Easter Classroom Resources

Many Christians celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. To non-Christians (or non-traditional Christians), that event signifies a rebirth of spring that is filled with joy and gifts — and chocolate! Overall, it is America’s most-popular holiday with Christmas a close second. Here’s a good mixture of games, lesson plans, stories, and songs that can be blended into many academic subjects (for updates on Easter-themed websites, click here):

18+ Interactive Easter websites

Preschool-2

This website includes a colorful collection of Easter (and Spring) games and information that is visual and enticing to youngers. Games are Easter Math, Easter Egg Hunt, Easter Egg Dress-up, Easter Word hunt, complete-the-sentence, and more. Also, viewers will find websites about the history of Easter around the world.

ABCYa Easter Egg Hunt

Preschool-Kindergarten

Like all of ABCYa’s games and activities, Easter Egg Hunt is a colorful and intuitive educational game for young children.  It is easy-to-understand, playful, with favorite Easter symbols and energetic music that will engage children. The five Easter-themed games are easy-to-understand (no directions required) with a countdown clock to motivate activity. Nicely, it also aligns gameplay with the national standards met.

(more…)

Teacher-Authors–Join me to launch my Indie Book

 2 Comments on Teacher-Authors–Join me to launch my Indie Book

Starting tomorrow, on my writer’s blog, WordDreams, my wonderful efriends are helping me launch my latest prehistoric fiction, Badlands. Early reviews…

“Your best ever”–husby (you say he said the same thing last time? I don’t remember)

“…prehistoric man takes on nature in all her fury and survives.” –Sandra Cox

I’ll be visiting writer friend blogs April 15-26th. We’ll chat about Badlands and writing in general. Here are articles you can read in alphabetic order. The first are about the Neanderthal world and the last few writerly topics:

  1. Neanderthal Doors
  2. Neanderthal Healing Tips
  3. Neanderthal nomadic life
  4. How to research prehistory
  5. What I Learned from my Neanderthal Characters
  6. 8 Bits of Life Wisdom From My Computer
  7. 10 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Me Park II

Here’s the schedule of who I’ll visit when:

April 15: Sally Cronin–Spotlight

April 16: Life of a Neanderthal Nomad–Liesbet Collaert

April 17: 8 Bits of Life Wisdom From My Computer–Chris?

April 18: 10 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Me Part II–Sandra Cox

April 19: What I Learned from my Neanderthal Characters?–Liz Gauffreau

April 21: Prehistoric research–Alex Cavanaugh

April 22: Miriam Hurdle–Spotlight

April 23: Anneli Purchase–Spotlight ???? Confirm that 

April 24: Healing Tips from Neanderthals–Colleen Chesebro

April 25: Neanderthal doors–Dan Antion

April 26: Lynette d-Arty-Cross–Spotlight?

Each day, I’ll post a short introduction to the host. It’ll include a link to their blog.

Badlands by Jacqui Murray,

Book 2 in the Savage Land trilogy

Book 8 in the Man vs. Nature series

Editor: The extraordinary Anneli Purchase

Amazon Universal link  http://a-fwd.com/asin=B0DFCV5YFT

To celebrate the launch of Badlands, Book 1 in the trilogy, Endangered Species, will be

FREE on Amazon Kindle April 15-20, 2025

  If you miss the freebie, all of my prehistoric fiction is on KU which makes it free to KU readers all the time.

Copyright ©2025 worddreams.wordpress.com – All rights reserved. Here’s the sign-up link if the image above doesn’t work:

“The content presented in this blog are the result of creative imagination and not intended for use, reproduction, or incorporation into any artificial intelligence training or machine learning systems without prior written consent from the author.”

Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Man vs. Nature saga, the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers, and the acclaimed Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, an Amazon Vine Voice, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Balance of Nature, Winter 2026

Tech Tip #125: Basics in Every Lesson Plan

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: Basics in Every Lesson Plan

Here are four skills to be included and reinforced in every lesson plan. Don’t teach them! Blend them into your core lessons, as part of the workflow. Include them as you do when you teach reading (in non-reading classes), using a pencil, and handwriting:

  • Keyboarding
  • Digital citizenship
  • Vocabulary
  • Problem solving

For the other two, watch this video:

–summarized by NoteGPT

Summary

In this informative video, Jacqui Murray discusses effective technology integration in K-8 classrooms, highlighting the current supportive landscape for using technology in education. Murray emphasizes that this is an ideal time to be involved in teaching technology, whether or not one considers themselves a tech expert. The discussion begins with an introduction to Murray’s extensive experience in education, focusing on technology’s role in lesson delivery and integration into the curriculum. She introduces six key topics or “strands” that are essential for creating engaging lessons that reflect modern educational standards, blending subjects together rather than treating them in isolation.

The six strands include digital citizenship, keyboarding skills, problem-solving, research skills, vocabulary expansion, and publishing and sharing. For each topic, Murray offers practical strategies for teaching and integrating them into existing lesson plans. She talks about how to establish a foundation of digital citizenship by making students aware of online safety and etiquette from early grades. Murray discusses the necessity of keyboarding skills in today’s tech-driven world and how to incorporate them seamlessly into instruction.

Murray further explores the importance of problem-solving skills, encouraging students to troubleshoot and find solutions independently. She emphasizes safe and effective research tactics, urging students to critically evaluate sources. Expanding vocabulary through digital tools is highlighted, as is the critical element of sharing and publishing student work for collective learning and empowerment. Ultimately, Murray encourages teachers to view these strands as a cohesive framework that enhances learning and prepares students for future academic challenges.

Highlights

  • 🎓 The importance of blending subjects to create cohesive lessons that reflect modern educational standards.
  • 💻 Digital citizenship is essential from an early age, requiring ongoing discussions about online safety and etiquette.
  • ⌨️ Keyboarding skills should be integrated into lessons, enhancing students’ competency with technology.
  • 🛠️ Problem-solving skills transform students into independent learners who can troubleshoot tech issues.
  • 🔍 Research skills empower students to critically evaluate sources, making them more informed consumers of information.
  • 📚 Vocabulary expansion is essential in education, encouraging students to actively engage with words and definitions.
  • 🔗 Publishing and sharing student work creates a sense of community and enhances collaborative learning.

Key Insights

  • 🌐 Digital Citizenship is Essential: Murray highlights that it’s crucial to integrate discussions about digital citizenship into lessons at every grade level. This approach trains students to navigate the online world safely and responsibly, emphasizing that education about digital behavior is continuous and should evolve as students progress in their understanding of technology.
  • 💡 The Role of Keyboarding Skills: Teaching keyboarding isn’t merely an added layer; it’s essential for enhancing classroom efficiency. By embedding keyboarding education into daily lessons, teachers equip students with necessary tools for success across subjects. This practice fosters dexterity that will serve students well in their digital interactions, allowing them to focus more on the content rather than the act of typing.
  • 🔄 Encouraging Problem-Solving: Murray’s emphasis on fostering problem-solving abilities reflects a shift toward student autonomy in learning. By guiding students to find solutions independently, teachers streamline classroom management and empower students to take control of their learning experiences, ultimately making the educational process more dynamic.
  • 🔍 Effective Research Skills: Educators must emphasize the importance of teaching students how to ascertain reliable information online. By preparing them to discern reputable sources from biased or misleading content, students become not only consumers of knowledge but also critical thinkers capable of navigating the complexities of information on the internet.
  • 📖 Vocabulary Matters: The intentional teaching of vocabulary through multiple mediums can enhance comprehension and engagement. Murray suggests that using technology to aid vocabulary acquisition allows students to seek definitions and gain deeper understanding dynamically, rather than superficially glossing over complex content.
  • 🌐 Collaborative Learning Through Sharing: Emphasizing the importance of publishing and sharing work transforms how students interact with their learning. In fostering an environment where students contribute to a collective body of knowledge not only democratizes learning but also leverages peer feedback for continuous growth, helping students to learn from one another.
  • 🤝 Integration Across Subjects: Murray’s call for the integration of the six strands across disciplines underlines education’s interconnectedness. Teachers should consider these elements as intertwined rather than isolated, optimizing educational outcomes by enhancing student engagement and contextual understanding across subjects.

