What You Might Have Missed in April–What’s up in May
Here are the most-read posts for the past month:
- National Library Week–Resources, Links, Ideas
- 17 K-8 Digital Citizenship Topics
- April is Financial Literacy Month
- 15 Best Technology Careers for the Future in 2025
- Basics in Every Lesson Plan
- Join me to launch my Indie Book
- Easter Classroom Resources
- Great App to Teach Spelling
- Summer STEM at USNA
- Earth Day Class Activities
Here’s a preview of what’s coming up: (more…)
Is the Traditional Classroom Becoming Obsolete?
Something broke in American education these past years. Too many students don’t reach grade-level metrics and no one can agree on the cause. I went out to our international contributors for ideas. They had a lot, but this one I thought I’d cover first:
Is the Traditional Classroom Becoming Obsolete?
You might argue that the traditional classroom still plays an essential role in education, but the rapid growth of online and hybrid models suggests otherwise. As students increasingly seek flexible and interactive learning experiences, the conventional approach may not meet their needs any longer. This shift raises critical questions about the future of education: How will teachers adapt their roles? What innovations might redefine the learning environment? Understanding these dynamics could reshape your perspective on what effective education looks like today.
The Rise of Online Learning
Online learning has increasingly become a staple in education, with studies showing that over 30% of students now prefer it over traditional classroom settings. This shift raises questions about the efficacy and long-term viability of conventional education methods. You might wonder why this preference exists. Data indicates that online learning offers flexibility that traditional classrooms often can’t match.
Students can learn at their own pace, tailoring the experience to their unique needs, which can enhance engagement and retention.
However, you should also consider the challenges that accompany this rise. Not all online platforms deliver quality education, and the lack of face-to-face interaction can hinder social development and collaborative skills. Reports highlight that many students struggle with self-discipline in an online environment, leading to higher dropout rates compared to traditional settings.
Moreover, issues like digital divide—where not all students have equal access to technology—raise concerns about equity in education.
Ultimately, while online learning’s popularity is undeniable, it’s essential to analyze its limitations and implications critically. As you explore this educational landscape, understanding both the advantages and drawbacks will be vital in determining the future of learning. (more…)
Navigating How and When to Use Tech When Teaching Young Children
New America has a good overview on raising kids with tech:
Navigating How and When to Use Tech When Teaching Young Children
Take-Aways from Our Two-Part Series Focused On Tablets in Pre-K Through Third Grade
Early childhood educators make thousands of decisions each day. Among them are decisions around technology use with their young learners, which are too often shaped by policies and pedagogies that lag behind the latest research and the abundance of available options.
Applying for a Military Academy
Military academies offer benefits most high school students and their parents don’t realize:
- the quality of education is comparable to an Ivy League
- they not only provide you with an education, but provide a job when you finish–no job hunting, no rejections,
- they pay you to go to school–that’s right, each of the four years, you are paid more to attend classes and complete the other activities required to graduate
- they are free–no charge for classes, books, room and board; they even pay for your summer school
But they are picky. Applying pits you against a huge pool of highly-qualified applicants. It’s not just about who has the best GPA and SAT scores. Admissions weighs:
- scholastics
- physical
- moral
- personal drive
To gain acceptance requires something different than the usual preparation. Here’s one book to prepare you:
Building a Midshipman
by Jacqui Murray
Available: Amazon
You don’t have to be a miracle-worker to the 10% of applicants accepted to a military academy, but you do need a plan. For the thousands of students who apply every year–and slog through the numbing concatenation of decisions preceding a nomination–there is no greater discouragement than the likely event that they will fail. This, though, is the Board’s peek into an applicant’s moral fiber and an important ingredient to the go/no go decision.
In the words of James Stockdale, USNA ’46 and Medal of Honor Winner: “The test of character is not ‘hanging in there’ when you expect a light at the end of the tunnel, but performance of duty and persistence of example when you know that no light is coming.”
This is the true story of Maggie Schmidt, an All-American kid who dreamt of attending the Naval Academy when her research into the typical Midshipman uncovered a profile alarmingly like herself. This book describes her background and academic interests, her focus, as well as her struggle to put together a winning admissions package. Along the way, you gain insight into the moral fiber that grounds everything she does and the decisions she must make that some consider impossible for an adolescent, but are achievable for thousands of like-minded teens. This workbook walks you through the long process, provides check lists of everything required, decision making matrices, goal-setting exercises to determine if USNA is a good fit for you, and a mix of motivation and academic advice to balance a decision that rightfully might be the biggest one most teens have ever made.
