A Guide to Understanding and Implementing Computational Thinking

| Posted:
Categories:
Classroom Application
| Tags: , ,
Leave a comment

Computational thinking (CT) is an essential set of skills required for success in the 21st Century. Wikipedia defines computational thinking as “a set of problem-solving methods that involve expressing problems and their solutions in ways that a computer could also execute.” The four problem-solving methods are problem decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms.  But what does … read more »


Primary Sources for Native American Heritage Month

| Posted:
Categories:
Classroom Application
| Tags: , , 1 Comment

Each November, Americans celebrate Native American Heritage Month. It is a time to celebrate the culture and heritage along with the contributions of Native people. In addition, it is an opportunity to raise awareness of the real stories of Native Americans, not caricatures and stereotypes. A quick search of the TeachersFirst blog page finds many … read more »


Curation in the Classroom

| Posted:
Categories:
Classroom Application
| Tags: , , 1 Comment

Curation in the classroom is not something new to educators; we curate content all the time for lessons, project resources, future ideas, and more. However, curation is also a valuable tool for students! It is a skill they can use in their classes, personal life, and future careers. Getting started with content curation in the … read more »


Digital Citizenship Week Resources for All Grade Levels

| Posted:
Categories:
Classroom Application
| Tags: , ,
Leave a comment

A digital citizen is “a person who develops the skills and knowledge to effectively use the internet and other digital technology, especially to participate responsibly in social and civic activities.” Dictionary.com Digital Citizenship Week is celebrated annually during the third week of October and encourages reflection upon the use and interactions with technology. October is an excellent … read more »


National Bullying Prevention Month

| Posted:
Categories:
Classroom Application
| Tags: , , ,
Leave a comment

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. It is a month-long effort to focus on and raise awareness of the short and long-term negative impacts. The statistics on the prevalence and effects of bullying on our students are frightening. Consider these facts published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Nearly 20% of high … read more »