To finish up, read this article:

“What is the 21st Century lesson plan”

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

What’s your favorite tech tip in your classroom? Share it in the comments below.

(more…)

15 Best Technology Careers for the Future in 2025

From We Are Teachers, a run-down on the top tech careers for 2025:

15 Best Technology Careers for the Future in 2025

Computer and information technology might be one of the most exciting fields for teens to consider as they think about their future careers. These jobs are often very well paid (the average salary in this field is more than double compared to other occupations). The growth outlook for technology careers is terrific too, at around 11% over the next 10 years (the average for all jobs is about 4%). Here are some of the top tech jobs for high schoolers to consider as they plan for the future.

Read on… (more…)

What You Might Have Missed in March–What’s up in April

Here are the most-read posts for last month:

  1. How to Leverage AI Tutors for Effective Learning Tips for Parents, Educators, and Students
  2. Subscriber Special: 50% Off Sidebar Sponsors
  3. Didn’t Get in College? Interested in the Military? Try NAPS
  4. 11 Ways X/Twitter Improves Education
  5. LOTS of Resources for Kids’ Online Research
  6. Celebrate Pi Day and Maths Day
  7. 9 St. Patrick’s Day Resources For Your Class
  8. Minecraft Builds Coding Skills
  9. Invention Convention 2025 is coming
  10. Websites that add sparkle (and learning) to Spring

Here’s what’s coming up next month: (more…)

April is Financial Literacy Month

Financial Literacy Month is recognized annually in Canada in November, and the United States in April. It’s purpose: to teach how to establish and maintain healthy financial habits.

When kids read America’s almost $37 trillion debt is accepted by many as ‘business as usual’, I wonder how that news will affect their children. Do they understand the consequences of unbalanced budgets? The quandary of infinite wants vs. finite dollars? Or do they think money grows on some fiscal tree that always blooms? The good news is: Half the nation’s schools require a financial literacy course. The bad new is: Only half require a financial literacy course.

If your school doesn’t teach personal economics but would like to, there are many online sites that address the topic as mini-lessons. Some are narrative; others games. Here are some I like. See if one suits you (check here for updates on links):

  1. BizKids–games to teach business and finance
  2. Cash Crunch–games for youngers and olders (HS and college)
  3. Financial Literacy Games for Students
  4. Financial Literacy Quizzes–in a variety of financial topics for high schoolers
  5. General Financial Literacy Course
  6. Living Wage–what’s it cost to survive–by state, cities, counties
  7. Personal Finance for MS
  8. Personal Finance Lab–stock market game
  9. Practical Money Skills
  10. Spent
  11. Stock Market Game

Curriculum

  1. Banzai
  2. Budget Challenge
  3. EverFi–course in financial literacy for high schoolers
  4. Financial Literacy for High School Students–a course
  5. General Financial Literacy Course–an online course in meeting financial literacy needs
  6. Next Gen Personal Finance

Calculators

  1. Auto and home load calculators–from Arizona Central Credit Union

–image credit Deposit Photos

Copyright ©2025 askatechteacher.com – All rights reserved.

Here’s the sign-up link if the image above doesn’t work:

https://forms.aweber.com/form/07/1910174607.htm

“The content presented in this blog are the result of creative imagination and not intended for use, reproduction, or incorporation into any artificial intelligence training or machine learning systems without prior written consent from the author.”

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.

17 K-8 Digital Citizenship Topics

Education is no longer contained within classroom walls or the physical site of a school building. Learning isn’t confined to the eight hours between the school bell’s chimes or the struggling budget of an underfunded program.

Today, education can be found anywhere, by teaming up with students in Kenya or Skyping with an author in Sweden or chatting with an astrophysicist on the International Space Station. Students can use Google Earth to take a virtual tour of a zoo or a blog to collaborate on class research. Learning has no temporal or geographic borders, and is available wherever students and teachers find an internet connection.

This vast landscape of resources is often free, but this cerebral trek through the online world requires students know how to do it safely, securely, and responsibly. This used to mean limiting access to the internet, blocking websites, and layering rules upon rules hoping (vainly) students would be discouraged from using an infinite and fascinating resource.

It didn’t work.

