Learn what student data schools collect, why it matters for privacy, and the risks families face from data breaches, surveillance, and third-party access. The post Student Data Privacy: What Schools Collect & Why It Matters first appeared on edCircuit.

Students, parents and school principals all instinctively know that some teachers are better than others. Education researchers have spent decades trying — with mixed success — to calculate exactly how much better. What remains far more elusive is why. A new study suggests that one surprisingly simple difference between stronger and weaker math teachers may be how often they use mathematical vocabulary, words such as “factors,” “denominators” and “multiples,” in class. Teachers who used more math vocabulary had students who scored higher on math tests, according to a team of data scientists and education researchers from Harvard University, Stanford University and the University of Maryland. The size of the test score boost was substantial. It amounted to about half of the benefit researchers typically attribute to having a highly effective teacher, which is among the most important school-based factors that help children learn. Students with highly effective teachers can end up months ahead of their peers. “If you’re looking for a good math teacher, you’re probably looking for somebody who’s exposing their students to more mathematical vocabulary,” said Harvard data scientist Zachary Himmelsbach, lead author of the study, which was published online in November 2025. The finding aligns with a growing body of research suggesting that language plays a critical role in math learning. A 2021 meta-analysis of 40 studies found that students with stronger math vocabularies tend to perform better in math, particularly on multi-step, complex problems. Understanding what a “radius” is, for example, can make it more efficient to talk about perimeter and area and understand geometric concepts. Some math curricula explicitly teach vocabulary and include glossaries to reinforce these terms. But vocabulary alone is unlikely to be a magic ingredient. “If a teacher just stood in front of the classroom and recited lists of mathematical vocabulary terms, nobody’s learning anything,” said Himmelsbach. Instead, Himmelsbach suspects that vocabulary is part of a broader constellation of effective teaching practices. Teachers who use more math terms may also be providing clearer explanations, walking students through lots of examples step-by-step, and offering engaging puzzles. These teachers might also have a stronger conceptual understanding of math themselves. It’s hard to isolate what exactly is driving the students’ math learning and what role vocabulary, in and of itself, is playing, Himmelsbach said. Himmelsbach and his research team analyzed transcripts from more than 1,600 fourth- and fifth-grade math lessons in four school districts recorded for research purposes about 15 years ago. They counted how often teachers used more than 200 common math terms drawn from elementary math curriculum glossaries. The average teacher used 140 math-related words per lesson. But there was wide variation. The top quarter of the teachers used at least 28 more math terms per lesson than the quarter of the teachers who spoke the fewest math words. Over the course of a school year, that difference amounted to roughly 4,480 additional math terms, meaning that some students were exposed to far richer mathematical language than others, depending on which teacher they happened to have that year. The study linked these differences to student achievement. One hundred teachers were recorded over three years, and in the third year, students were randomly assigned to classrooms. That random assignment allowed the researchers to rule out the possibility that higher performing students were simply being clustered with stronger teachers. The lessons came from districts serving mostly low-income students. About two-thirds of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, more than 40 percent were Black, and nearly a quarter were Hispanic — the very populations that tend to struggle the most in math and stand to gain the most from effective instruction. Interestingly, student use of math vocabulary did not appear to matter as much as teacher use. Although the researchers also tracked how often students used math terms in class, they found no clear link between teachers who used more vocabulary and students who spoke more math words themselves. Exposure and comprehension, rather than verbal facility, may be enough to support stronger math performance. The researchers also looked for clues as to why some teachers used more math vocabulary than others. Years of teaching experience made no difference. Nor did the number of math or math pedagogy courses teachers had taken in college. Teachers with stronger mathematical knowledge did tend to use more math terms, but the relationship was modest. Himmelsbach suspects that personal beliefs play an important role. Some teachers, he said, worry that formal math language will confuse students and instead favor more familiar phrasing, such as “put together” instead of addition, or “take away” instead of subtraction. While those colloquial expressions can be helpful, students ultimately need to understand how they correspond to formal mathematical concepts, Himmelsbach said. This study is part of a new wave of education research that uses machine learning and natural language processing — computer techniques that analyze large volumes of text — to peer inside the classroom, which has long remained a black box. With enough recorded lessons, researchers hope not only to identify which teaching practices matter most, but also provide teachers with concrete, data-driven feedback. The researchers did not examine whether teachers used math terms correctly, but they noted that future models could be trained to do just that, offering feedback on accuracy and context, not just frequency. For now, the takeaway is more modest but still meaningful: Students appear to learn more math when their teachers speak the language of math more often. Contact staff writer Jill Barshay at 212-678-3595 or barshay@hechingerreport.org. This story about math vocabulary was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Proof Points and other Hechinger newsletters.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by your inbox, especially during that dreaded 3:30 PM

