Teaching Students Email Etiquette

Does it drive you crazy when you get an email from a student and they put the whole message in the subject line?  Or they write like they are talking to a friend, " hey can u plz send the hw thx"

Wayground (you know them, they used to be Quizziz), created a quiz game you can use with your students to help them understand what to do.  You can also edit the quiz to better meet the needs of your class or school. 

What's a good app/website to use in your classroom?

In today's digital age, educators are inundated with so many tools and resources. It's often hard to figure out what is good to use and Common Sense Education is a great site to help you out with this.

Why Common Sense Education?

• Comprehensive Reviews: Offers unbiased evaluations of edtech tools, helping educators make informed decisions.
• Digital Citizenship Curriculum: Provides age-appropriate lessons to instill responsible online behavior in students.
• Professional Development: Features webinars, articles, and training materials to enhance teachers' digital literacy.

Classroom Application: Imagine integrating a new app into your lesson plan. Before implementation, consult Common Sense Education's reviews to assess its suitability. Additionally, utilize their digital citizenship lessons to prepare students for responsible usage.

Common Sense Education isn't just a resource; it's a partner in fostering a safe and effective digital learning environment.

Save Time with AI: Brisk Teaching's New Tools for Teachers

I was reminded about an AI tool from Monica Burns' blog.  This could be a game-changer for getting ready for the new school year. You know that feeling, right? The one where you're drowning in lesson planning, grading, and trying to figure out how to give every student what they need. Well, what if you had an AI assistant that could handle a lot of that for you?

I'm talking about Brisk Teaching, and their new updates are pretty cool. They’re all about saving us time and helping us with that whole differentiated instruction puzzle.

So, What's the Big Deal?

It syncs with Microsoft. This is huge for me as I'm a Microsoft School. Now you can sign in with your Microsoft account, and their new Edge browser extension lets you save all your generated content directly to OneDrive. Super simple. 

Lesson Planning, but Smarter. They have this feature called Brisk Next that gives you personalized suggestions for your lesson plans. It's like having a planning buddy that knows your curriculum.

One Prompt, a Full Unit. This is probably my favorite part. The new Bundles feature can generate a whole set of aligned resources—like handouts, quizzes, and even a quick activity—all from just one prompt. Think of all the time that will save you!

Real-time Student Insights. With Boost Learning Insights, you can get real-time data on how your students are doing. It's great for quickly seeing who’s got it and who needs a little more help.

Grading in a Flash. Let’s be real, nobody loves grading. But the new Batch Grading feature lets you grade multiple assignments at once with different feedback styles. This could seriously cut down your weekend workload.

I think it's definitely worth checking out. They're even offering three free months of premium access through a special link. 
Let me know if you end up trying it! I'd love to hear what you think.

Innovate and Inspire: Leveraging Edutopia

Staying updated with effective teaching strategies is crucial. Edutopia offers a treasure trove of research-backed practices and real-world classroom insights.

Why Edutopia?

• Diverse Content: From project-based learning to social-emotional learning, explore a wide range of topics.
• Practical Resources: Access videos, articles, and case studies that provide actionable strategies.
• Community Engagement: Join a community of educators sharing experiences and best practices.
• Classroom Application: Implement project-based learning by having students design experiments to solve real-world problems. Utilize Edutopia's resources to structure and assess these projects effectively.

📚 Explore Edutopia: https://www.edutopia.org/

From Grading Papers to Conquering Lesson Plans: Level Up Your Work From The Couch Setup

While I hate bringing work home, it's an inevitable truth.  We all know the struggle: lesson plans that pile up like epic boss battles, grading marathons that stretch into the wee hours, and emails that multiply like pesky side quests.

I usually work from my couch and recently received a lap desk from CouchMaster.  This isn't your average, rickety lap desk. It's a premium workstation designed to conquer even the most demanding educational workload. It has cooling ventilation slots to keep your laptop from overheating. 

Comfort is key here and the plush cushions keep the lap desk at an ideal height so you don't have to hunch over.  Plus, the storage pockets keep your pens, sticky notes, and other essentials ready.  I will say that this is no small setup, so be prepared for it to take up a good amount of space on your couch. 

It was very easy to assemble (see my video below), but I have to note that the velcro on the removable pocket isn't very strong and the pocket fell off when I put my mouse in it.

Let me know what your setup at home is like.  Share your favorite WFH hacks and must-have tools in the comments below! We're all in this together, and knowledge is power (especially when it comes to surviving the teacher life).

Cast your Android device to your computer

Vysor is a program I like because it works with Android and iOS and has wired and wireless options.  Of course, what I like most is that there is a free option.  You are limited to the wired option in the free version, but I actually like that because it glitches less.  Plus you don't have to worry about the devices being on the same wifi network.  I also like that can use your computer mouse and keyboard to control your phone.  One thing to note is that you have to enable USB debugging on your phone.  Here is a quick article on how to do that. 

The free version will display a short ad every half hour or so. If you decide to upgrade, in addition to removing ads, you will get some other features that include fullscreen mode, drag and drop files and the ability to share your screen with someone with the link.

Problem-Attic Test Generator

Problem-Attic is a website that provides teachers with a database of questions from state and national assessments to create tests and worksheets. 

If you are looking for a bank of question from the NYS Regents, SAT, AP Exams or other state assessments, Problem-Attic might be what you are looking for.

The video below will give you a quick overview of what it is all about.