Tech Tool of the Month: Story Maker

Story Maker is a simple digital storytelling tool for elementary students to write a story. Students can practice their writing skills, add color, add additional pages, and then save (or print) when finished. Story Maker is part of the ABCya site, offering countless free web games, interactives, and learning experiences.   Grade level Story Maker … read more »

3 Unique Resources for Spanish Language Learners

¡Hola! September 15 through October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. It is during this time we recognize the many contributions and history of the American Latino community. This month-long period also celebrates the independence days of several Central American countries.  A search on TeachersFirst reveals well over 100 resources tagged for Spanish content. Also, our … read more »

What’s the Buzz: The 6C’s

You may have taken part in any number of professional learning opportunities while school was out of session to hone your craft. As you think about getting this school year off the ground, take a moment to reflect and sift through your notes.  Sometimes you can find themes that can help organize the great ideas … read more »

Back to the Basics: Addressing Truancy in Our Schools

Let’s get back to basics. Not in the sense you may think— I’m not going to talk about reading, writing, and arithmetic. Let’s go even MORE basic. Most simply stated, in order to learn, kids need to be physically at school. August is National Truancy Prevention Month, so there is no better time to discuss … read more »

Engaging Students with Scavenger Hunts

You might not know that August 19 is Geocaching Day. Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt where players use GPS devices to find hidden containers located around the world. Hidden locations vary from easy to find areas to those that are more isolated and involve planning and preparation to access the site. Items found in … read more »