Sarah teaches AP Environmental Science. Last week, after a field study at the local creek, her students recorded video reflections on their phones about what they noticed, what surprised them, and what questions emerged. In previous years, Sarah would have watched all 28 videos in one exhausting evening, taking notes and planning follow-up conversations she’d never quite have time for. This year, she tried something different. She used a free AI transcription tool to capture what students said, then asked an AI assistant to identify themes across the reflections, looking for patterns or misconceptions. Within minutes, Sarah had a summary. Six students noticed equity issues around creek access. Twelve connected water quality to the policy unit they’d studied in the fall. Four expressed frustration with data collection methods and wanted to redesign their approach. Sarah didn’t hand this summary to students as “the answer.” She used it to inform the next day’s seminar. She asked the equity-focused group to lead a discussion. She connected the policy students with the local environmental council’s youth board. She gave the four frustrated learners time to redesign and retest their methods. The AI didn’t replace Sarah’s judgment. It gave her something she rarely has: clarity about what 28 students were actually thinking, in time to do something about it. This is braided learning. Not AI instead of teachers. AI woven together with what educators already do well (noticing, connecting, responding) to create something stronger than either strand alone. Three Strands That Strengthen Each Other Think of braided learning as three interwoven strands, each essential, each amplifying the others. Strand One: What Educators Do Best You already notice things AI cannot. The student who suddenly engages after weeks of silence. The moment when a skill clicks and transfers to a new context. You build relationships, create psychological safety, and help students see themselves as capable.  These human capacities (empathy, pattern recognition across time, responsive teaching) are irreplaceable. They can also be constrained by time, energy, and the reality of working with many students simultaneously. Strand Two: What AI Does Easily AI excels at tasks that are tedious for humans: transcribing conversations, organizing information, identifying patterns across large sets of data, suggesting connections between ideas. It works instantly, tirelessly, without judgment. AI can transcribe 28 video reflections in minutes. It can track which students have demonstrated specific skills and which haven’t. It can flag when a student’s writing suggests frustration or confusion. It can surface connections between a student’s creek study and their earlier policy research. But AI doesn’t know your students. It can’t read the room. It doesn’t understand context the way you do. It suggests; it doesn’t decide. Strand Three: What Emerges When You Braid Them When you weave AI’s organizational power together with your expertise, something new becomes possible. You spend less time on logistical tasks and more time on the high-value work only humans can do. Students receive more timely, specific feedback. Patterns that would take you hours to notice become visible in minutes. Learning becomes more connected across contexts because you have the cognitive space to help students make those connections. This isn’t about AI transforming education. It’s about AI handling routine cognitive tasks so you can focus on transformational teaching. A Practical Cycle: Where to Braid AI Into Your Current Practice You don’t need a comprehensive AI strategy or new infrastructure. You can start with one phase of learning you already facilitate. Here’s a simple cycle showing where AI might enhance what you already do. Preparing for Learning What you already do: Activate prior knowledge, set learning intentions, help students prepare mentally and emotionally for challenging work. Where AI could help: Generate discussion prompts tailored to individual readiness levels. Provide adaptive practice that adjusts to student responses. Transcribe student goal-setting conversations so you have a record of their intentions. What students experience: More personalized entry points into new content. Clear connections between what they already know and what they’re about to learn. Example: Before a unit on data analysis, students voice-record their current understanding of statistics and their anxieties about math. AI transcribes these reflections and identifies common concerns. You design your introduction to address those specific worries, and you follow up individually with students who expressed the most anxiety. Learning in Context What you already do: Create opportunities for students to practice skills in authentic situations like projects, discussions, field work, and presentations. Where AI could help: Observe and document what happens during application (when you can’t be everywhere at once). Track which skills students demonstrate in different contexts. Provide real-time resource suggestions when students get stuck. What students experience: Less waiting for feedback. More awareness of which skills they’re using. Better documentation of their learning process, not just final products. Example: During a group project, students document their process with photos and brief voice notes. AI organizes these into a timeline showing collaboration moments, problem-solving strategies, and skill demonstrations. You review the timeline and notice one student consistently mediating conflicts, maybe a leadership skill she hasn’t recognized in herself yet. Your feedback helps her see this pattern. Making Learning Visible What you already do: Ask students to reflect on what they learned, how they learned it, and what it means for future learning. Help them recognize growth and develop metacognitive awareness. Where AI could help: Transcribe reflections so you can analyze themes across multiple students. Identify emotional language that suggests frustration, breakthrough moments, or confusion. Track growth over time by comparing current reflections to earlier ones. What students experience: Conversations about their reflections that show you actually engaged with their thinking. Surprise and pride when you show them how much they’ve grown since earlier reflections. Example: After completing projects, students record video reflections. AI transcribes them and flags moments when students express pride, frustration, or uncertainty. You notice eight students expressed frustration with the same aspect of the project. In the next class, you address this directly, validating their experience and teaching a strategy you realize you hadn’t made explicit. Planning Next Steps What you already do: Help students set goals, choose new challenges, connect current learning to future opportunities. Where AI could help: Synthesize a student’s demonstrated skills and interests to suggest relevant next opportunities. Connect current work to future contexts where those skills matter. Create a running record of competencies students can use to advocate for themselves. What students experience: A clearer picture of what they can do and where they might go next. Connections between seemingly separate projects or skills. Example: A student has demonstrated strong data analysis in science and written compelling arguments in English. AI surfaces this pattern, analytical thinking across contexts, and suggests she might be interested in the school’s policy debate team or the city council’s youth advisory board. You have a conversation with her about how her skills could translate to civic engagement. She applies, using documentation from both classes to show her readiness. Starting Small: A First Experiment You don’t need to braid AI into all four phases at once. Pick one place where you’re already stretched thin. If grading reflections feels overwhelming: Try having students submit voice or video reflections instead of written ones. Use free AI transcription, then have AI summarize themes across all students. Use this summary to inform a class discussion rather than grading each reflection individually. If tracking skill development across projects is difficult: At the end of each project, have students identify which skills they demonstrated. Collect these self-assessments in a shared document. Ask AI to create a simple matrix showing which students have demonstrated which skills across time. Use this to spot gaps and plan differentiation. If students struggle to connect learning across classes: When students complete significant work, have them briefly describe what skills they used. Periodically ask AI to look across these descriptions and identify patterns—which skills appear repeatedly, which contexts bring out different capabilities. Share these patterns with students to help them see themselves as transferring skills, not just completing assignments. If you want better discussions but need help preparing: Before a discussion, have students submit one question or observation. Ask AI to group similar ideas and identify interesting tensions or disagreements. Use this structure to design the discussion arc, ensuring you’re building on what students are actually thinking about. What to Watch For: Braiding vs. Offloading As you experiment, you’ll notice when braiding strengthens your teaching and when it starts to replace essential human judgment. Braiding looks like:Offloading looks like:You have more time for the students who most need your attention. Feedback becomes more timely and specific. Patterns you suspected become visible and actionable. Students receive more personalized support. You feel less overwhelmed by logisticsStudents receive AI-generated feedback without your review. You trust AI insights without checking against your own observations. Learning feels more standardized, not more personalized. You spend less time actually talking with students. Assessment becomes about what AI can measure rather than what matters. The goal isn’t efficiency for its own sake. It’s reclaiming your time and attention for the irreplaceable work of teaching, the noticing, the relationship-building, the magical moment when you help a student see what they’re capable of. An Invitation, Not a Prescription This isn’t about adopting a comprehensive new system. It’s about finding one place where AI could handle a routine cognitive task so you can focus on what you do best. Try one small experiment. See what you notice. Adjust based on what serves your students. The future of education isn’t AI versus teachers. It’s AI woven together with teaching expertise, creating space for more of the human work that transforms learning. The strands are stronger together than apart. Start with one thread. Then another. Then another. The post Braided Learning: How AI Can Enhance What Educators Already Do Well appeared first on Getting Smart.

