How to Choose (and Test) Tutoring Software Before You Buy

Education tutoring offers personalized learning, helping students progress at their own pace and address performance gaps. However, the right technology is essential to deliver that support efficiently. Before committing to a platform, educators should focus on several key factors to ensure the long-term success of their tutoring program. (more…)

• Take-aways
• Pros
• Cons
• Seminars

Take-aways

(more…)

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

Perception is greater than reality. Give the impression to anyone paying attention that you are intellectual, even before you’re old enough to be one, and it becomes their reality about you. How do you do this if all you’ve got is a brief conversation?

Read the classics. I don’t mean Euripides or Voltaire, well, not only them. I mean the books that people quote, talk about, bring up in educated conversations and assume you have read. Here’s a starter list, compiled by teacher’s across the country: (more…)

I get a lot of questions from readers about what tech ed resources I use in my classroom. I take time every summer to review them with you. Some are edited and/or written by members of the Ask a Tech Teacher crew. Others, by tech teachers who work with the same publisher I do. All of them, I’ve found, are well-suited to the task of scaling and differentiating tech skills for age groups, scaffolding learning year-to-year, offering inclusive solutions to the issue of tech tools–taking into account the perspectives of stakeholders, with appropriate metrics to ensure learning is organic and granular.

Keyboarding

In recent years, there has been a noticeable resurgence in teaching K-8 keyboarding skills. This revival stems from the widespread adoption of 1:1 devices—accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic—and the shift toward writing tasks that demand efficient typing.

Many districts, such as Orange County Public Schools in Florida, have renewed focus on touch-typing instruction because students raised on smartphones often default to inefficient thumb typing. This slows them down on full keyboards during tests and assignments. Leaders at that District note that students and teachers enjoy the practice and view strong keyboarding as essential for classwork, tests, and future jobs.

Progressive curricula integrate short, consistent practice sessions starting as early as kindergarten, sometimes through engaging games, apps, or dedicated software rather than isolated classes. While debates persist, the consensus is growing that explicit keyboarding instruction remains a foundational digital literacy skill in an increasingly screen-based learning environment.

We at Ask a Tech Teacher have a solution…

K-8 Keyboard Curriculum

Overview

K-8 Keyboard Curriculum (four options)–teacher handbook, student workbooks, and help for homeschoolers

2-Volume Ultimate Guide to Keyboarding

K-5 (237 pages) and Middle School (80 pages), 100 images, 7 assessments

K-5–print/digital; Middle School–digital delivery only

Aligned with Student workbooks 

Delivered print or digital

Student workbooks sold separately

__________________________________________________________________________

1-Volume Essential Guide to K-8 Keyboarding

120 pages, dozens of images, 6 assessments

Delivered print or digital

Doesn’t include student workbooks 

(more…)

Here are the most-read posts last month:

1. June is Internet Safety Month
2. A Teacher’s Guide to Managing Creative Projects Without Burnout
3. World Environment Day: Living Responsibly with Nature
4. Best Online Korean Teacher Platforms for Speaking, Grammar, and TOPIK Practice
5. Tech Tips to End the School Year
6. What’s Trending on Ask a Tech Teacher
7. How To Know If Your Laptop Camera Is Spying On You?
8. 5 Essential Resources for IELTS Preparation
9. Books You’ll Want to Read This Summer
10. Tech Ed Resources–K-12 Tech Curriculum

Here’s a preview of what’s coming up: (more…)

Like every year, I exuberantly celebrate America’s birthday. I’d say times are tough here in the US, but that seems to be true everywhere in the world. So, I won’t complain. I will enjoy the love of America as all of my international friends love their homeland.

(more…)

How Technology Is Transforming Language Learning for Students and Adults

Learning a new language has always required time, consistency, and exposure to real communication. What has changed dramatically over the past decade is the way learners access these opportunities. Technology has transformed language education from a classroom-based experience into a flexible, personalized process that can happen almost anywhere.

Today, students can practice vocabulary on mobile devices, attend live lessons from home, interact with native speakers across continents, and receive immediate feedback through digital platforms. These developments have expanded access to language education for learners of all ages while creating new opportunities for teachers and educational institutions.

As technology continues to evolve, language learning offers an interesting example of how digital tools can enhance education without replacing the human elements that remain essential for long-term success. (more…)

Every month, subscribers to our newsletter get a free/discounted resource to help their tech teaching.

July 2-5th

Buy the K-8 curriculum; get the 59-page Hour of Code bundle for FREE

Perfect if you’re doing Hour of Code to teach coding, programming, and problem solving to your K8 students. Here’s what you do: (more…)

Ask a Tech Teacher contributor, Jenny Wise, has navigated the complexities of raising a growing family, supporting her children through life’s difficulties, and finding strength through faith, resilience, and connection.

If you’re interesting in homeschool ideas, Jenny shares family homeschooling experiences, practical advice, encouragement, and resources for parents considering or navigating homeschooling through her platform, Special Home Educator. Her mission is to support and inspire other families by honestly sharing the ups and downs of creating a personalized education at home. Today, she’s exploring down the education journey–to a Masters:

Key Factors to Consider When Going Back to School for a Master’s Degree

For prospective master’s students weighing a returning to school decision mid-career, the question isn’t whether learning matters, it’s whether the degree will truly change what comes next. Career advancement considerations can point toward a credential that opens doors, but the financial investment in education can be hard to justify without clarity on outcomes. The time commitment can also pressure work obligations, family responsibilities, and education life balance in ways that don’t show up on a course catalog. A smart choice comes from treating the master’s degree ROI as a concrete tradeoff, not a leap of faith. (more…)

I get a lot of questions from readers about what tech ed resources I use in my classroom. I take time every summer to review them with you. Some are edited and/or written by members of the Ask a Tech Teacher crew. Others, by tech teachers who work with the same publisher I do. All of them, I’ve found, are well-suited to the task of scaling and differentiating tech skills for age groups, scaffolding learning year-to-year, offering inclusive solutions to the issue of tech tools–taking into account the perspectives of stakeholders, with appropriate metrics to ensure learning is organic and granular.

Today: K-12 Technology Curriculum

Overview

The K-12 Technology Curriculum is Common Core and ISTE aligned, and outlines what should be taught when so students have the necessary scaffolding to use tech for grade level state standards and school curriculum. You can purchase just the teacher manuals or student workbooks to serve a 1:1 environment, Google Classroom, and hybrid teaching situations.

Each grade-level PDF or print book (both are available) is between 175 and 252 pages and includes lesson plans, assessments, domain-specific vocabulary, problem-solving tips, Big Idea, Essential Question,  options if primary tech tools not available, posters, reproducibles, samples, tips, enrichments, entry and exit tickets, and teacher preparation. Lessons build on each other kindergarten through 5th grade. Middle School and High School are designed for semester or quarter grading periods typical of those grade levels with topics like programming, robotics, writing an ebook, and community service with tech.

Most (all?) grade levels include keyboarding, digital citizenship, problem solving, digital tools for the classroom, and coding.

The curriculum is used worldwide by public and private schools and homeschoolers. (more…)