I wish all of my American friends and efriends a wonderful Thanksgiving Break. Enjoy your family and friends, take time to rest.

I’ll be around only in a limited way until December 1. Then, I’ll be back fulltime.

–image credit Deposit Photos

(more…)

Teaching the days before big holidays is challenging. Students and teachers alike are ready for a break. Both struggle to pay attention regardless of how innovative and engaging are the lesson plans.

I’ve been there often. As a result, I’ve come up with fun ways to support learning while students power through the last few days of school. Here are seven I use during the pre-Thanksgiving season:

• ASCII Art
• Comics
• Holiday Widget
• Team Challenge
• Thanksgiving Poll
• Thinking Games
• Themed

ASCII Art

Time required: Less than one class

ASCII Art is the graphic design technique of creating images by typing the letters, numbers, and symbols defined by ASCII Standards. Holiday examples include this Thanksgiving pumpkin and these holiday bells. Here’s how you do it:

1. Open your word processing program (MS Word, Google Docs, or another).
2. Add a watermark of a picture you’d like to use, preferably a single image rather than one that includes a background. Silhouettes are perfect for this sort of project.
3. Type over the image with the letters, symbols, and numbers that best fit the outline. It’s fine to use one letter throughout (like an X).
4. Add color by highlighting the letters, numbers, and symbols typed over the parts you’d like colored (such as the stem of a pumpkin or the bow on Christmas bells in the linked samples above).
5. When you’ve covered the image with characters, delete the watermark. That leaves just your typing.
6. Save, print, share, publish as is customary in your classes.

Tie-ins: Use this not only for holidays but any academic class by creating an artistic image of the topic being discussed. This is also a fun and authentic way for students to practice keyboarding.

(more…)

What is Veterans Day

As many of you know, I have two wonderful children–one a CDR in the Navy and one a SSgt In the Army. I also have a long family history of relatives who fought for America. So today, I salute them and all others who have put their lives and dreams aside to support America’s values and principles. I can’t say it better than these videos:

(more…)

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

K-8 Holiday Projects

Regular price: $7.99

On Sale until December 25, 2025: $4.99

(more…)

Three holidays are fast-approaching–Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. If you’re a teacher, that means lots of tie-ins to make school festive and relevant to students.

Here are ideas for Halloween projects, lesson plans, websites, and apps (check here for updated links):

Websites and Apps

1. 30-day Halloween fitness challenge
2. Build a Jack-o-lantern (in Google Slides)
3. Carve-a-Pumpkin from Parents magazine – Resolute Digital, LLC (app)
4. Enchanted Learning
5. Halloween games, puzzles–clean, easy to understand website and few ads!
6. Halloween Kahoot Games (video for teachers)
7. Halloween Science
8. Halloween Voice Transformer (app)
9. Make A Zombie – Skunk Brothers GmbH (app)
10. Meddybemps Spooky
11. Pumpkin Patch Games
12. WordSearch Halloween – AFKSoft (app)

Projects

1. ASCII Art–Computer Art for Everyone (a pumpkin–see inset)
2. Lesson Plan: Halloween letter for grades 2-5
3. Make a Holiday Card
4. A Holiday Card
5. A Holiday flier

(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!

(more…)

America, we love you on Patriot’s Day (formerly 9/11).

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvsN0Id4LEg?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwcWVs4Eejg?si=nfBd6Unur6CmgiUH&start=35]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wucTW_Y5hgU?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent]

If you aren’t familiar with this terrorist attack on American soil, here’s a 2-minute overview:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uOn7xLYPbc?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9oPmD6XJD0?si=LBKrjDQzQnYmLey2] (more…)

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is an American holiday (though celebrated world-wide by different names) dedicated to the achievements of workers. Take today to think about it. Me, I’ll take it literally–labor! I enjoy labor, the good feeling of finishing, meeting goals, working hard.

“I learned the value of hard work by working hard.” — Margaret Mead

“You always pass failure on your way to success.” — Mickey Rooney

“Hard work keeps the wrinkles out of the mind and spirit.” — Helena Rubinstein

“Dedication, hard work all the time, and belief.” — Cristiano Ronaldo

If you’re devoting Labor Day to your writing (rather than teacher prep) but need a kick start, here are suggestions for favorite labor-saving tools for writers:

1. Reedsy’s Best 23 Writing Tools of 2024
2. 25 Top Tools for Writers to Crush it in 2024
3. The 14 Best Writing Tools for Writers in 2024
4. The 30 Best Tools for Writers
5. Plot Generator
6. AI Plot Generator

A few Labor Day websites to enjoy for teaching: (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.

This one–Chris Stapleton–10 Million views since Super Bowl 2023:

(more…)