TCEA presenter Brittanie Payne walks you through how she's used TFAR in elementary and high school testing for better accessibility!

Since we started Ask a Tech Teacher fifteen years ago, we’ve had almost 6.3 million views and 3300 comments from about 11,500 followers who read some or all of our 2,454 articles on integrating technology into the classroom. This includes tech tips, website/app reviews, tech-in-ed pedagogy, how-tos, videos, and more. We have regular features like: Weekly Websites and Tech Tips (sign up for the newsletter) Edtech Reviews Lesson plans If you just arrived at Ask a Tech Teacher, start here. Here are our top 10 lists of most popular posts and tips for 2025:   How to Find Old Elementary School Teachers Robot Teachers vs Human Teachers 15 Websites on Natural Disasters Hour of Code: How Students Can Build Their Own Apps How to Blend DoK into Lesson Plans How Behaviorism Can Turn Your Classroom Around 5 Ways to Involve Parents in Your Class 12 Websites to Teach Mouse Skills 8 Great Websites and Apps to Help Kids 15 Websites to Teach Financial Literacy Using Excel in Class: the Series 12 Ways to Update Your Online Presence 8 Tips to Teach Tomorrow’s Students 8 Projects to Teach Digital Citizenship–by Grade Your Daughter is Going to a Military Academy. What’s Ahead of her? 7 Ways to Use Social Media for Professional Development 50+ Websites on Keyboarding How to teach Photoshop in Fifth Grade–the series 10 Ways to Become a Better Geek How to teach the hard to teach class — the video Here’s where you can find us: X:   @AskaTechTeacher Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Jacqui.Murray1  Instagram: @AskaTechTeacher Copyright ©2026 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.

Rand research indicates teachers of young students want and need more training in ed tech, curricula and supporting diverse learners.

Public funding for students and schools must be protected to preserve equitable learning opportunities, Denise Forte writes.

We’ve gathered cases since the high court’s 2019-20 term to measure the justices’ footprint in schools.

Preschool teachers use generative artificial intelligence the least out of educators in grades pre-K-12, but they are starting to use it more despite lack of guidance, according to a new report. According to research from nonprofit think tank RAND, 29 percent of preschool teachers use generative artificial intelligence in the classroom, though 20 percent of those teachers use it less than once a week. Comparatively, 69 percent of high school teachers use generative AI, with 64 percent of middle school teachers and 42 percent of elementary school teachers using the technology. “To me it raises the question of how AI use is going to evolve in pre-K,” Jordy Berne, an associate economist at RAND and co-lead on this study, said during a press briefing. “Are we going to learn more about developmental impacts that will prevent it from becoming more common? Or will we find ways to use it really productively, and it’ll be a great boost to teachers and pre-K students?” A significant factor is a worry that for the youngest students, technology, particularly personal devices like iPads, could detract from their developing communication and social skills. “One of the key concerns is developmentally appropriateness,” Berne says. “Teachers expressed concerns about children having too much screen time, which can detract from human interaction they deem necessary for social skills.” Plugged In But pre-K teachers are plenty plugged in. In addition to asking about AI, the RAND research, called “the spring 2025 American Public School Pre-K Teacher Survey,” also asked pre-K teachers about their use of instructional, curricular and administrative edtech products and services. The survey polled roughly 2,000 pre-K teachers working in public schools. Almost all of those surveyed — 98 percent — use online video or audio with their students, with 92 percent using it daily or weekly. Many teachers reported using videos or music for their students to give breaks for the students in between lessons and dance time. Interactive whiteboards were among the top edtech tools used with students, at 77 percent. The teachers reported using them because they are visually stimulating and tactile, while researchers estimate use is high because teachers are familiar with the tools, since they have been around for more than a decade. The researchers added in their report that the whiteboards are typically used in large-group settings, helping with socialization, versus games on devices that are individual-focused. Electronic device-enabled games were also used among more than half (64 percent) of pre-K classrooms, while 37 percent reported using digital educational programs. While that had the lowest usage among teachers, the report said those using educational programs found them very helpful, particularly with students learning English as a second language and children with disabilities. Ways Pre-K Teachers Use Edtech in the Classroom Data from the 2025 American Public School Pre-K Teacher Survey by RAND. And for administrative edtech products, the majority of teachers surveyed — 82 percent — use platforms for family communication, with 75 percent using these tools daily or at least weekly. Most teachers (84 percent) agreed edtech could be particularly helpful in communicating with families. Roughly the same amount (83 percent) used online and digital curriculum resources, though less than half (48 percent) used them daily or weekly. Over half also used assessment platforms and learning management systems (60 percent and 56 percent, respectively). A majority say it could be helpful for bringing the “outside world” to their students, such as going on virtual field trips. There was also an optimism in sharing resources with other teachers through digital platforms, to stop them from “reinventing the wheel,” according to one teacher. Ways Pre-K Teachers Think Edtech Is HelpfulData from the 2025 American Public School Pre-K Teacher Survey by RAND. One of the largest concerns from the RAND researchers was the “critical gap” between familiarity with educational technology products and how to actually assess those products. While 7 out of 10 preschool teachers reported receiving professional training about using edtech, less than 4 in 10 received professional training on assessing the quality of edtech products. Share of Pre-K Teachers Who Received Edtech TrainingData from the 2025 American Public School Pre-K Teacher Survey by RAND. “Especially as AI is evolving and the entire edtech landscape is evolving, it’s making it harder for teachers to know what is high and low quality,” Berne says. “So this is probably more important than ever.”

