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July 20, 2015

Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers®

It is hard to believe that summer is “about” halfway over! We hope that you have taken advantage of any free moments with your family and friends. We also hope that you have taken time for YOU both professionally and personally.

 

July Schedule
Just as a reminder, TeachersFirst is open 24/7. We don’t take a break. However, we do slow our pace during July to accommodate teachers’ travel and summer breaks. This Update will repeat on July 26. The Weekly Brain Twisters will change every other Friday. Both the Update and Brain Twisters will return to a weekly schedule beginning August 1. We hope that this schedule will keep you from missing any of the latest from TeachersFirst! We also hope you enjoy some time offline a bit to savor your summer.

 

VSTE
The Source for Learning and TeachersFirst® are happy to partner with the Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) at their Digital Age Learning Day on July 22nd. If you live in Virginia and would like to know more about this event, you can learn about the mini-conference at this link. Stop by our kiosk while at the conference and you’ll be entered in a special drawing.

 

Teaching about TeachersFirst?
Summer is PD season. If you feature TeachersFirst in professional development workshops, include us in a grad class that you are teaching, or use TeachersFirst when coaching teachers in your role as a technology integration specialist, we can help. Complete this form telling us how you plan to feature TeachersFirst. We will send out some TeachersFirst swag for qualifying sessions. Complete the form NOW to be sure you get the package in time for your presentation.

 

Newbie?
Are you a new teacher starting your first teaching job in the fall? Will you be working with a student teacher or mentoring a new teacher? Don’t miss TeachersFirst’s ideas and help for newbie teachers, their cooperating teachers, and mentors. Click the Share widget to pass it on!

 

FREE PD - OK2Ask is in FULL SWING!
Summer OK2Ask® sessions (free PD) is offered on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at 6pm EDT. These free, online sessions for teacher self-directed professional development feature many ways to use technology in YOUR classroom. Read descriptions to learn about prerequisites, standards, goals/objectives, and appropriate technology comfort levels BEFORE you sign up. Please note: ALL Summer PD certificates will be issued at the end of August. Learn more about OK2Ask here.

 

Upcoming Sessions:

Monday July 20, 2015
6:00 - 8:00pm EDT
Common Core Literacy and Writing (K-12)

Tuesday July 21, 2015
6:00 - 7:00pm EDT
Sharing and Solutions for Technology Coaches/Trainers: Guiding Reluctant Teachers

Wednesday July 22, 2015
6:00 - 8:00pm EDT
Common Core Math (K-12)

Monday July 27, 2015
6:00 - 7:30pm EDT
Specialized for Special Needs

Tuesday July 28, 2015
6:00 - 7:30pm EDT
Gifted Resources to Make your Classroom Sizzle

Wednesday July 29, 2015
6:00 - 7:30pm EDT
School Year KickOff 2015: Get off to a great start with TeachersFirst’s ready to go lessons, interactives, and professional resources.

 

Let's be Honest
How much of your summer “off” are you actually working? We all know that teachers are never truly “off.” But we do hope that you are taking some time to rest and recuperate, preparing for the new school year. This week’s Teacher Poll asks: How much of your summer “off” are you actually working? Place your vote on the teacher poll on the TeachersFirst home page.

 

On the Calendar
Summer is the perfect time to check out the TeachersFirst Classroom Planning Calendar. Scout ahead for events and resources to include in your plans for next year.

 

Featured Sites
This week in our Featured Sites find:

• Gridlock Math
• Project Writing Fun
• Digital Citizenship
• Math + YouTube
• Hosting Defined
• Mysterious Science
• Engineering
• And more

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are reading this August 2 or later, the link above will take you to the Featured Sites for the current week. Find the archived July 19/26 Features here, and don’t miss our many other recent additions from the link at the bottom of the Featured Sites page.

 

Take a deep breath, a long walk, and enjoy the upcoming summer weeks of recuperation, relaxing, and reading.

The TeachersFirst Team