Make Time For Some Classroom Magic With These Tools & Tricks

I started this year in a bit of a funk because time was always in short supply. I had all of these amazing things I wanted to happen in my classroom but before I knew it, another week had come and gone. I know time is an issue in most classrooms- BUT I could not…

5 Reasons to Shake Up Your Writing Workshop, Makerspace Style

There are so many reasons to use a makerspace model in your writing workshop. These were my five big takeaways from our Make Writing workshops!  Students put more energy into writing and revising! For example, my students did not complete a final draft of their essay. Rather than requiring a final “polished” writing piece, students…

How AI Robots Made My Students Better People

How might we use technology more purposefully to not only support our kids but make them better human beings? Even crazier...how might we then ask them to do the same. I asked my students to create a piece of technology that could develop empathy in the user, using a school of Capulets and the Montagues…

Inspire Young Writers with Makerspace Strategies

Writing workshop has been quite the struggle this year. My students did not love the writing process, and it was painful. Then there was a light at the end of the tunnel. My amazing Media Specialist guru recommended Angela Stockman’s books: Make Writing and Hacking the Writing Workshop. I was hooked. In one night I…

Power up Thematic Units with Google eBooks

Thematic units allow us to pull in various materials that students can connect back to the core text...but have you ever wanted more from a theme? After a couple of years, I am already sick of the repetitive nature of my themes. The topics always focused on power, love, good/evil, social otherness, archetypes...you get the picture.…

Gamification & Escape Rooms: Boost Engagement

Gamification, I am an avid fan. I began a few months ago- and once you start- it is impossible to stop! My learners love it and so do I! I decided to end our Romeo and Juliet game with an escape room. We had a pretty in-depth narrative, which made it feel natural to add a very…

Leveling Up Your Gamification

I have recently gotten a bit heavy in my gamification journey. This required a detailed narrative and some game research. Lucky for me, I know some gamers and this made the process a bit easier. Little did I know- how little I knew about the process of creating a game! Apparently, the narrative is the…

Simplify Writing Workshops With Google

Writing workshops tend to be a hassle for both teachers and students. We spend hours minimizing bulk feedback and thoughtfully constructing our conference comments.  I was able to avoid the arduous task of lugging countless papers and rubrics home- thanks to the miracles of Google Classroom. However, after what seems like an eternity clicking through doc…

Finding Time For Immersive Technology

Immersive technology such as Google Cardboard and gamification can seem pointless in our fast paced classrooms. We are expected to stuff massive amounts of content and assessments into our curriculum. It is no surprise that as teachers, we all start to wonder, is there time?  I am here to say- yes- yes- there is time…

Letters to the Next President: Hacked

If you were waiting for a reason to incorporate paper circuitry into your curriculum, I hope this multimodal project demonstrates how STEAM can alter your classroom curriculum for the better.