It’s not about a number. It’s about a new identity. I’m inviting you to run 1,000 kilometers (621.4 miles) this year. Yes, you. You, the reluctant runner. You, the teacher who “doesn’t do that.” Trust me. This is possible. I’ll break down the math in a minute, but for now I’ll just say this: you’ve got this in you. Listen. Ignore the 1,000 for a second, because this challenge is actually not about achieving a lofty number. It’s about changing your identity. It’s about permanently altering who you are and what you believe about yourself. It’s about adjusting how you show up and operate in the world, week in and week out. Your WHY You’ve been wanting to do something about your health for some time now. You know you should weigh about 20 pounds less than what you do. Your blood pressure should be lower. Your breathing should be stronger. Your energy should be higher. You want to be more emotionally generous with the people closest to you. Your body is starting to show signs of distress, and you aren’t getting any younger. I’m there too. The power of challenges and goals — even when we fail I first became a believer in health challenges for educators in 2021. It was the dark heart of COVID times, and educators were ready for anything that would offer some hope. I challenged myself and my fellow educators to complete 10,000 push-ups that year. It seemed like a ridiculously audacious number, but over 150 educators joined the challenge and agreed to log their push-ups in a single Google Sheet. At a time when everything in life was awful, this was great fun. (Check out this montage of educators doing their push-ups.) Many of them hit the 10,000 push-ups mark long before year’s end, and I was one of them. It turns out that when you do an increasing number of push-ups every day, they get easier and easier. The habit becomes your new normal. And the required daily average of 27.4 push-ups became cute — nothing like the imposing threat it seemed on January 1st. That’s what I want to happen in 2026 with the 1,000 km challenge. Yes, I posed this challenge last year. Yes, I failed to meet it. But my “fail” was also a new personal best: the 560 kilometers I ran on the year blew my previous years out of the water. I ran far, far more in my 47th year than I had ever run in my life. That fail tastes like a win, and I want more of it. You’ll enjoy the supportive community on Strava One reason that I never embraced running for many years of my adult life was the solitary nature of it. I leave my house. I jog somewhere. No one knows, sees, or cares. Yes. Part of being an adult is doing what matters — regardless of whether anyone sees or cares. But we all gain strength from the affirmation and encouragement of others. You’re naive to think otherwise. And what I’ve found on Strava is that whenever I log a run, friends and colleagues are there to support me. That means a lot. The math Here’s how much you’ll need to run on average to complete the 1,000 kilometer challenge. 83.3 km or 51.8 miles per month 19.2 km or 11.9 miles per week 2.7 km or 1.7 miles per day Focus on the number that seems most attainable to you. For me, that number is 19.2 kilometers per week. That number gives me confidence. I know I should be able to do that in a few good runs. Now let’s get out there and DO THIS. Congratulations to last year’s finishers I want to congratulate the 12 educators who attempted this challenge in 2025. We gave this a good shot, colleagues. Four were successful and deserve a ton of credit: Chris Kennedy , Edmond Chin, Edwin Leung, and Vanessa Neufeld. They inspire me greatly, and I’m glad to see that each has returned for another year. How to join us on Strava To join the Educators Challenge on Strava, you’ll need to do the following: Be a K-12 educator or directly support K-12 education in some way. Create a Strava account (I recommend logging in with Google). Look up “Tim Cavey” and connect with me — or anyone else that you know is currently in the Educators Challenge. Comment on anything that I post on Strava to say “Add me to the challenge!” I’ll make sure to connect with you and send you an invitation. Note that group challenges may require a premium subscription. Upgrade to a premium account (I have no affiliation with Strava). This may cost as high as $15/month, but in my mind, that’s a paltry price to pay if it motivates me to live a healthier lifestyle. One of the best subscription values out there, frankly. Wishing you a great 2026 Whether you accept this running challenge or not, fellow educator, I’m wishing you a healthy and sustainable year. Take care of yourself out there. We need you to be well. Tim

