differentiated instruction, and creative projects across the curriculum. You'll design learning experiences that develop students' digital literacy while addressing content standards, with a focus on supporting diverse learners through multiple means of expression. Whether you're new to Adobe Express or building on existing skills, you'll leave with ready-to-implement project ideas and assessment strategies that will help your students become confident digital creators. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Use Adobe Express to design project-based learning experiences that promote student agency and digital literacy. 2. Apply differentiation strategies that support diverse learning needs and provide multiple means of expression. 3. Implement assessment approaches that evaluate both content knowledge and creative communication skills. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): digital literacy (42), creativity (95), student-centered (7), OK2Askarchive (64)

Building a strong vocabulary is one of the most powerful ways to boost reading comprehension and overall academic success, and games make that practice feel more like play than work. This collection features free vocabulary games and interactives, including word-matching activities, crossword and puzzle generators, flashcard tools, and engaging quiz-style challenges that reinforce word meaning and usage. You'll also find resources for building word walls, teaching context clues, and exploring root words, prefixes, and suffixes. Together, these tools offer fun, low-prep ways to strengthen vocabulary skills across grade levels and subjects.

tag(s): root words (11), vocabulary development (111), prefixes (12), game based learning (294), context clues (15), suffixes (10), vocabulary (260)

Use this CurriConnects list to find books related to medicine & health. CurriConnects thematic book lists include ISBN numbers for ordering or searching, interest grade levels, and LexilesA'® to match with student independent reading levels to challenge, not frustrate. Don't other themes being added regularly.

tag(s): book lists (168), reading lists (79), medicine (52)

TeachersFirst Reading Treks create a virtual field trip of resources about a piece of literature or text using the My Maps feature of Google Maps. This Reading Trek provides inspiration and suggestions for using the trade book Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Learn through two different timelines (the 1940s and 1980s) the story about the friendship of a Chinese American 12-year-old boy and a Japanese American girl. It is set in the city of Seattle and its cultural, musical, political, and social conflicts at the height of the WWII. The plot focuses on the painful separation of friends during the confining of Japanese Americans to internment camps. Use our robust Instructional Guide with students in grades 9-12. Content correlates to Common Core Standards and ISTE Student Standards. Find the entire selection of Reading Treks here.

tag(s): Reading Treks (62), virtual field trips (154), cross cultural understanding (165), 1940s (69), 1980s (21), world war 2 (169)

Register to view this on-demand OK2Ask professional learning workshop from January 2025. Educators seeking recertification credit must watch the recording, complete the feedback survey, and pass the assessment. For details, read the Registration & Credit Options section on the registration page. Join us for an engaging workshop designed for educators eager to leverage the power of AI in their teaching practices. This session will introduce you to various generative AI tools that can create dynamic interactive learning objects--small pieces of content that you can seamlessly integrate into your lessons to enhance student engagement and understanding. Whether you're a tech novice or a seasoned pro, this workshop will provide the practical insights and hands-on experience you need to elevate your teaching strategies. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Define learning objects and their strategic role in instruction. 2. Explore cutting-edge AI tools for generating interactive learning resources. 3. Design practical strategies for integrating AI-created learning objects to optimize student learning experiences. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): Teacher Utilities (234), creating media (19), artificial intelligence (371), OK2Askarchive (64)