Students open their laptops, type a topic into Google, click the first three links, and boom—they believe they’re “done with research.” The result? Their digital stories feel flat and predictable, filled with the same surface-level information anyone could gather in seconds. Digital storytelling has real potential to engage students, but only if there’s solid research … read more »
Let’s take a minute to talk about artificial intelligence (AI). The Terminator, Blade Runner, and The Matrix warned everyone about the dangers of AI, but it’s been unleashed on an unsuspecting world, and we need to navigate it. At first, we struggled to keep it in check: students turned in horrific AI-generated essays, and teachers lamented the loss of … read more »
The Internet changed forever in 1998 when Larry Page and Sergey Brin created Google. After a quick Google search, you’ll learn that Google was founded on September 4, 1998. However, Google changed its celebration date to September 27 in 2006 to coincide with the announcement of the record number of pages that the search engine … read more »
June 30 is the 10th anniversary of the recognition of Social Media Day. Although every day is Social Media Day, this date points out the importance of thinking about the impact of social media on our lives. Also, it is imperative that we include thinking about how we teach the responsible use of social media … read more »
Now that most of us are well into the first quarter of the school year, many teachers have assigned students their first significant formal research assignment for the year. English teachers and school librarians love academic research or at least don’t dread it! Most teachers know they should be giving students an opportunity to work … read more »
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 »
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 »
Students create and share content constantly. They post videos, remix music, design graphics, and reuse images they find online. In many cases, they never stop to ask an important question: Who owns this work? World Intellectual Property Day on April 26 provides a natural opportunity to explore that question together. The day highlights how creative … read more »
You’re staring at a new unit plan, trying to figure out how to weave in media literacy, find credible primary sources, and keep thirty different students engaged—all while hitting your state standards. It feels like a solo mountain climb. But here’s the thing: you aren’t alone on that mountain. Just down the hall—or perhaps right … read more »
Middle school students are shifting from passive consumers of technology to active, engaged digital citizens. They’re building their perspectives, experimenting with social media, and discovering the power of their voices. Teaching AI literacy means more than showing them how to write prompts — it means demystifying the technology and pulling back the curtain so students … read more »