Listen to the interview with Marnie Diem: Sponsored by foundry10 and SchoolAI It’s that time again ~ the annual round-up of tech tools we think are worth a look this year. This year I really feel like there’s something for everyone: history teachers, math and science teachers, people who run makerspaces, teachers interested in music or podcasting, writing teachers, special ed teachers, and anyone whose course content could be made clearer through graphic organizers. Since 2015, I’ve done this round-up as a way to launch the yearly edition of the Teacher’s Guide to Tech, a PDF I published every year to help teachers find the tools they need to do their work better. The guide curates hundreds of tech tools, groups them into categories to help you find what you need quickly, explains each tool in plain language, then adds a link to the tool’s website and a video that shows the tool in action. It also includes a glossary of over 150 tech terms and a robust Tips section, with articles that explore how to use tech thoughtfully from all kinds of angles. Last year, we moved the entire guide to a fully web-based subscription model. Unlike the PDF version, which was only updated once a year, the web-based guide is refreshed year-round. In the past year, we’ve added 40 new tools and made dozens of corrections and changes as other tools evolved. We also removed 21 tools — this is just as important as adding in new tools, because a guide full of outdated links and tools that no longer exist is going to waste your time. Our goal is to carefully curate tools so you can find what you need and get back to teaching. Learn more about the guide in the video below: Subscriptions to the guide are available in 6-month or 1-year time frames, there are discounts for groups and for university students enrolled in teacher prep programs, and we accept purchase orders, so schools and districts can get subscriptions for a whole teaching staff. You can access the guide on any device, and if you’re someone who teaches with any kind of technology, I think you’ll find it an affordable, indispensable companion in that work. To learn more about the guide, go to teachersguidetotech.com. Joining me to talk about the six tools is Marnie Diem, the Lead Technology Specialist for Cult of Pedagogy. In the past year, Marnie has become the main person in charge of keeping the guide updated, along with a small, evolving team of people who also contribute — you can see them at teachersguidetotech.com/about. Marnie Diem Lead Technology Specialist for Cult of Pedagogy I asked Marnie to help me put the list of tools together for this year. On the podcast, we talk about each one. Below you’ll find a brief description of the tools, links directly to their websites, and videos that show how they work. The Tools 1. Makers Making Change makersmakingchange.com Makers Making Change provides a unique opportunity for teachers and schools to integrate engaging STEM learning with real-world social impact. Students can utilize 3D printing and electronics to build open-source assistive devices for people with disabilities, fostering empathy and problem-solving. This hands-on approach lets students to see the difference they can make in their community. STEM with Purpose, Hacking for the Holidays, and Clubs that Care are other opportunities provided by Makers Making Change. This platform is an incredible way to connect classroom lessons to meaningful community contributions. 2. BandLab bandlab.com Apple devices have Garage Band, and now computers and Chromebooks have BandLab! This completely free, interactive platform, which has an entire education side, allows teachers to create classrooms and enroll students so that they can learn to be music creators of their own! With built in instruments, and the ability to connect external instruments, students can create any musical tracks imaginable! Learn more about setting up your classroom and utilizing all that BandLab has to offer in this playlist. 3. Brilliant brilliant.org A treasure trove of interactive STEM learning, Brilliant offers teachers full access, free, through their educator program! Once the virtual classroom is created, teachers assign problem-solving based courses in math, science, and computer science to their students for enrichment, warm-ups, or supplementary learning. The platform allows teachers to easily track student progress and provides a unique way to make complex concepts accessible and fun, ultimately fostering a deeper understanding and love for STEM learning! 4. Napkin AI napkin.ai Napkin AI is a pretty amazing tool that helps you turn your text into eye-catching visuals, like diagrams and charts, in a snap! Imagine effortlessly creating engaging graphics for your lesson plans or presentations from your already-written descriptions and notes. Just paste in your information, and the AI will do the rest. You can even customize the visuals to perfectly fit your style and collaborate with colleagues in real-time. Plus, you can easily export your creations in various formats to share with your students. It’s a fantastic way to make learning more visual and engaging for everyone! 5. Short Answer myshortanswer.com This innovative platform allows teachers to seamlessly integrate writing prompts and anonymous peer feedback into existing lessons across all subjects, making writing an engaging and collaborative experience. Students benefit from an authentic audience, and the platform’s focus on social and emotional learning helps build confident writers. Beyond boosting core writing skills, it fosters critical thinking, communication, and collaboration while also providing teachers with in-the-moment writing examples and saving them valuable grading time. 6. Retro Report retroreport.org Retro Report is an independent nonprofit newsroom that offers a library of over 250 videos (and growing!) and classroom resources free to educators. The documentary videos revisit past events and explore their connections to today’s world. The platform offers free access to lesson plans, student activities, and discussion questions designed to enhance critical thinking skills. Users can browse content by subject, including U.S. history, science, and media literacy. The site emphasizes connecting historical context to modern issues, helping students understand the lasting impact of past events. YOUR ON-DEMAND GUIDE TO ED TECH The Teacher’s Guide to Tech is an online encyclopedia of technology, constantly updated and hand-curated for teachers by teachers. If you’re ready to cut through the noise and get back to teaching, it’s exactly what you need. LEARN MORE Come back for more. Join our mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration that will make your teaching more effective and fun. You’ll get access to our members-only library of free downloads, including 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, the e-booklet that has helped thousands of teachers save time on grading. Over 50,000 teachers have already joined—come on in. The post 6 Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2026 first appeared on Cult of Pedagogy.

 Elara stood on B Street NE, the railroad tracks humming faintly behind her like an unfinished sentence, their metallic groan vibrating through the parched earth. The house loomed small, weathered wood buckling under time's relentless weight, its faded clapboards splintering like cracked porcelain. Dust swirled in the drought-stricken air, coating her tongue with a gritty, forgotten taste.

