Author: Jacqui

Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, an Amazon Vine Voice, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.

Preparing for the College Interview

The College Interview is intimidating and usually only applies to the Ivy League schools. If you’re considering the US Naval Academy, it’s called a Blue and Gold Interview. They will put you through a rigorous test of thinking on your feet, fast, and without ‘umms’.

Here’s what you should know:

The B&G (Blue and Gold) Interview is one of several opportunities for the Naval Academy to insure they appoint candidates who will make it through the next nine years.

[caption id="attachment_2361" align="alignright" width="246"]blue and gold interview Questions your B&G Officer may ask[/caption]

Few colleges invest the time and money in a personal in-home interview. For the Naval Academy, it’s a mandatory step, and an important nod in the approval process. The BGO (Blue and Gold Officer) knows you better than any other person involved in the selection process. His/Her opinion of you will weigh heavily as they review your application. Make sure by the time of this interview, you have developed a good rapport with yours. You chatted with him/her at several Academy Nights, emailed him/her at critical junctures in the application process, and updated him/her on your progress.

Here’s how it went for my daughter:

He arranges a coffee meeting at a local restaurant. You decide to wear khaki pants and a  collared shirt—conservative, respectful, but not a tie-and-jacket-pretentiousness. His questions remind you of those at the Congressional Interview—why do you want to attend the Naval Academy? What will you do if they don’t select you? Nothing tricky. By now, you’ve passed the Naval Academy’s physical test so he commends you on that. His lone suggestion reminds you to continue increasing your SAT scores, currently at 1350. He suggests a review course. Your time restraints make this difficult: Although it’s senior year, you have eight classes (including four APs). You’ve dropped the violin lessons, practice time reserved for Orchestra at school (where you are the Concertmaster) and the Youth Symphony Sunday sessions (where you are 1st violin). You know  yourself. If you overload your schedule, you implode. You’ve learned this from Freshman Year experiences. You do commit to taking advantage of the free Princeton Review SAT course offered at school for IB (International Baccalaureate) applicants.

All in all, a stress-free interview. It ends with you returning home to study Calculus. You send a thank-you note to your BGO, and sign it “Go Navy Beat Army!” You start checking the CIS website to see when it shows up as completed. Not yet, but it’s only been six hours….

–Taken from Building a Midshipman 

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Tech Tip #73–7 tips for Netiquette

In these 169 tech-centric situations, you get an overview of pedagogy—the tech topics most important to your teaching—as well as practical strategies to address most classroom tech situations, how to scaffold these to learning, and where they provide the subtext to daily tech-infused education.

Today’s tip: 7 Netiquette Tips

Category: Internet

Sub-category: MS Office, Keyboarding

Q: What are the most important netiquette tips for students when using the Internet?

A: Here’s a poster:

Sign up for a new tip each week or buy the entire 169 Real-world Ways to Put Tech into Your Classroom.

#digcit

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June is Internet Safety Month

June is National Internet Safety Month, thanks to a resolution passed in 2005 by the U.S. Senate. The goal is to raise awareness about online safety for all, with a special focus on kids ranging from tots to teens.

Here’s a short list of internet cautions I got from an online efriend a few years ago. I reprint it every year because it covers all the basics, avoids boring details, and gives kids (and adults) rules to live by:

Not everything you read online is true

It used to be anything we read in print was true. We could trust newspapers, magazines and books as reliable sources of information. It’s not the same with the web. Since anyone can become published, some of the stuff you’re reading online isn’t true. Even worse, some people are just rewriting stuff they read from other people online, so you might be reading the same false information over and over again. Even Wikipedia isn’t necessarily a reliable source. If you’re researching something online, consider the source. Some poorly written, random web page, isn’t necessarily a good source. However, if you find a .gov or .org site, the information has a better chance of being true. Always look at who owns the website and whether or not they have an agenda before considering whether or not certain information is true.


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How to Inspire High School Students to Pursue a Career in Software Engineering

Since 2020, U.S. software developer employment has been declining, with fewer employed in January 2024 compared to January 2018, but those with the appropriate skills experience an eye-popping low unemployment rate of 2% and a median salary of $132,270. You’d think High School and college students would flock to these jobs, but they don’t. The Ask a Tech Teacher team decided to dig deeper into ways to encourage students to consider software engineering to be a realistic job choice:
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How to Inspire High School Students to Pursue a Career in Software Engineering


Photo courtesy of Pexels

Getting high school students excited about software engineering isn’t always easy. The subject sounds complex, the career path feels far away, and most teens have other things on their minds. Let’s explore how to spark interest early, show real-world impact, and give students a clear path from the classroom to a career in tech that actually feels achievable.

Connect Software Engineering to Real-World Impact

For most teens, talking about theory isn’t enough; what grabs them is knowing what builds the apps they use, the games they love, and the real tools behind everyday technology. When students realise software is behind everything from Spotify to Snapchat, it feels less like homework and more like something they already live with.

Once you have their attention, share real-world examples they haven’t thought about. Talk about engineers building tools for disaster relief, climate data, or accessibility tech. These stories show how coding helps people. If they’re serious about it long-term, something like a masters in software engineering online can help them build tools that change lives, not just screens.

And sometimes, the spark comes from seeing tech used in completely unexpected ways. Whether it’s farmers using software to monitor crops or artists using code to generate digital installations, these examples prove that software isn’t just for Silicon Valley, it’s everywhere.

