Ask a Tech Teacher

JUNE 11, 2025

I get a lot of questions from readers about what tech ed resources I use in my classroom so I’m going to take a few days this summer to review them with you. Digital Citizenship–probably one of the most important topics students will learn between kindergarten and 8th and too often, teachers are thrown into it without a roadmap.

Curriculum 157

Curriculum Plagiarism Internet Fairness 157

Faculty Focus

JUNE 26, 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are increasingly prevalent in higher education, raising questions about how students can engage with AI meaningfully. Students who learn to create precise, open-ended, and iterative prompts can use AI to support their cognitive engagement.

Critical Thinking 69

Critical Thinking Skills Ethics Academic Integrity 69

Teach Thought

JULY 11, 2025

Views Facebook Linkedin Print These Learning Strategies Make Students Curious by Terry Heick Understanding where curiosity comes from is the holy grail of education. 5 Things That Make Students Curious 1. 5 Learning Strategies That Make Students Curious I love teaching with analogies.) There are every educator has two minds.

Learning 89

Learning Students Critical Thinking Game-Based Learning 89

k12 Digest

JUNE 23, 2025

Nam is the co-founder of the Vietnam Innovative Educators Foundation (VIEF), a professional network of over 157,000 educators committed to advancing technology-enhanced and student-centered teaching practices nationwide. From a young age, I was captivated by a single question: “Can learning be more meaningful than memorization?”

Interdisciplinary 144

Interdisciplinary Learning Feedback Culture 144

Ask a Tech Teacher

JUNE 24, 2025

Here’s a quick overview of the legalities associated with their use for schools: Legal Risks and Obligations for Schools Using AI Tutors AI tutors are quickly changing how students learn, offering personalized support across different subjects and formats. Who is responsible if an AI gives bad advice or shares sensitive student data?

Disabilities 145

Disabilities Ethics Schools Plagiarism 145

Teacher Mood

JUNE 1, 2025

When the Grading Stack Becomes Too Much As the classroom quiets and the last student heads out the door, you finally take a breathonly to be met with the overwhelming sight of papers piled high, waiting for your attention. That in order to monitor student learning, we have to review every answer, every response, every paragraph.

Students 52

Students Peer Review Math Assignments 52

Teach Hub

JUNE 12, 2025

If you’re trying to get students to really think while they read, not just skim or restate facts, then reciprocal reading might be just the technique you’re looking for. But what it does is something that every teacher hopes for: it helps students take control of their own reading process.

Reading 66

Reading Discussions Fairness Questions 66

eSchool News

MAY 15, 2025

Key points: Building relationships is important to the overall health of an organization Leading (again) in uncertainty Elevating principals, teachers, and students through shared purpose For more on school leadership, visit eSN’s Educational Leadership hub We often hear we should run our schools more like a business.

Education 178

Education Culture Fairness Knowledge 178

k12 Prospects

JUNE 27, 2025

Why Schools Use RFPs Ensuring Fairness: RFPs create a level playing field where multiple vendors can compete based on qualifications, pricing, and value. Offer Competitive and Transparent Pricing: Schools have budget constraints, so pricing should be fair and transparent with clear cost breakdowns. FERPA, COPPA).

Fairness 52

Fairness Schools Evaluation Study 52

eSchool News

MAY 14, 2025

We defined digital learning as all these instances where students are learning outside of the time and place constraints that you see in a traditional school in a traditional. What we’re seeing much more commonly is students who are mixing on site and online learning. In their schedule. You’re with and.

Learning 130

Learning Discussions Gamification Technology 130

Teachers Pay Teachers

MAY 21, 2025

For teachers, watching students have those aha moments isnt just special: Its the dream. Fun Experiments for Kindergarten and 1st Grade Stir up some wiggles and wide-eyed wonder through inquiry-based learning where elementary students will marvel their way to big ideas and critical thinking. Ready to make more of those moments?

Elementary School 75

Elementary School Elementary School Science Schools 75

Edsurge

JUNE 23, 2025

I work at a Title 1 school; a lot of our students didn’t have the opportunity to attend a preschool program,” says Lundeen, who also serves as a board member for the California Kindergarten Association. “A The uptake of students was a bit slower, but this coming fall it will be all implemented. That chasm could cause future problems.