Earth Day Class Activities
Every year, the United Nations recognizes April 22nd as International Mother Earth Day. It is a day we can all participate in making our air clean, water fresh and land unlittered rather than accepting the trash-filled oceans, the smoggy skies, and the debris-laden land that is becoming the norm.
Despite the questionable health of our world, we have made progress. Back in 1970, when Earth Day was first celebrated, trucks spewed black smoke as they drove down the highways, toxic waste was dumped into oceans with no repercussions, and the general opinion was that the Earth took care of itself. That changed when U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day’s founder, witnessed the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara California and decided it was time to do something. He started with a “national teach-in on the environment” with a simple goal: Encourage people to recognize the importance of protecting the Earth:
“It was on that day [Earth Day] that Americans made it clear they understood and were deeply concerned over the deterioration of our environment and the mindless dissipation of our resources.”
Before I go any further, listen to Earth’s song, recorded by NASA in space. It is stunning: (more…)
Teacher-Authors: What’s Happening on my Writer’s Blog
A lot of teacher-authors read my WordDreams blog. In this monthly column, I share the most popular post from the past month:
What Should You Know About Interactive Storytelling?
Here’s what I cover:
- What is it?
- How can writers use it?
- Advantages
- Disadvantages
What is interactive storytelling
Interactive storytelling is a growing trend that allows readers to actively participate in shaping the narrative. With advancements in augmented and virtual reality, stories are no longer confined to the pages of a book. Authors can provide immersive experiences and create narratives that respond to reader choices.
Interactive storytelling allows the audience to actively shape the story rather than passively consume it. Unlike traditional storytelling with a fixed plot, interactive stories let users influence the direction, outcomes, and details through their choices and input. It blends creativity with technology, making each telling unique. 81% of marketers agree interactive content grabs attention more effectively and 66% admit it increases audience engagement. I can attest to this popularity. As a teacher, I occasionally asked students to choose from among several story endings or create their own. A good example is Mission USA, a website that uses interactive storytelling to teach historic events such as the American Revolution, Civil Rights, the Great Depression, and more:
Students click into one of the stories and are asked to make decisions similar to those made during that time period and then experience the consequences of their choices–whether the Loyalists or Tories won, how a family survived (or didn’t) the Great Depression, or something else. Here’s a video to explain it:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb_te-MmM04?si=v9ZG8x8n6TjCGMgk]
Another example many will remember is Oregon Trail where participants were expected to stock their Conestoga wagon to head to the Oregon territories (or California). Along the way, they made decisions such as whether to purchase mules vs. oxen, how to ford a river, how to cure diseases and injuries, and more. Their selections ultimately determined if they survived.
How can writers use interactive storytelling
Summer STEM at USNA
Summer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics), is a week-long, overnight camp at USNA each year for students currently in the 7th-10th grades. Here’s information from the USNA website:
Engineering is all about creating, building, and making things better! So what does it take to be an engineer? If you like math and science, you are off to a great start. If you enjoy discovering new things, solving problems, and learning how things work – even better! Creativity, persistence, and the desire to make the world a better place are also important qualities. Becoming an engineer requires hard work and a good education. Our summer program will be a great start to your career in science and engineering.
The schedule:
Monday: Travel and Check-in
Tuesday: Air and Space Museum/DC Tour
Wednesday – Friday: Stem modules and presentations (Students will visit all science and technology majors at the US Naval Academy)
Saturday: Open House and Demonstrations—Share your new skills with your parents and friends. End the week by putting your projects on display.
Great App to Teach Spelling
Too often, students think spelling is solved by the red squiggly lines that alerts writers to misspellings, but those can be wrong. The only real solution is students learn to spell organically, starting early in their education career and continuing throughout. Here’s one good tool to make that happen:
Spelling Force by EdAlive:
A Smart Solution for Mastering Spelling
Spelling Force, developed by Australian edtech company EdAlive, is a powerful and engaging platform designed to boost spelling proficiency in children through interactive learning, intelligent adaptation, and curriculum alignment. With a proven track record in classrooms across Australia and beyond, Spelling Force is a valued resource for teachers, students, and parents alike.
