What do you do when summer break arrives? Is it time for a well-deserved break, or do you use this time for professional growth and rejuvenation? Perhaps a bit of both? If you’d like to try some rejuvenation that you can do at home in a relaxed setting, but still with a group of peers with … read more »
Summer officially begins on June 21 at 12:24 AM EST. Or does it? Ask your local weatherman and he will probably say that meteorological summer began on June 1. Both explanations, based on data and science, offer interesting opportunities for exploring weather and seasons through a different perspective. To understand the difference between the two … read more »
In all of nature there is something of the marvelous. Aristotle What is your favorite outdoor activity? Perhaps you enjoy swimming, hiking, boating, or another way to enjoy Mother Nature. Many others share your enthusiasm, in fact, June is Great Outdoors Month. Started in 1998, this celebration of the outdoors has grown from a weekly event … read more »
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 »
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 »
“We shouldn’t teach great books, we should teach a love of reading.” B.F. Skinner May is Get Caught Reading Month, an annual activity first sponsored in 1999 by the Association of American Publishers. Their goal was to remind people of all ages that it is fun to read. As you approach the end of your … read more »
This week is Choose Privacy Week , an event sponsored by the American Library Association. While privacy has been part of our recent national discussion, privacy issues are nothing new to K-12 public education, which must follow at least three privacy rules and laws. These include the 1974 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a … read more »
It took the better part of a school year, but now your classroom is moving along smoothly. Your class is familiar with your teaching style, you have learned the quirks of individual personalities, you and your students have mastered all of the “new” technologies and materials from the beginning of the year, and everyone is … read more »
Last winter I attended a conference and delved deeply into Microsoft Sway. The presenter gave us some free time to explore and create a Sway. Within 5 minutes, I had a new tool to add to my tech toolbox of “go to” tools! Best of all, I had created my Sway in less than five … read more »
April is Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month. The Joint Policy Board for Mathematics (JPBM) created this effort to build awareness of the importance of math and statistics in addressing real world problems like immigration and climate change. Even our youngest students understand statistics when we use age-appropriate lessons such as this one from the National Council of … read more »