Elementary School 114

Elementary School Elementary School Fairness Communication 114

Teachers Pay Teachers

JUNE 2, 2025

Perfect as bell-ringers, exit tickets, or brain breaks for high school , these five-minute writing ideas are a great way to get students into a writing state of mind right after the bell rings. Have students write to the prompt before class begins. Do you think all students should attend school dances?

High School 52

High School High School Writing Essay 52

Edsurge

MAY 7, 2025

Walking students through the unsettling complexities of the past has never been an easy job. Painting approaches to history in stark black and white can shut down debate and keep social studies teachers from achieving what 94 percent of them report is the most important part of their job: preparing students for meaningful civic engagement.

History 180

History Social Studies Teachers Textbooks 180

Teachers Pay Teachers

JUNE 23, 2025

Keep students engaged with a collection of fun debate topics and “would you rather” questions for high school students that they’ll enjoy talking about. Keep students engaged with a collection of fun debate topics and “would you rather” questions for high school students that they’ll enjoy talking about.

High School 52

High School High School Schools Counselling 52

eSchool News

FEBRUARY 15, 2021

Plenty of content was used without permission of the copyright owners–some under legitimate “fair use,” some out of lack of knowledge, and some opportunistically. During the summer, this triage of educational practices and policies slowed down as teachers and students settled into the new normal of extended remote and blended learning.

Online Learning 343

Online Learning Questions Distance Learning Fairness 343

Catlin Tucker

DECEMBER 12, 2014

So, I decided to get creative with technology and modify my class so students would still cover the content. Text Your Students and Parents . The first thing I did was use Remind , a free text messaging service, to text all of my students and parents to let them know school was canceled, but my class was in session online.

Exams 403

Exams Assignments Fairness Learning 403

Edsurge

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

Walberto Flores EdTech Coordinator, Highlands International School San Salvador Artificial intelligence has entered our classrooms — sometimes invited and other times not — leaving educators to ask essential questions about its implementation and impact. Ann David: What about teacher and student relationships?

Questions 209

Questions Ethics Education Fairness 209

Catlin Tucker

FEBRUARY 26, 2023

Why should teachers use rubrics to assess student work? Using rubrics helps teachers stay focused during the grading process and ensures that grading is objective, consistent, and fair. Using rubrics helps teachers stay focused during the grading process and ensures that grading is objective, consistent, and fair.

Fairness 546

Fairness Assignments Feedback Languages 546

Edsurge

MAY 3, 2024

News outlets have detailed the rollout by the Texas Education Agency of a natural language processing program, a form of artificial intelligence, to score the written portion of standardized tests administered to students in third grade and up. Raña is not against the idea of using natural language processing on student assessments.

Fairness 198

Fairness Testing Grades Essay 198

Catlin Tucker

FEBRUARY 21, 2021

My children love “would you rather” questions. Could approaching the design, instruction, and facilitation of learning (in class, online, or a combination of the two) with a “would you rather” lens improve student motivation and engagement? Competence is the feeling that students can complete tasks successfully.

Laboratory 543

Laboratory Motivation Fairness Participation 543

Edsurge

JANUARY 10, 2018

To some, standardized testing overwhelms our schools and helps eradicate differences between students. For others, they remain the best way to compare students objectively and hold schools accountable. Whatever your thoughts, there’s no denying that students are taking lots of tests. Two years ago, U.S. asks Mark Moulton.

Testing 167

Testing Fairness Multiple Choice Questions Exams 167

Catlin Tucker

MAY 9, 2019

As a student, I remember the stress of preparing for final exams. I spent hours reviewing notes that spanned an entire semester because it was all “fair game.” In a coaching session last month, I had a teacher ask me how to create a final exam that complements a standards-based approach to assessing students.

Exams 419

Exams Essay Fairness Coaching 419

eSchool News

JULY 21, 2017

As Dan Rothstein, executive director of the Right Question Institute, tells the story: “The teacher presented the following equation: 24 = (smiley face) + (smiley face) + (smiley face).” Then, she asked her students to think of as many questions as they could about the equation. 3) Write down every question exactly as stated. (4)

Internet 270

Internet Fairness Students Questions 270

Catlin Tucker

NOVEMBER 8, 2016

Assesses student work. Communicates with parents about student progress. If the answer to most of these questions is you, the teacher, then you’ve already realized you are doing the lion’s share of the work in your classroom. I’d argue that students should be doing the majority of the work in the classroom.