What is Spelling Force?
Spelling Force is an online spelling program designed for students from Year 1 to Year 10, although it is most commonly used in primary and lower secondary classrooms. It combines dynamic learning activities with a powerful adaptive learning engine that tailors content to each student’s individual needs. Students work through interactive spelling exercises, games, and quizzes that are designed not just for repetition, but for true understanding and mastery.
Unlike many spelling tools that simply drill lists of words, Spelling Force offers a much richer and more strategic approach. It identifies each student’s weaknesses and presents targeted exercises to improve their skills, building confidence and competence along the way. (more…)
Easter Classroom Resources
Many Christians celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. To non-Christians (or non-traditional Christians), that event signifies a rebirth of spring that is filled with joy and gifts — and chocolate! Overall, it is America’s most-popular holiday with Christmas a close second. Here’s a good mixture of games, lesson plans, stories, and songs that can be blended into many academic subjects (for updates on Easter-themed websites, click here):
18+ Interactive Easter websites
Preschool-2
This website includes a colorful collection of Easter (and Spring) games and information that is visual and enticing to youngers. Games are Easter Math, Easter Egg Hunt, Easter Egg Dress-up, Easter Word hunt, complete-the-sentence, and more. Also, viewers will find websites about the history of Easter around the world.
ABCYa Easter Egg Hunt
Preschool-Kindergarten
Like all of ABCYa’s games and activities, Easter Egg Hunt is a colorful and intuitive educational game for young children. It is easy-to-understand, playful, with favorite Easter symbols and energetic music that will engage children. The five Easter-themed games are easy-to-understand (no directions required) with a countdown clock to motivate activity. Nicely, it also aligns gameplay with the national standards met.
Teacher-Authors–Join me to launch my Indie Book
Starting tomorrow, on my writer’s blog, WordDreams, my wonderful efriends are helping me launch my latest prehistoric fiction, Badlands. Early reviews…
“Your best ever”–husby (you say he said the same thing last time? I don’t remember)
“…prehistoric man takes on nature in all her fury and survives.” –Sandra Cox
I’ll be visiting writer friend blogs April 15-26th. We’ll chat about Badlands and writing in general. Here are articles you can read in alphabetic order. The first are about the Neanderthal world and the last few writerly topics:
- Neanderthal Doors
- Neanderthal Healing Tips
- Neanderthal nomadic life
- How to research prehistory
- What I Learned from my Neanderthal Characters
- 8 Bits of Life Wisdom From My Computer
- 10 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Me Park II
Here’s the schedule of who I’ll visit when:
April 15: Sally Cronin–Spotlight
April 16: Life of a Neanderthal Nomad–Liesbet Collaert
April 17: 8 Bits of Life Wisdom From My Computer–Chris?
April 18: 10 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Me Part II–Sandra Cox
April 19: What I Learned from my Neanderthal Characters?–Liz Gauffreau
April 21: Prehistoric research–Alex Cavanaugh
April 22: Miriam Hurdle–Spotlight
April 23: Anneli Purchase–Spotlight ???? Confirm that
April 24: Healing Tips from Neanderthals–Colleen Chesebro
April 25: Neanderthal doors–Dan Antion
April 26: Lynette d-Arty-Cross–Spotlight?
Each day, I’ll post a short introduction to the host. It’ll include a link to their blog.
Badlands by Jacqui Murray,
Book 2 in the Savage Land trilogy
Book 8 in the Man vs. Nature series
Editor: The extraordinary Anneli Purchase
Amazon Universal link http://a-fwd.com/asin=B0DFCV5YFT
To celebrate the launch of Badlands, Book 1 in the trilogy, Endangered Species, will be
FREE on Amazon Kindle April 15-20, 2025
If you miss the freebie, all of my prehistoric fiction is on KU which makes it free to KU readers all the time.
Here’s the sign-up link if the image above doesn’t work:“The content presented in this blog are the result of creative imagination and not intended for use, reproduction, or incorporation into any artificial intelligence training or machine learning systems without prior written consent from the author.”
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Man vs. Nature saga, the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers, and the acclaimed Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, an Amazon Vine Voice, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Balance of Nature, Winter 2026