Best practices now suggest that instead of cocooning students, we teach them to be good digital citizens, confident and competent in 17 areas:

(more…)

National Library Week–Resources, Links, Ideas

National Library Week is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities.

In the mid-1950s, research showed that Americans were spending less on books and more on radios, televisions and musical instruments. Concerned that Americans were reading less, the ALA and the American Book Publishers formed a nonprofit citizens organization called the National Book Committee in 1954. The committee’s goals were ambitious.  They ranged from “encouraging people to read in their increasing leisure time” to “improving incomes and health” and “developing strong and happy family life.”

In 1957, the committee developed a plan for National Library Week based on the idea that once people were motivated to read, they would support and use libraries. With the cooperation of ALA and with help from the Advertising Council, the first National Library Week was observed in 1958 with the theme “Wake Up and Read!”  The 2023 celebration marks the 65th anniversary of the first event.

Read more here:

(more…)

Subscriber Special: Discounted Curricula School License

Every month, subscribers to our newsletter get a free/discounted resource to help their tech teaching. Not a subscriber? Click the button below.

20% discount on school curricula

Code: KZJ8MBNV

4-2-23 through 4-7-23

What’s a School License?

A School License is a multi-user PDF of any curriculum student workbook. It can be used on every digital device in your school–iPads, laptops, netbooks, smartphones, Chromebooks. All of them, no matter whether they’re in a classroom, the library, the tech labs. As many as the school wants.

Who needs this

It is well-suited to schools with an LMS like Google Classroom, a 1:1 program, who wish to place the curricula on a server, or are teaching remotely and need to provide access to PDFs at home and school, where there may or may not be WiFi or Internet.

Benefits of a School License for Teachers:

  • Access to full text PDF from every recognized desktop, 24 hours a day
  • Student workbooks are available in the computer lab, the library, the classroom, the laptop carts, the student’s home, and the District server for the same low fee
  • Because they’re PDFs, they require no internet, no WiFi (once downloaded)
  • License includes a digital copy of the teacher manual for each grade level selected 

Benefits of School License for Students:

  • Easy access to monthly lessons, how-tos, rubrics, project samples, practice quizzes, grade-level expectations, homework, check lists (like Ready to Move On)
  • Convenient place to take notes
  • Because they’re PDFs, they require no internet, no WiFi (once downloaded)
  • Encourages students to be independent and self-directed, work at their own pace. This is great both for students who need more time on a topic and for those who ‘get it’ fast and want to move on
  • Quick way to spiral up to the next grade level for quick learners or back to earlier resources for student needing to fill holes in their learning

How to get started

  • Select whether you want one grade or all, whether you are interested in the technology or keyboarding curriculum.
  • If necessary, in “Special Instructions”, tell us which grade you want 
  • apply the coupon code when you check out (KZJ8MBNV)
Copyright ©2025 askatechteacher.com – All rights reserved.

Here’s the sign-up link if the image above doesn’t work:

https://forms.aweber.com/form/07/1910174607.htm

“The content presented in this blog are the result of creative imagination and not intended for use, reproduction, or incorporation into any artificial intelligence training or machine learning systems without prior written consent from the author.”

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.

March 31st is World Backup Day

 2 Comments on March 31st is World Backup Day

World Backup Day–March 31st Every Year

March 31st is called World Backup Day. At least once a year, I remind you to backup your data files to an external drive (like a flash drive). This is one that isn’t connected to your local computer so can’t be compromised if you get a virus. Cloud drives are good, but once a year, do the entire collection of data files to what is called an ‘air gap’ drive–one separated from any internet connection.

How to do this 

You can back up data to an external device or a cloud-based backup service, or both. You might make more than one backup to external storage devices and keep the two copies in different places.

PC/Windows” Use Windows Backup:

  • Click the start button.
  • Go to Control Panel
  • Select ‘Backup and Restore’
  • Select ‘Backup Now’

From there, select a drive with sufficient space and start. Be forewarned: If you have a lot of data, it takes a while. You can work on your computer while it’s backing up; it’ll just be slower.

Mac: Use the Time Machine tool.

Chromebook: No need. Everything is saved to the cloud. Now if you want to backup your cloud, use a service like Backupify.

(more…)