Choice Boards: A Cognitive Gym for Deepening Student Thinking

Author: Traci Hedetniemi | Posted:
Categories: Classroom Application | Tags: , , ,
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When purposefully designed, choice boards are far more than glorified worksheets for busywork; they’re powerful opportunities for students to actively engage with content in ways that promote agency and encourage students to take ownership of their learning. Choice boards provide scaffolding that helps students develop their thinking muscles and move from passive consumers of information … read more »

The Tool Didn’t Fail. We Just Didn’t Give It Enough Time.

Author: Ruth Okoye | Posted:
Categories: Let's Talk About | Tags: , , ,
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There’s a conversation happening in schools right now, and you’ve probably been part of it. Parents are pushing back on screen time. Administrators are eyeing the edtech budget with fresh skepticism. Teachers are quietly abandoning platforms they were trained on two years ago. And somewhere in the background, a tool that was supposed to transform … read more »

Golden Gate Bridge STEM Activities: Maker Lessons for Every Grade Level

Author: Darshell Silva | Posted:
Categories: Classroom Application | Tags: , , ,
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On May 28, 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a telegraph key in the White House to declare the Golden Gate Bridge “open to the entire world.” Automobiles rolled across a 4,200-foot span that engineers once said couldn’t be built. This May, that moment turns 89 years old—making now a perfect time to hand your … read more »

Test Prep Reimagined: Brain-Based Strategies That Improve Student Performance

Author: Traci Hedetniemi | Posted:
Categories: Classroom Application, Research | Tags: , , , 1 Comment

Sometimes, the challenge of taking a high-stakes test is less about the content itself and more about a student’s ability to access the content and manage the cognitive demands while doing so. Today, we will explore three research-supported strategies that help students strengthen and organize their long-term memory during test preparation and focus their limited … read more »

What a Viral EdTech Argument Teaches Us About Media Literacy and Influence

Author: Ruth Okoye | Posted:
Categories: Ed Tech Temperature Check | Tags: , ,
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This is my second post examining the argument Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath has been making about educational technology. In my first post—Let’s Talk About What the Research on K12 EdTech Actually Shows—I looked closely at the evidence behind his claims and what the peer-reviewed research actually says. This post asks a different question, and one … read more »

Teacher Appreciation Week: Reclaiming Time for What Matters Most

Author: Sharon Hall | Posted:
Categories: Classroom Application | Tags: ,
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Teacher Appreciation Week is a chance to recognize the work you do every day. You plan, adjust, support, and respond—often with limited time and increasing demands. We know that true appreciation is more than a card in a mailbox; it’s about having the resources and the mental space to do what you love most: teaching. … read more »

Autism Acceptance Month and Beyond: 5 Classroom Shifts That Build Belonging

Author: Sharon Hall | Posted:
Categories: Classroom Application | Tags: , , ,
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As Autism Acceptance Month comes to a close, it’s a meaningful time to reflect—not just on awareness, but on what acceptance looks like in everyday classroom life. Awareness opens the door, but belonging is built through daily choices: the routines we establish, the language we use, and how we design learning environments to support neurodivergent … read more »

Let’s Talk About What the Research on K12 EdTech Actually Shows

Author: Ruth Okoye | Posted:
Categories: Let's Talk About | Tags: , , , 1 Comment

Something shifted in K12 educator conversations this past school year. You may have felt it — a low-level hum of anxiety that wasn’t there before. A colleague forwarded a video with a note that said: “Have you seen this?” A school board meeting that took an unexpected turn. A teacher in a professional learning session … read more »

Great Poetry Reading Day: Helping Students Discover the Power of Poetry

Author: Erin Mulvany-Mankowski | Posted:
Categories: Classroom Application | Tags: ,
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April marks National Poetry Month, established in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets to celebrate poetry’s significance in our lives. Poetry, one of humanity’s oldest art forms, preserves our stories and evolves alongside us. As a poetry enthusiast, I often hear from people who claim to “hate” poetry—and I always suggest they simply haven’t … read more »