Tech Tool of the Month: Canva

As teachers, our digital resiliency is usually put to the test quite often. I recently had one of those experiences when I had to write the TeachersFirst weekly update using a new template. The biggest challenge for me was making the images fit in the template and have it work in all different types of browsers … read more »

5 Sites for Teaching About Memorial Day with Primary Sources

Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, is the time when Americans honor and recognize people who died while serving our country in the armed forces. Although historians dispute the birthplace of Memorial Day we know it began after the Civil War. This tradition continues to be held the last Monday of each May as communities … read more »

Empowering Students; the Classroom as Library

While the month of April brings thoughts of spring showers and May flowers, for this school librarian, April reminds me of National Library Week  and its companion, School Library Month. I love the fact that there is a special time of the year dedicated to libraries. You don’t have to convince Americans that their libraries are important. Over … read more »

Being Resourceful Part Four: Invisible Web of Educational Materials

The invisible web is a world of resources not available using conventional search engines. Last month we looked at databases of information found behind paywalls, but often accessible with a library card. Now let’s investigate some sites that are freely available, but take some knowledge and instruction to use. A great place to start is … read more »