Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Register to view this on-demand OK2Ask professional learning workshop from July 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.

Effective vocabulary instruction is essential for academic success, but many students struggle to move terminology from short-term exposure to long-term retention. This workshop combines Marzano's research-based vocabulary strategies with engaging digital tools to create learning experiences that deepen understanding and application. You'll explore free, web-based resources that support concept development, visual representation, and self-assessment. Whether you're tech-savvy or still developing your skills, you'll leave with practical, classroom-ready activities to strengthen vocabulary instruction and boost student achievement. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Apply Marzano's six-step vocabulary acquisition model and use appropriate digital tools to move terminology from short-term to long-term memory. 2. Use free web-based tools to design interactive vocabulary activities that promote student collaboration and engagement. 3. Implement tech-enhanced formative assessments that provide immediate feedback on vocabulary comprehension. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): professional development (395), reading strategies (98), vocabulary (242), vocabulary development (97)

Register to view this on-demand OK2Ask professional learning workshop from July 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.

Explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can streamline your teaching workflow and enhance instructional design. During this hands-on workshop, you'll learn practical strategies for using AI to automate time-consuming tasks like assessment creation and feedback generation while maintaining pedagogical control. Discover how to leverage AI as a thought partner for lesson planning, differentiation, and creating materials that engage diverse learners. Leave with ready-to-implement techniques for using AI to reclaim your time for what truly matters--building meaningful connections with students. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Implement AI-powered strategies to streamline administrative tasks, provide timely feedback, and create differentiated learning materials. 2. Evaluate and select appropriate AI tools based on instructional needs, ethical considerations, and pedagogical best practices. 3. Design AI-enhanced learning experiences that prioritize student agency and critical thinking while addressing diverse learning needs. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (189), professional development (395)

The TeachersFirst Infusing Technology Blog offers a tagged list of resources related to the Science of Reading. This treasure trove of blog posts and resources brings research-based literacy practices to life across grade levels and subjects. Recent highlights include methods for making Shakespeare more accessible, strategies to integrate fluency and vocabulary across content areas, and engaging tech, powered oral language development activities, all rooted in the five pillars of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension). Whether you're teaching K-12 ELA, science, social studies, or language support, this collection provides educators with practical classroom tools, like digital storytelling, grammar workstations, and scaffolded discussion prompts, to help every student become a confident, skilled reader.

tag(s): blogs (73), fluency (30), reading comprehension (152), reading strategies (98), science of reading (36), vocabulary (242), vocabulary development (97)

Empower primary students through digital play! In celebration of National Kindergarten Day, this blog post emphasizes the importance of integrating literacy with other content areas and leveraging technology to support early learners. It introduces engaging, tech-powered strategies that blend reading skills with digital tools for phonemic awareness and sentence construction, as well as for vocabulary and syntax practice, and AI-driven apps like ReadAlong and Reading Coach to build fluency with immediate feedback. It also highlights the value of age-appropriate podcasts to develop listening comprehension and Teach Your Monster to Read for gamified phonics instruction. Together, these tools create a dynamic and supportive learning environment that nurtures young readers through intentional, personalized, and content-rich experiences.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (189), digital literacy (18), podcasts (118), preK (291)

This blog post highlights how the African American Read-In can be a powerful opportunity to strengthen students' oral language development, an essential component of the Science of Reading. While foundational skills like phonics and decoding are critical, students also need rich language experiences to become fluent, thoughtful readers. The blog shares creative, tech-friendly strategies across grade levels from elementary students retelling folktales using BookCreator, to middle schoolers podcasting about activism, to high schoolers debating literary themes or building historical timelines of African American poets. Each activity fosters confident speaking, narrative structure, and verbal reasoning, bringing student voice to the forefront as they celebrate African American literature.

tag(s): african american (123), blogs (73), digital literacy (18), digital storytelling (156), fluency (30), folktales (36), literacy (122), podcasts (118)

Inspired by Read Across America, this blog highlights how technology can meaningfully support reading instruction grounded in the Science of Reading framework. It emphasizes core components like phonemic awareness, morphology, fluency, and comprehension, while recognizing the need for student engagement and differentiation. The post introduces five practical tools and strategies: using Wordwall.net for sentence structure and morphology games, exploring Wordtorque's Building Bases Board for word analysis, and practicing grammar through No Red Ink and Khan Academy. These tools help teachers create independent workstations where students can receive tailored, interactive practice with immediate feedback, making reading instruction both rigorous and fun.

tag(s): blogs (73), differentiation (86), fluency (30), grammar (137), reading comprehension (152)

This blog post celebrates the power of student voice and offers four creative, cross-curricular activities designed to strengthen oral language skills across grade levels. Teachers can engage students through collaborative storytelling using Padlet, art description with Adobe Animate, living history monologues via Vocaroo, and scientific presentations on Presentio.us. Each activity blends speaking, creativity, and content knowledge while providing flexible differentiation for elementary through high school students, including multilingual learners. With a focus on expressive communication, vocabulary development, and higher-order thinking, these strategies help students become confident, articulate communicators across subjects.

tag(s): blogs (73), digital storytelling (156), multilingual (78), vocabulary development (97)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from May 2025. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Discover how Code.org's comprehensive platform can energize learning across all subjects and grade levels. Through hands-on exploration, you'll learn how to use students' intuitive programming tools to strengthen problem-solving skills and bring computational thinking into your curriculum. Whether you teach elementary science or high school literature, you'll leave with practical strategies that will engage students in coding while meeting your content area objectives. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Understand the fundamentals of Code.org resources and their applications across different grade levels and subject areas. 2. Learn strategies for scaffolding coding activities to meet diverse student needs and abilities. 3. Develop a plan to incorporate Code.org activities into their specific content area and grade level. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): coding (87), computational thinking (41), professional development (395)

Take your Canva skills to the next level by harnessing the power of AI to create more engaging and interactive instructional materials. In this workshop, you'll discover how Canva's AI Magic features can streamline your lesson preparation, generate creative content, and enhance student learning experiences. Learn to use AI-powered tools for text generation, image creation, and design enhancement while maintaining pedagogical effectiveness. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Master Canva's AI Magic tools (Magic Design, Magic Edit, and Magic Write) to enhance instructional materials. 2. Create differentiated learning resources using AI-assisted features while maintaining instructional integrity. 3. Develop practical strategies for incorporating AI-enhanced Canva projects into existing lesson plans and assignments. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (189), creating media (18), professional development (395)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from May 2025. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

In today's digital age, the ability to critically evaluate information and engage responsibly online is essential. This workshop is designed to equip educators with the tools and strategies they need to help students recognize bias, misinformation, and propaganda. Participants will explore methods for enhancing students' critical thinking skills, fostering responsible digital citizenship, and preparing students for active and informed civic engagement, including voting. Join us to empower the next generation of digital citizens! As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Identify misinformation and teach source credibility. 2. Promote critical thinking and analytical skills. 3. Encourage ethical online behavior and respect for diverse perspectives. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): digital citizenship (93), evaluating sources (30), professional development (395)