educators 2 educators’ blog
Exploring Virtual Reality in Education: How You Should Use VR & Why
Virtual reality (VR) technology has made huge advancements in recent years, and its potential applications in education are expanding every day.
With its immersive and interactive nature, VR provides unique learning experiences that can greatly benefit students of all ages.
Here’s how you can use virtual reality in your classroom and why you should take advantage of it.
Creating a Teacher Resume that Stands out
Creating a teacher resume can feel like an overwhelming task for many, especially when you’re looking at a potentially daunting job search. We recently sat down with Marie Morris to discuss resume writing with the goal to debunk some of the scary parts of the process.
3 Free EdTech Tool Trials for Teachers To Try Today
As a teacher, I always enjoyed learning new EdTech tools that could either 1) make my life easier, or 2) get my students excited. These tools have bonus points for being unique and, honestly, aesthetically pleasing.
Free trials are perfect for last minute lessons when you’re falling behind or another plan falls through. Each of these tools are free to try for teachers, so don’t hesitate to try them out for a fun activity with your students.
How to Use AI as a Teacher: Start with Twee, the ultimate AI EdTech Tool
In this episode of the educators 2 educators Podcast, we explore how teachers can harness AI technology to save time and create great materials for their students. I’ve even found the perfect place for you to start playing with AI and its power.
Twee is an amazing EdTech AI tool that can help you create quiz questions, vocab matches, video transcriptions, and so much more. There is nothing to fear with this easy-to-use online tool.
I’ve started using AI for so many areas of my businesses, and even in my personal life. Let’s look at all of the ways I’ve found AI useful and all of the ways you can adapt it for your classroom.
5 Positive Student Behavior Apps Changing How We Regulate Actions and Emotions
While we look at new and more appropriate solutions to classroom behavior, teachers are turning to EdTech for actionable support.
These tools are changing how we act on social emotional learning (SEL) and student behavior in ways that help children prosper, without the humiliation and feeling of falling behind that other methods might induce.
eSpark, Innovations in Personalized Reading Lessons: Interview with CEO
In this episode of the educators 2 educators Podcast, host Carrie Conover talks with Eric Dahlberg, CEO of eSpark.
eSpark is an EdTech company that provides engaging, differentiated, and standards-based reading and math lessons to K-5 students. Their mission is to help students not only become proficient in their reading and math skills but to love learning.
4 Things Every New Teacher Must Do to be Successful
New teachers are leaving the teaching profession at an alarming rate. According to a study by the advocacy group, Alliance for Excellent Education, 40-50% of new teachers leave teaching within the first 5 years. There are many factors that contribute to high turnover. If you ask veteran teachers why new teachers leave the profession quickly, they will tell you that many young teachers can't handle the stress of the classroom.
5 Grading Tools Every Teacher Should Use
If one thing you’re dreading for back to school is grading, these EdTech tools for grading are here to save you (and your precious time).
As a former teacher, I remember the days when I would leave school with a bag full of essays, math papers, and projects to grade. I was determined to grade them while I watched TV after my kids went to bed at night, but by the time I got home after picking up the kids from daycare, made dinner, decompressed with my husband, bath time, and bedtime stories, the last thing I wanted to do was grade papers.
EdTech School: 3 EdTech Tools You've Never Heard of
After a survey I sent to my mailing list and posted to my LinkedIn audience, I found out that most teachers can only name 5 to 7 EdTech tools. And the top responses? Google Classroom and Class Dojo. I’m sorry, but that’s just not going to cut it when there are so many tools that can completely change how you teach, for the better.
Here are 3 EdTech tools you’ve probably never heard of that might be game changers for your classroom.
3 Questions You Should Ask Yourself About Your Morning Teacher Routine
The time between your alarm going off in the morning and the first bell can set the tone for the rest of your day. Being a teacher means you rise early and have less time to fit in a productive and healthy morning routine.
Routine is KEY to keeping ourselves and our family sane during the hectic morning hours. Ask yourself these three questions to see how you can make things calmer and maybe even squeeze in a little self-care before you head off to school.
