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March 5-15th

50% discount on sidebar sponsors (instead of $100 per month, you get the same program for $50 a month)

Required: Minimum of 6 months paid in advance, or $300

We place your logo and link in the blog sidebar. Additionally, once a month, I’ll share an optional update on your product with my readers (which you write). 

Contact askatechteacher @ gmail . com for details. (more…)

A lot of teacher-authors read both my Ask a Tech Teacher education blog and my writer’s blog, WordDreams. In this monthly column, I share a popular post from the past month: 

Last year I posted about National Love Your Pet Day and was quickly reminded I’d set my lens too narrow. Good efriend, Anneli Purchase (and editor of my books), came up with the right name for future posts:

National Animals-of-All-Sorts Day

To celebrate today, here’s my dog, Casey. Feel free to attach links to your beautiful animals-of-all-sorts in the comments so we can visit!

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The age-old question that can’t be asked enough: Why is math so hard for some? How do we get past this “mathophobia”? Ask a Tech Teacher has a few ideas:

Why Is Math So Hard

and How Can We Make It Easier

Math has a special way of making smart people feel stuck. It can look like a wall of symbols that offers no hint where to begin. You might follow a lesson in the moment, then freeze when you try a similar problem alone. That gap between “I saw it” and “I can do it” is a real part of why math feels harder than many other subjects.

This article brings together practical learning strategies and insights from Melbourne maths tutors‌ to explain why mathematics trips people up and what actually helps.

Math Builds on Itself, So Small Gaps Grow Fast

Math is cumulative. If an earlier concept is shaky, the next topic becomes harder even if you study more hours. A student who never got comfortable with fractions will struggle with algebraic manipulation. Someone who memorized steps in algebra may hit a wall in functions or calculus where reasoning matters more than pattern matching.

This is why math can feel unfair. You can do “today’s homework” by copying a method, but the underlying gap stays. Then the course moves on, and the gap becomes a bigger obstacle. At that point, students often blame themselves instead of the missing foundation.

The fix starts with diagnosis. Before you push forward, identify the smallest skill that is breaking the chain. Often it is not the chapter you are on. It is a basic skill like negative numbers, factoring, or interpreting word problems. (more…)

Here’s a great lesson plan that’s adaptable to history, science, or any number of other topics:

This project introduces the basics of magazine creation in MS Publisher while students engage in inquiry-based learning that incorporates discovery and fosters curiosity. The project includes a cover, table of contents, border, map, banner title, five fast facts and pictures. This is an easy project that always comes out nicely for learners.

If you don’t use MS Publisher, adapt this project to your favorite class magazine publisher, like Canva:
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Please click here for current and updated websites, kid-friendly browsers, citation resources, how-to’s for research, and lesson plans!

Quick, safe spots to send your students for research:

1. CoolKidFacts–kid-friendly videos, pictures, info, and quizzes–all 100% suitable for children
2. Fact Monster–help with homework and facts
3. Google Earth Timelapse–what changes to the planet over time
4. Google Trends–what’s trending in searches
5. History Channel–great speeches
6. How Stuff Works–the gold standard in explaining stuff to kids
7. Info Please–events cataloged year-by-year
8. National Geographic for Kids
9. Ngram Viewer–analyzes all words in all books on Google Books
10. TagGalaxy–search using a cloud
11. Wild Wordsmyth–picture dictionary for kids
12. World Book–requires membership

Citing Resources

1. BibMe
2. Citation Machine
3. EasyBib

Kids Search Engines

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Here’s an overview and a check list for what you want to accomplish this year (reprinted with permission from Building a Midshipman):

For many college entrance requirements, sophomore year starts the academic record- /GPA-/placement in the class-countdown. But not the Naval Academy. They count Freshman-Sophomore-Junior year. Senior year only counts for applicants on the scholastic bubble. This summer, like last summer, will be spent on scholarly pursuits, repairing damage and preparing for sophomore year.

• Develop a plan of action for the next twenty-four months designed to correct freshman year flaws and insure the accomplishment of your dreams. You post it on the wall above your desk. Every time you sit down to do homework, you’ll see those goals, remember those reasons, and study harder.
  
• Retake Geometry over the summer. Your confidence in your math and science abilities fractured after Honors Geometry and this will reinforce what you did learn while backfilling what you didn’t understand
• Drop to non-honors Algebra II and non-honors chemistry for sophomore year. These fit your aptitude better and you hope will allow you a better chance to absorb the material
• Play summer soccer with the District’s soccer league. You’re aiming for Varsity next year, so spend this time ironing out shots on goal, dribbling, and perfecting soccer strategy. You practice four days a week, play ten games, and get to know teammates and coaches. A good investment of time.
• Recommit yourself to violin. Dedicate several hours of each summer day to practice, and reevaluate next year. You had a few setbacks with your violin. You didn’t qualify for All-State, and because of the shortened weekly practice (studying for classes took a lot more time than you had planned), you didn’t progress sufficiently in the classical repertoire required for college auditions. Still, this summer can make a difference. Violin gives a voice to your ‘other’ self buried beneath math formulas and memorized facts.
• Research the fundamental premise of your science project. DNA has intrigued you since seventh grade. Read about singalization, hybridization, plate tectonics and paleogeology, and try to puzzle out your hypothesis.