Fairness 412

Fairness Motivation Communication Grades 412

eSchool News

JANUARY 11, 2024

Because of the number of stakeholders involved in the IEP development and implementation, student data sets may exist in case files, spreadsheets or several software programs. Educators set goals with students and families annually and then collect information supporting those goals in different ways throughout the year.

Students 263

Students Evaluation Special Education Disabilities 263

eSchool News

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

No matter the subject, making and collaborating engages students in inspiring ways. My husband knows that I work for a software company that does stuff with 3D printing and that we get free tickets to Maker Faire , but that’s usually the extent of his interest in my profession. Today they asked questions. history lesson?

History 280

History Learning Middle School Middle School 280

eSchool News

JANUARY 29, 2025

Key points: Technology works in service of teaching, not the other way around Teaching ethical edtech for future innovators Leveraging edtech to help students, teachers stay connected through illness For more news on AI, visit eSN’s Digital Learning hub Artificial intelligence brings opportunities and questions to classrooms worldwide.

Teaching 321

Teaching Ethics Education Teaching Methods 321

eSchool News

JUNE 25, 2024

But AI’s popularity is not without cause, given how often educators are reminded of how AI can personalize learning and how students will need AI skills to compete for future jobs. With AI dominating headlines in all industries, it’s a relatively common question: Is everything about AI?

Ethics 317

Ethics Fairness Learning Intelligence 317

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 12, 2017

Instead of spending hours grading assignments designed to help students develop these skills, I limit my energy to providing feedback in class as they work and grading the actual assessments–exam, essay, performance task. Then as grade reporting approaches, I sit down with every single student for a grade interview. Grade Interviews.

Grades 419

Grades Essay Exams English 419

eSchool News

MARCH 14, 2025

Key points: Real-world relevance makes STEM learning more personal for students 12 lesser-known K-12 STEM education resources Using free resources to connect the environment to education For more on STEM concepts, visit eSN’s STEM & STEAM hub Why are we learning this? This is a question every educator has faced before.

STEM 310

STEM Fairness Testing Critical Thinking 310

eSchool News

DECEMBER 12, 2024

Im heartened by their clear frontrunner: Source : Gallup poll; Walton Family Foundation-Gallup Voices of Gen Z Study The survey confirms that students crave a sense of care and trust, which are hallmarks of human connection. Some of the students were crying, but that was ok. We connect with our hearts, our muscles, and our minds.

Learning 256

Learning Students Feedback Testing 256

eSchool News

SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

Last fall the district checked out Chromebooks to its middle schoolers and set aside days to train teachers in ways to leverage laptops to make the most of having tech in every student’s hands. Students proposed a training day for them, said Kerry McWilliams, who retired this spring as Creekside principal. Guys in lab coats?

Middle School 278

Middle School Middle School Schools Fairness 278

Edsurge

MARCH 30, 2020

As schools, teachers and families face the shock of abruptly shifting to online education, one small question has been how to shift these read alouds to Zoom, Facebook, Google Hangouts and YouTube, the spaces where many classes continue to meet. What Is Fair Use? The short answer is, well, yes. In the U.S.,

Reading 218

Reading Fairness Teachers Disabilities 218

Edsurge

DECEMBER 22, 2023

This year has seen ample debate about the value and fairness of colleges prioritizing diversity among the students they serve. New research suggests one way to consider the question: by looking at how the mix of students in a given course affects their grades. So why did diversity affect student grades?

Study 213

Study Grades STEM Fairness 213

eSchool News

JANUARY 22, 2019

The films on this list are excellent for encouraging students to reflect on and discuss a wide range of social and emotional issues. As students watch, help them interpret the films you show, and give them direct invitations to ask questions and think critically about what they’re seeing on the screen. Science Fair.

Middle School 280

Middle School Middle School Fairness Disabilities 280

eSchool News

DECEMBER 23, 2024

Our AI guiding principles started this process of building an ethical AI mindset, which provided pathways to critically question AI in our system. As we reflect on our work to this point in time, we have identified four spaces (District, School, Classroom/Teacher, Student) in which we have worked to explicitly address ethical AI usage.

Ethics 317

Ethics Education Intelligence Culture 317