Setting the Bar on Student Expectations: Why is it a struggle every day in the classroom?
Before the pandemic, being a teacher was met with a sense of respect and support. There were administrative and parent disagreements, but for the most part, we all were on the same side…the side of what’s best for the student. In March of 2019, all that changed.
Students were kept home, behind computer screens, with teachers trying desperately to keep some sort of normalcy intact. We tried establishing and maintaining a new normal, one in which we were told to Grade with Grace and Remember what the students are going through.
How to Know What to Grade and Assess as a New Teacher
As a new teacher, grading and assessment can be one of the most intimidating and overwhelming topics. Every school and district has a different policy on grading and assessment, so it is important that you study your district's policies carefully. After you have guidance from your school leadership, take the following tips into consideration before the start of the school year.
Defined Learning for Project-Based Instruction: Interview with CEO and Partner
In this episode of the Educators 2 Educators Podcast, host Carrie Conover talks with Joel Jacobson, CEO and partner at Defined Learning. Defined Learning is an EdTech company that provides high-quality, project-based learning for students. Their mission is to drive student engagement and achievement through real-world project-based learning that builds future-ready skills.
What is Newsela? And Why This EdTech Tool Is So Powerful
Newsela first broke into the EdTech scene in 2013 but continues to evolve and spread its mission of making engaging resources accessible to students of various reading levels and backgrounds.
I first used Newsela with my eighth-grade class for students with reading disabilities. Newsela gave me a platform in which I could work on reading skills while discussing interesting topics, like Chance the Rapper (I earned serious street cred that day). The students LOVED being able to independently read about relevant topics at their level rather than use the childish reading materials they were typically given.
Why Teachers Need to Start Using ChatGPT ASAP
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence program designed to generate responses when given specific prompts. It works like a chat box, hence the name, ChatGPT. Countless publications have written about how the new technology is being embraced across the world by educators and students. I quickly learned how revolutionary ChatGPT is, and the numerous ways it supports student learning.
EdTech and FAPE Special Education: Neurodiversity-Friendly Online Tools
All children have the right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and it’s our job as educators to make this happen! Unfortunately, many EdTech sites take a one-size-fits-all approach that doesn’t allow for accommodation or modifications. This article takes a look at the websites and Google extensions that allow for students to get what they need!
Canva for Education: Must-Have Ideas for Teachers
Canva is more impressive than ever, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be more complex or more intimidating than ever. These days, there is so much you can do in this powerful tool that you probably don’t even know of all the ways you could be using it. Canva for education can change your classroom one design at a time.
6 Online Tools for Teaching and Promoting Student Well-Being at All Ages
I was a teacher for 10 years and I’m a mom of two teenagers. I know that when a student starts forgetting assignments or is more irritable than usual, it’s time to have the talk.
The self-care talk.
Self-care is not something we just know how to do. Even as adults it takes time to establish routines and to see the benefits. We have to learn that sometimes a deep breath and a quick stretch can ease anxiety or a long walk and a shower can get us out of a funk. We also have to learn that sometimes there are issues that run deeper and need external support.
Podcast Shows You Can Use in the Elementary, Middle, and High School Classroom
Podcasts can be a powerful and engaging way to bring the classroom to life. With the rise of digital media, podcasts have become increasingly popular among students, teachers, and parents alike. Using podcasts in the elementary school classroom provides a fun and interactive way to engage students in learning.
Podcasts can be used to supplement traditional classroom topics, such as science, history, and language arts. Podcasts can also provide students with an opportunity to explore topics beyond the scope of their typical coursework. For example, podcasts can be used to introduce students to topics such as current events, global cultures, and the environment.
How to Support a Grieving Teacher
Supporting a fellow educator in dealing with the loss of a loved one can be daunting. Returning to work after a loss can be especially difficult for teachers due to the nature of the job. Having to immediately return to a high-stakes position in addition to dealing with a class full of children is challenging. Thankfully, the support of fellow teachers and administrators can ease the burden.