I’ve been reflecting on our OK2Ask session about Thinking Routines and SEL skills. Specifically, with increasing student needs around social-emotional learning, I’ve been thinking about how we can make these routines even more powerful in our classrooms when it comes to learning history. I love using thinking routines because they serve multiple purposes in the classroom. They can be quick anchors to a lesson for novice teachers or substitutes, giving them a reliable structure to fall back on. More importantly, thinking routines create space for every student to have a voice in the learning process. Unlike traditional classroom discussions where the same few hands go up, thinking routines promote real engagement by asking all students to think, process, and share their ideas. This combination of accessibility and engagement makes them particularly valuable tools for building both academic understanding and social-emotional skills. The Challenge with Historical Role Play Understanding history is a natural place to develop SEL competencies. According to CASEL, perspective-taking is a core competency of SEL, and roleplaying is a common way to help students develop those skills. The problem, however, is that many times students don’t really have the depth of knowledge—or content knowledge—to authentically embody a historical figure. A middle schooler simply doesn’t have the lived experience or contextual understanding to truly “become” Thomas Jefferson or Eleanor Roosevelt. This gap can make role plays feel shallow or even misleading. It may be better instructionally to use an AI chatbot as the historical figure, allowing students to engage in genuine dialogue with a well-informed “character” rather than relying on their limited understanding. When students engage with historical figures through AI, they practice this skill in a dynamic, personalized way. They learn to see things from others’ points of view, which helps them think flexibly. They practice active listening by truly hearing and understanding different perspectives. Also, they learn to work with others through thinking interdependently about complex historical issues. You can set up historical characters using ChatGPT (reviewed here), Perplexity (reviewed here) or SchooAI (reviewed here). Add a set of instructions telling the chatbot to respond in character and then give your students their anchor questions, from a perspective-taking thinking routine like the ones below. You could provide a graphic organizer for students to complete for accountability during their activity, which will also make assessment easier. Make a point of reviewing your behavioral expectations before students start.  Thinking Routines for Historical Characters Try the Step In, Step Out, Step Back thinking routine: Step In: Students ask the AI historical figure what that person thinks, feels, knows, and cares about regarding a topic or issue from their historical time period. Step Out: Students identify questions and information gaps, then discuss these with the chatbot. Step Back: Students examine how exploring this perspective deepened their understanding of the issue’s complexity. Try this prompt structure to set up your chatbot: Imagine you are [name of historical figure], speaking from the perspective of [time period or major life event]. Stay in character at all times. Answer questions and discuss your experiences, beliefs, and discoveries as if you are really [historical figure] addressing a modern student. Foster understanding by explaining why you made certain decisions, how your life shaped your values, and how you feel about the events you lived through. Please also: Be open about your challenges, regrets, and achievements. Use language and knowledge appropriate to your time, but relate ideas so students today can understand. Respond warmly to questions about empathy, motivation, and your thought process. Invite questions from the student to keep the conversation going. End each interaction with a reflective question, such as: “How do you think you would have acted in my situation?” or “What lessons from my life apply to your world today?” For elementary students or those needing additional support, try the Step Inside routine. Have students interact with the chatbot and ask: What do you perceive (see/know)? What do you believe? What do you care about? Here’s an elementary-friendly AI chatbot prompt: Pretend you are [name of historical figure], talking to a kid in [grade]. Please use short, easy sentences and speak in a kind, friendly way. Tell stories about your life, your family, and your favorite things to do. Be ready to explain what you did and how it made you feel. Ask fun questions back, like: “What would you have done if you were me?” or “Do you think you would have liked living in my time?” Make sure you help me understand new words if I ask! If I ask you something tricky, help me by breaking it down and giving examples I will understand. Building Empathy Through Multiple Perspectives The real power of this approach comes when you ask students to use these routines and chatbot conversations to examine different viewpoints on the same historical issue. Rather than just hearing one side of a story, students can step into multiple historical figures’ perspectives—perhaps talking with both Wong Kim Ark, a Chinese immigrant affected by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and President Arthur who signed it into law—or for younger students, President Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee. This gives students the opportunity to reflect on similarities and differences between perspectives and to genuinely empathize with each side. When students see that historical figures on opposing sides often had legitimate concerns, complex motivations, and human struggles, they can develop a more nuanced understanding of history. More importantly, they practice the kind of perspective-taking and empathy that serves them well in their own diverse, complex world. Now It’s Your Turn—Try It Out! Whether you’re teaching about revolutionary figures, immigration policy, or civil rights leaders, this combination of thinking routines and AI chatbots can help your students develop both content knowledge and essential SEL skills. The key is thoughtful implementation that keeps students at the center of the learning experience. I’d love to hear how you might use this strategy in your own classroom or with your teachers. What historical period or topic would you explore? Which thinking routine seems like the best fit for your students? Drop a comment below or reach out to share your ideas—I’m always excited to learn from what you’re doing in your schools! The Step In, Step Out, Step Back thinking routine was developed as part of the PZ Connect project at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education. The Step Inside thinking routine was adapted as part of the Visible Thinking project at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education.

 Welcome to an interview with William Lynn, Osage Tribal Member and geologist for the Osage Minerals Council https://youtu.be/xKa6B-OilTN0 <>Key takeaways • Bill Lynn is an Osage tribal member who works as a petroleum geologist for the Osage Minerals Council • The Osage language is at risk with the last fluent speaker having passed away in 2000 • The Begey Hall Preservation Society was created to preserve the language of five tribes that speak the Osage language • Osage culture emphasizes humility, respect, and connection to family traditions • The Osage Nation has a rich history connected to oil and gas development on their reservation • Traditional Osage dances (Ilonzka) are held in June with specific cultural protocols and regalia • Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Pawhuska features stained glass windows depicting Osage people, created with special permission from the Pope interview with William Lynn, Osage Tribal Member and geologist for the Osage Minerals Council Brief Biography Bill is Wazhazhe, an Osage tribal member and shareholder that works as a petroleum geologist for the Osage Minerals Council. Other than going off to college he remains on the Osage Reservation in Pawhuska, manages his family allotments and spends most of his time in search of those elusive hydrocarbons. As a catechist and fourth degree Knights of Columbus he serves at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. A direct descendant of Chief Pawhuska, Bill’s indian name is Kiheka Ta of the Tsi Zho Washtaki clan and is on the Wakakoli Dodaha (Pawhuska dance committee). Elected to the first Osage National Council in 1994, helped create and implement the court system, all criminal and civil laws and code of ethics as well as an Elders Council focusing mainly on Indian housing. With the loss of the last fluent Osage speaker in 2000, he assisted setting up the Osage Nation language department and is Chairman of the Dhegiha Preservation Society, a not for profit created to perpetuate the language of the five tribes that speak our language pro bono. Interview with Susan Nash, Ph.D.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome to 2026, which is somehow my TWELFTH year of blogging about educational technology and classroom ideas, and sharing my reflections with all of you. I’ve fallen off the wagon a bit when it comes to posting, but I’m still here! Here’s a quick glimpse into some changes since I last shared ... Read More about Creating Gems in Gemini The post Creating Gems in Gemini appeared first on Teaching with Technology.