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One of the most popular applications of math is through spreadsheets (like Excel) that make those numbers relevant to everyday life. We’re going to provide a series of lessons on spreadsheet basics you can use in your K-8 classroom. Here are some of the topics we’ll cover:

1. #74: Mastering Excel (for Beginners)
2. #71: Beginning Graphs in MS Excel
3. #70: Create a Timecard in Excel for Grade Two and Up
4. #73: How to Graph in Excel
5. #12: Create Simple Shapes in Excel
6. #75: Tessellations in Excel
7. #72: How to Check Your Math in Excel
8. How to Use Excel to Teach Math Arrays
9. #62: Email from Word (Or PowerPoint or Excel)
10. #79: Excel Turns Data Into Information

–from 55 Technology Projects for the Digital Classroom. 

–5 bundled Excel lesson plans (for a fee)

Today

Excel Turns Data Into Information

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Have you ever been around someone who knows exactly the right word when they talk? Don’t you conclude they’re smart? Capable? The one you want in your study group? How about the inverse–an individual struggling with language, maybe picks words that aren’t quite right or can’t come up with one at all. What do you conclude then?

Teachers have always taught ‘vocabulary’ using labels like word study, site words, Dolch, Hi-Frequency words. Common Core considers proper terminology part and parcel to preparing for college and career. They fall into three types:

• Tier 1: Words acquired through every day speech, usually learned in early grades
• Tier 2: Academic words that appear in textbooks, precise words that refine meaning, i.e. ‘sprint’ instead of ‘run’.
• Tier 3: Domain specific words tied to content, included in glossaries, highlighted in textbooks, and considered important to understanding content.

The ‘tier’ you focus on in your teaching depends upon student age and material being taught. Here are five ways technology will make the time you spend on this subject more effective, fun, differentiated, and authentic:

• Context clues
• SpellingCity
• Online graphic dictionaries
• Word clouds
  
• Vocabulary websites

Before we begin, let’s lay some groundwork. Vocabulary (or word study) isn’t done in a vacuum. You don’t pass out lists and have students memorize words and definitions (you don’t do that, do you?). If you used to, that’s changed with Common Core. Now, you are expected to integrate vocab into learning. Every time students run into a term they don’t get, you need to pause and help them decode it. It may be obvious from context, its parts (roots and affixes), but always–always—pay attention so students know unfamiliar words are not skipped. With Common Core, every nuance is important. It’s about uncovering knowledge.

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Last year was a boom year for edtech web tools. There were so many, I couldn’t keep up. I would discover what seemed to be a fantastic tool from one of the tech ed blogs I follow, give it about five minutes to prove itself, and then, depending upon that quick review, either dig deeper or move on. If it was recommended by a colleague in my professional learning network, I gave the site about twice as long but still, that’s harsh. I certainly couldn’t prove my worth if given only five minutes!

Nevertheless, that’s how it is because there are too many options. Here’s what I wanted to find out in the five minutes:

• Is the creator someone I know and trust (add-ons by Alice Keeler always fit that requirement)?
• Is it easy to access? Meaning, does it open and load quickly without the logins I always forget?
• Is it easy to use? Meaning, are links to the most important functions on the start page? For example, in Canva, I can create a flier for my class in under five minutes because the interface is excellent.
• For more complicated tools, how steep is the learning curve? Does the site offer clear assistance in the form of videos, online training, or a helpline?
• Is the content age-appropriate for the grades I teach?
• Is it free or freemium, and if the latter, can I get a lot out of it without paying a lot? I don’t like sites that give me “a few” uses for free and then charge for more. Plus, free is important to my students who may not be able to use it at home unless there’s no cost attached.
• Is there advertising? Yes, I understand “free” probably infers ads so let me amend that to: Is it non-distracting from the purpose of the webtool?
• How current is it? Does it reflect the latest updates in standards, pedagogy, and hardware?
• Does it fulfill its intended purpose?
• Has it received awards/citations from tech ed groups I admire?

After all that, here are websites that will brighten the Spring months: (click here for updates to lists): (more…)

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is a traditional Chinese festival that marks the beginning of the Chinese lunar calendar. The celebration usually lasts for 15 days. The date varies each year, based on the lunar calendar. This year, it is February 17, 2026.

During Chinese New Year, people welcome the new year and engage in activities that bring good luck. Some common practices include:

1. Family Reunion: It is a time for family members to come together, similar to Western cultures’ celebration of the New Year.
2. Feasting: Families prepare and share elaborate meals with symbolic dishes that represent good fortune and prosperity.
3. Red Decorations: Red is a dominant color during Chinese New Year, symbolizing good luck and warding off evil spirits. People decorate their homes with red lanterns, couplets, and other red items.
4. Fireworks and Firecrackers: The loud sounds of fireworks and firecrackers are believed to scare away evil spirits and bring good luck.
5. Giving Red Envelopes (Hongbao): Adults give red envelopes containing money to children and unmarried individuals as a gesture of good wishes and blessings.
6. Cleaning and Spring Cleaning: It is customary to clean the house thoroughly before the new year to sweep away bad luck and make room for good fortune.
7. Dragon and Lion Dances: Traditional dragon and lion dances are performed in streets and public spaces to bring good luck and prosperity to the community.
8. Temple Visits: Many people visit temples during Chinese New Year to pray for good fortune and make offerings.

Overall, Chinese New Year is a joyous and festive time aimed at ushering in prosperity, happiness, and good luck for the coming year.

–image credit Deposit Photos (more…)