Comic books once were considered the worst things kids could read. Lots of irresistible issues were hidden under beds or between the covers of textbooks. Many comic books were banned because of their ephemeral nature, graphical format, and often mature and violent content. Think of those lurid covers featuring a scantily-clad, buxom girl in the … read more »
Fake news and stories about fake news are everywhere right now. In a recent blog post, I shared criteria for judging online resources, including news stories, using the CRAAP test. However, since this topic is of critical importance to our students, it merits another look. In fact, digitally literate teachers who teach their students to … read more »
It’s hard to believe that Google just turned 19. In that time, the name of the search engine has become a household term as well as an entry in the dictionary. There is a generation of students who have always had access to the search engine and don’t know what life was like before you could … read more »
If you are a frequent user of TeachersFirst, you know our site contains an amazing amount of information and resources. A quick look at the home page shows a calendar, news and updates, search, TeachersFirst Edge resources, and Featured Sites. But that’s just the beginning; the home page also links to Classroom Ready-to-Go and a … read more »
Teachers around the world celebrate Pi Day each March 14. Although the concept of Pi is typically taught beginning late elementary school, this doesn’t prevent students of any age from participating in and enjoying Pi Day events Although younger students don’t understand the concept of Pi, they do know some information about circles. Using circles … read more »
Research has long proven that providing students with authentic and timely feedback improves student performance and learning. In fact, the authors of this study concluded that “Feedback is among the most critical influences on student learning.” Many sites and online tools offer help with providing feedback to learners; in fact, the number of choices may … read more »
Evaluating resources, in any medium, is a critical thinking skill for information literacy, media literacy, or digital citizenship. Of course, it is also part of educational state standards patterned after the Common Core. They emphasize reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from texts. In a discussion of the key shifts in the standards, the … read more »
In the fall I had a chance to get reacquainted with Penzu. It’s a great tool for writing that allows you to create a free online journal. Individual entries can be public or private which allows you to share them in many ways. Using Penzu would be an excellent way to reflect or share your … read more »
In today’s world of instant information, students often are overwhelmed by the myriad of resources available to support research assignments. When teaching students to use search engines, I emphasize the importance of asking the right questions, finding the best keywords, and, most importantly, using advanced searching techniques to retrieve limited results containing the information they … read more »
From time to time I learn about or rediscover a tech tool that is really versatile. When that happens, members of the TeachersFirst team know that for at least the next month they will find the tool strategically placed in emails, mentioned in conversation, and suggested for inclusion on all types of projects that we … read more »