 There is something curiously appealing about creating AI-generated videos using verbal prompts with programs such as SORA and then uploading them to YouTube.  To me, there are a few aspects that are quite compelling.  First, the concept tests your ability to tell a story in 10 short seconds, and then to make it have a clear visual narrative, even without a voice-over.  Second, the idea is to inspire collaboration or, at the very least, a participative

Technology should serve as a bridge that connects students rather than a wall that isolates them. Curipod™ helps fulfill the true promise of educational technology by shifting the focus from passive clicking to active student voice. The post Amplify Student Voice and Redefine Classroom Possibilities appeared first on Teacher Tech with Alice Keeler.

Keeping Predatory People Out of the Library: Know the Signs of Harm Part of the Library 2.0 Service, Safety, and Security Series with Dr. Steve Albrecht OVERVIEW:  This webinar covers predatory individuals in your library who pose threats to patrons, staff, and others through dangerous behaviors and activities. This particularly includes those who groom minors or at-risk women for sexual exploitation, as well as a small subset of highly unstable people potentially among your library’s homeless patrons (where housing status is not the root cause of the danger but is identifiably correlated with underlying issues). An example of grooming behavior. A disturbing story from Portland, Oregon details the December 6, 2025 arrest of a 23-year-old man at the Central Library for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl who had run away from home. The suspect had met the girl outside the library and had assaulted her over a span of three days in a motel. She was able to get help when she went into the library to use the restroom and notified the staff, who called Portland Police. Homeless patrons identified as predatory. We can define these individuals as having four distinct behaviors: untreated and out-of-control drug/alcohol use; untreated and out-of-control mental illness; frequent and hostile criminal justice system contact; and long-term, chronic homelessness. They often use violence to threaten, steal, or harm others. They are completely different than the majority of homeless patrons who use the library correctly. These two types illustrate the concern all library leaders and staff should have when they see individuals inside the library who may be engaging in grooming behaviors, aimed at at-risk women or minor children, or the small number of homeless who seek to prey on other patrons or staff with aggressive, or even life-threatening behaviors. Much of our response as library staff to these potentially harmful situations will involve careful observations, awareness of warning signs, confirmation conversations with co-workers and bosses, and the power of intuition–when things and people seem wrong. All staff need to know what to do, who to call, when to do it, and how to intervene, safely and effectively. And we will need to create good relationships with the police to make sure they respond appropriately. LEARNING AGENDA:  Child exploitation cases connected to the library can range from in-person or online grooming behaviors from pedophiles targeting minor children, to prostitution recruitment efforts by pimps, to sexual assaults in the restrooms or hidden parts of the stacks. All library staff must be aware of grooming or contact-seeking behaviors and not rely only on “profiles” of loitering men who seek conversations with children not related to them or with at-risk women. How to intervene without making a public scene, but before it’s too late. Grooming prevention resources like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) taskforces, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) websites. How to identify and prevent disruptive access by predatory homeless people. DATE: Thursday, Jan 15, 2026, 2:00 - 3:00 pm US - Eastern Time COST: $99/person - includes live attendance and any-time access to the recording and the presentation slides and receiving a participation certificate. To arrange group discounts (see below), to submit a purchase order, or for any registration difficulties or questions, email admin@library20.com. TO REGISTER:  Click HERE to register and pay. You can pay by credit card. You will receive an email within a day with information on how to attend the webinar live and how you can access the permanent webinar recording. If you are paying for someone else to attend, you'll be prompted to send an email to admin@library20.com with the name and email address of the actual attendee.   If you need to be invoiced or pay by check, if you have any trouble registering for a webinar, or if you have any questions, please email admin@library20.com. NOTE: Please check your spam folder if you don't receive your confirmation email within a day. SPECIAL GROUP RATES (email admin@library20.com to arrange): Multiple individual log-ins and access from the same organization paid together: $75 each for 3+ registrations, $65 each for 5+ registrations. Unlimited and non-expiring access for those log-ins. The ability to show the webinar (live or recorded) to a group located in the same physical location or in the same virtual meeting from one log-in: $299. Large-scale institutional access for viewing with individual login capability: $499 (hosted either at Library 2.0 or in Niche Academy). Unlimited and non-expiring access for those log-ins. DR. STEVE ALBRECHT Since 2000, Dr. Steve Albrecht has trained thousands of library employees in 28+ states, live and online, in service, safety, and security. His programs are fast, entertaining, and provide tools that can be put to use immediately in the library workspace with all types of patrons. He has written 27 books, including: Library Security: Better Communication, Safer Facilities (ALA, 2015); The Safe Library: Keeping Users, Staff, and Collections Secure (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023); The Library Leader’s Guide to Human Resources: Keeping it Real, Legal, and Ethical (Rowman & Littlefield, May 2025); and The Library Leader's Guide to Employee Coaching: Building a Performance Culture One Meeting at a Time (Rowman & Littlefield, June 2026). Steve holds a doctoral degree in Business Administration (D.B.A.), an M.A. in Security Management, a B.A. in English, and a B.S. in Psychology. He is board-certified in HR, security management, employee coaching, and threat assessment. He lives in Springfield, Missouri, with seven dogs and two cats. More on The Safe Library at thesafelibrary.com. Follow on X (Twitter) at @thesafelibrary and on YouTube @thesafelibrary. Dr. Albrecht's professional website is drstevealbrecht.com. OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS:  January 14, 2026  January 20, 2026  Starts January 21, 2026