Introduce Practical Skills Through Coding Programs

Letting students code, build, and see something work on screen changes their perspective entirely. Once they get that first small win, like a game that actually runs or a website that responds, they feel capable. That moment sticks with them, as it often does when students start planning early for a tech-focused future.

That feeling leads to questions, like how real developers do it, how bigger systems work, how software runs behind the scenes. Tools like Raspberry Pi, Unity, or basic app builders become stepping stones. If they keep pushing, they’ll eventually want something more serious. That’s where a masters in software engineering starts making sense, it becomes a goal, not just a dream.

Encourage Mentorship and Career Path Visibility

Students often struggle to picture themselves in tech because they rarely meet people who actually work in it. Bringing in mentors, whether recent grads or experienced engineers, makes the idea of a career in software feel a lot more reachable.

That shift matters, as it gives students a face, a voice, and a backstory to connect their own journey to, especially when they wonder if software engineering is still worth it in 2025. Once that connection forms, you have something real to build on. Mentorship helps replace doubt with direction, and that small shift can change everything.

One way to make that connection even stronger is through alumni panels, tech career days, or virtual Q&As with professionals. These moments let students ask honest questions, hear real answers, and picture themselves following a similar path, and with their own twist.

Endnote

Inspiring high school students to pursue software engineering starts by making it feel real. When they can see its impact, it no longer feels out of reach, especially when schools find creative ways to bring more technology into under-resourced classrooms. With the right support, tools, and guidance, students stop asking if they can belong in tech and start planning how.

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Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.

Online Summer Educational Activities

What are parents and teachers most worried about over the summer? That kids will lose their sharp education edge, dulled by sun and sand and something else. Worry no more.

Your cure: learning disguised as play. Kids will think they’re playing games, but are actually participating in [mostly] free simulations available in the education field. A note: some must be downloaded and a few purchased, so the link might take you to a website that provides access rather than play. Choose what works for you:

  • iCivics—experience what it means to be part of a democracy
  • Second Life—simulates just about anything if you can find it
  • Coffee Shop—run a coffee shop business

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World Environment Day: Living Responsibly with Nature

World Environment Day, celebrated annually on June 5th, is designed for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of our environment. Established in 1972 by the United Nations General Assembly and first held in 1974, it has grown with participation from over 143 countries.

Significance

World Environment Day serves as a reminder of our collective responsibility to protect and preserve the environment. It encourages individuals, communities, and governments to take concrete actions towards sustainable development and to address critical environmental challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

Activities and Impact

Mark the day with various activities such as:

  • Educational events: Workshops, seminars, and discussions on environmental issues
  • Clean-up campaigns: Community efforts to clean up litter and pollution in local areas
  • Tree planting: Reforestation and afforestation efforts to combat deforestation
  • Art and cultural activities: Exhibitions, concerts, and performances that promote environmental awareness

Getting Involved

People can get involved in World Environment Day by:

  • Participating in local events: Join clean-up drives, tree planting, or educational workshops.
  • Spreading awareness: Use social media to share information about environmental issues and advocate for change.
  • Making lifestyle changes: Adopt more sustainable practices such as reducing plastic use, conserving water, and minimizing carbon footprints.

World Environment Day continues to be a vital platform for fostering environmental stewardship and encouraging global cooperation in the fight for a healthier planet.

–image credit Deposit Photos

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Teacher-Authors: What’s Happening on my Writer’s Blog

In this monthly column, I share the most popular post from the past month on my writing blog, WordDreams, for the teacher-authors in the group:

My virtual book tour to introduce my latest prehistoric fiction, Badlands, Book 2 of the trilogy, Savage Land, has finally ended. I am thrilled with the wonderful support from so many readers and authors! It was much more complicated than any prior book launch and not without mistakes on my part (some of you know what I’m talking about). But I met lots of new readers and writers and remain convinced that blog hops are a great way to introduce new books.

I launched my first Indie book, To Hunt a Sub, via a blog hop because I didn’t know what else to do. It worked well enough (there’s a learning curve) that I used the same approach for each of my subsequent books.

If you’re thinking of doing the same, take note:

  • It requires an active blog (opening a blog for purposes of a blog hop doesn’t work well–I’ve seen it tried)
  • It requires aggressive participation in hosts’ posts by interacting with visitors 
  • It requires that you pay lots of attention to visitors and commenters on your own blog posts leading up to the launch

Why a blog rather than Facebook or an online event? I really have no success with any social media other than blogs. I can’t think of the last time I had a new subscriber to my FB or Twitter account.

  • If the goal was to get noticed, it worked. I received awards for the Top New Release in Biographical Fiction and later, in Classic Historical Fiction. Those lasted a few days, each
[gallery columns="2" size="medium" ids="71926,71927"]
  • I also received over 35 reviews, many attributable to the blog hosts, others to KU exposure. There were some spirit-lifting comments like this one that absolutely made it all worth it:

Jacqui Murray does a masterful job of blending prehistoric history with real life events. The emerging human civilization with its daily challenges of finding food and shelter against a wild and unpredictable environment is amazing. … A fantastic thriller. –Grace Blair (more…)

Photoshop Skills Fifth Graders Can Do

The program that says ‘pro’ more than any other is Adobe Photoshop. Believe it or not, there are a whole list of skills easy enough for a fifth grader (maybe even fourth, but I haven’t had time to test it yet).

Over the next months, in this series, I’ll show you how to teach Photoshop skills appropriate for fifth grade and up. The list includes:

I’ve provided links, but they aren’t live until publication. These can be adapted to other art programs like Canva. Here are examples of the type of project students can create: (more…)