Being Resourceful Part Two: Reliable Sources and C.R.A.A.P.

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 »

Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. Through Service for Others

Every year, on the third Monday of January, our nation stops to honor and recognize the contributions of Martin Luther King Jr.  His “I Have a Dream” speech urging all people to fight peacefully for democracy and brotherhood is known by all, and is the basis for many classroom lessons on MLK and Civil Rights. … read more »

Being Re-sourceful, When More Is Not Better, Part One

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 »

Getting Started with Research

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 »

Start Your Year Strong with 3 Personalized Learning Tools

The start of a new school year brings excitement to both students and teachers. This is the perfect time to share and implement personalized learning tools for your students. Many different sites offer differentiated learning activities and tips. The hard part is finding out what works for both of you. Take a look at these three new tools that personalize … read more »