Discover essential Google Workspace AI features for teachers in 2026! Enhance learning with tools like Google Gemini, Vids, and NotebookLM—free for educators. Are you overwhelmed by the demands of lesson planning and student engagement? Imagine having access to cutting-edge AI tools that can streamline your workflow and enhance the learning experience in your classroom. The 2025-2026 school year introduces a suite of powerful features in Google Workspace for Education designed specifically to help you save time and unlock student creativity. In this blog post, you'll discover how Google Gemini acts as your personal AI teaching assistant, allowing you to generate lesson plans and assessments in seconds. With features like Deep Research and interactive quizzes, your students can engage with complex topics more effectively than ever before. Plus, you'll learn how to create custom AI Gems tailored to your classroom needs, making your teaching more efficient and personalized. Don't miss out on the opportunity to transform your teaching practice. Click through to explore practical tips, real-life examples, and step-by-step guidance on integrating these innovative tools into your classroom. Are you ready to elevate your teaching and engage your students like never before? Read more at TeacherCast Educational Network | Developing Standards-Based Instructional Technology Integration

Today I’m taking a break from blogging to wish all of you who celebrate a merry Christmas.  If you’re in a cold and/or wet climate, be warm and dry.  Hug your loved ones and relish some downtime.  Be safe and take care. See you all soon. (photo by JLS Photography)

Maren has done a reflective look back over the year, so I thought I’d chip in with one too. In my last post listing my favourite albums of the year, I riffed off the title of folk-punk artist Sunny War’s album (Armageddon in a Sunny Dress) to say it was like eating french toast in a riot. That can stand as a summary of my personal year – it’s been a freaking nightmare politically, socially and environmentally. I mean, when future historians (if there are any left) look back, they’ll be going “what the hell happened in 2025??”. But personally it’s been a very positive year. I feel slightly guilty about that, but as Toi Derricotte (and then The Idles) claimed, joy is an act of resistance. They want you to feel hopeless, and that nothing’s worth it. That is a tactic. So, enough about the riot/armageddon side of the equation, let’s focus on that french toast/sunny dress side. The main highlights are that we got married in September at a lovely little ceremony that was just the way we wanted it. And I published my first novel, and am already nearing completion of the second one (which is waaaaay better). Keep on blogging: With this post, I published 48 blog posts, so roughly maintained a post-a-week rhythm which has been my norm for the past few years.. I wondered if I would maintain this after I left the OU, without the steady content that work, research and being part of higher ed provided. While the focus may have shifted, the blog remains a constant means of working through ideas. I had 28K visitors this year, some way down from those heady days of around a million, but you know, better quality ones. It’s this or a motorbike. My vinyl instagram account has carried on steadily. I toyed with the idea of actively trying to grow the number of followers, playing all the IG games of engagement, but decided against it. I like taking the pics, thinking about what to write and engaging with some other vinyl heads but I’m not really after being an influencer. I posted 255 pics, and gained about 900 followers and had around 120K views. I enjoyed the May vinyl challenge, and doing the end of year countdown as well as my own little game of Shark Week with shark related lyrics and Van Morrison albums out in the wild in West Wales. It’s not all about posting. I relented somewhat on having my 6 different things on the go and instead focused much more on writing as a central activity. But I left the house on occasion also. Maren and I did a year of 10K races, which my body resolutely refused to improve the pace for. I joined Cadw, and Teilo and I visited some castles. I averaged 4.3 miles a day, which while not epic, is a decent plod. Books, books, books, etc. I set a target (I know setting targets is stoopid, but hey), to read 150 books this year and managed that. Nonfiction highlights: Everything is Tuberculosis, The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code, One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This and Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics. Music books: The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman, Never Understood: The Jesus and Mary Chain, John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs, A Fabulous Creation: How the LP Saved Our Lives, and Bodies. Horror novels: When the Wolf Comes Home, NOS4A2, Slewfoot, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter and Bury Your Gays. So, 2025 is wrapped. I’m hoping next year is as fulfilling personally, but with less armageddony flavours.

Also on January 1st: It’s Public Domain Day! This is an observance of when copyrights expire and works enter into the public domain–free for all to use. According to Public Domain Review, here are some of the newly available artistic works you might like a/o January 1, 2026: The picture above is interactive on the website. If you click it, you enter Public Domain Review’s website and can then explore each of these new sources of inspiration, free to use. A few recently released that caught my attention:     Copyright ©2026 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.

How did a new running habit transform one educator’s life? What’s brewing in the coffee world, and what is one bean that we need to try? How can we take our own next steps of personal and professional growth in 2026? About this guest, Edmond Chin Edmond is a runner, coffee connoisseur, and high school teacher in Vancouver, Canada. He’s also a colleague and personal friend of the host, Tim Cavey, which makes this episode extra special. Connect with Edmond on LinkedIn,  on X @EdmondC87, and on Instagram @edmondc87 In This Conversation 0:00:00 – Edmond Chin is a runner, coffee connoisseur, and high school teacher in Vancouver. 1:35 – Edmond’s running story: how and why it started 5:22 – The challenge of building the habit 6:26 – The benefits of a running habit 8:55 – Keys to consistency 13:16 – Edmond’s running goals for 2026 18:46 – How Edmond’s coffee quest began 20:36 – Coffee highlights from 2025 22:47 – Why teachers should cultivate passions outside of the classroom 24:37 – Edmond’s professional goals for this year 26:13 – How and where to connect with Edmond Chin online Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse – retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library athttps://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

Graphic novels have long been an excellent medium to engage students in reading. Some of the benefits of graphic novels include:Dual-Coding - Having both a visual representation and a text description provides students with two ways to consume, process, and recall the information being presented.Inference Skills - Students have to mentally bridge the gap between Panel A (a character reaching for a doorknob) and Panel B (the character standing in an open room), which encourages high-level cognitive participation in the reading process.Accessibility - The visuals help reduce cognitive load, allowing students to focus their mental energy on the text itself. Also the