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 »
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 »