Recognizing dyslexia

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How AI is Giving Teachers Back Their Weekends: A Peek Inside the Classroom Revolution

In the whirlwind of a teacher’s day—juggling lesson tweaks, student IEPs, and that inevitable stack of assessments – it’s easy to feel like the weekend is just a myth. I remember my first year teaching middle school science in a diverse urban district. I’d spend Friday nights hunched over my laptop, piecing together slides from outdated textbooks, scrambling to adapt activities for English language learners, and crossing my fingers that the lesson would actually land with my mixed-ability class. It wasn’t just exhausting; it chipped away at the joy of why I got into teaching in the first place. Fast-forward to today, and tools like TeachAid are flipping that script, turning hours of drudgery into minutes of magic. If you’re a teacher staring down another unit plan, this is the friendly nudge you’ve been waiting for. (more…)

Yom Kippur, often called the Day of Atonement, is one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar. This year it is October 4-5, 2025.

It’s a time for reflection, repentance, and seeking forgiveness for sins from the past year.

Observant Jews fast for about 25 hours, refrain from work, and spend much of the day in prayer, attending synagogue services like Kol Nidre and Ne’ilah. The focus is on spiritual renewal, making amends with others, and reconnecting with God.

It’s a solemn but meaningful day, ending with a sense of cleansing and hope, often celebrated with a festive meal to break the fast. Think of it as a spiritual reset button with a side of community and introspection!

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From Shifts to Success: How Nurses Can Keep Learning Without Burnout

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Nursing is one of the most demanding careers. The hours are long, the work is intense, and the responsibilities are never-ending. Yet, many nurses know that professional growth is just as important as patient care. Whether aiming for leadership roles, higher pay, or specialized expertise, continuing education opens doors. The challenge is finding balance. How can nurses keep learning without adding stress or risking burnout?

In this article, nurses can find some smart strategies that can help them advance their careers without compromising their well-being. (more…)

The K-8 education journey is tame compared to post-graduate school. Managing the years required to obtain a Masters and in this case, a Doctors, can be daunting enough to frighten off the most committed of students. The Ask a Tech Teacher team has a quick overview of how to make it less treacherous and more successful:

From Students to Scholars: Navigating the Doctoral Journey in the Digital Age

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Today, employers, universities, and research organizations value candidates who can contribute original thinking and lead projects that solve complex problems. This has created more interest in doctoral programs than ever before, but it has also raised new questions. How do students prepare for such a long academic journey?

The doctoral journey is very different today than it was even twenty years ago. Students now have more ways to access advanced education, but they also face new distractions and pressures. This article takes a closer look at what it means to move from student to scholar in the digital age, and how learners can navigate the path with confidence and preparation. (more…)

A lot of teacher-authors read my WordDreams blog. In this monthly column, I share a popular post from the past month: 

Thomas Wikman and I met over a love of dogs which soon grew into a mutual appreciation for all things cerebral. He writes about Leonbergers (if you’ve never seen one of these amazing dogs, click through to his blog and check them out) and wrote the definitive book on the subject about his own Leonberger, The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger.

Beyond dogs, Thomas writes erudite posts about science, fun facts, book reviews, and more. As an educator, his recent guest post on science books for the youngest of our children caught my attention as one the Ask a Tech Teacher community would enjoy. With Thomas’ permission, I’ll share his review of several science books intended for our youngest learners, presented in an age-appropriate fashion for those with curious minds even in preschool.

If this tweaks your interest, click through to Thomas’ science blog, SuperFactful, for more fascinating quick overviews of the wonders of science:

The first time I read about Unschooling, I ignored it. Surely, it was a fad that would go away. When I read about it a thousand more times, I dug into it.

Inspired by the teachings of John Holt (1923–1985), this free range branch of homeschooling promotes learning through nonstructured, child-led exploration. There’s no set curriculum or schedule; students learn what interests them with guidance from involved adults. There are no worksheets, tests, or structure to provide evidence of learning or templates for teaching. The children pick what to learn, when, at what pace. The result — according to unschoolers, is a love of learning, tenacity to a task, and independent thought that prepares them for college and career better than traditional methods. In fact, if you look at the list of traits valued in popular education programs such as Habits of Mind and Depth of Knowledge, the reasons why parents unschool their children mirror the traits included in these lists.

What is Unschooling?

According to  Dr. Peter Gray of Freedom to Learn:

“Unschooling parents do not … do at home the kinds of things that are done at school. More specifically, they do not establish a curriculum for their children, do not require their children to do particular assignments for the purpose of education, and do not test their children to measure progress. Instead, they allow their children freedom to pursue their own interests and to learn, in their own ways, what they need to know to follow those interests. They may, in various ways, provide an environmental context and environmental support for the child’s learning. In general, unschoolers see life and learning as one.”

If you use Genius Hour in your classroom, you have a sense of how inspiring, motivating, and addicting learning for the love of learning can be. Another popular example of unschooling is Sugata Mitra’s 1999 Hole in the Wall experiment where a computer was placed in a kiosk in an Indian slum. Children were allowed to use it freely. The experiment successfully proved that children could learn to use computers without any formal training. This was extended to be a method called Minimally Invasive Education (MIE) where students were encouraged to learn what interests them without adult direction —  much as what is expected from unschooling.

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Here are a few ideas from the Ask a Tech Teacher team about maintaining focus in classrooms:

Top Proprioceptive Activities to Support Focus and Regulation in the Classroom

Throughout the school day, many children experience difficulty staying focused or managing their emotions, especially in stimulating environments. Integrating calming proprioceptive activities for children into classroom routines can be a practical way to support self-regulation through purposeful movement. 

Activities like pushing against a wall, lifting books, or using resistance bands provide deep pressure input that can have a calming, organizing effect on the nervous system. These strategies are easy to implement and can be tailored to suit individual needs without disrupting the flow of learning. When used consistently, they help create a classroom atmosphere where children feel more grounded, attentive, and ready to engage.

Key Takeaways

• Simple proprioceptive activities help students stay focused.
• Activities can be tailored for different needs in the classroom.
• Structured movement supports overall student regulation.

​​These suggestions are not a substitute for professional advice. Educators and parents should consult specialists when addressing specific sensory needs. (more…)