Author: TeachThought Staff
by TeachThought Staff Definition: Duolingo is a popular language-learning platform that provides free online courses in multiple languages. Audience: K-12 Teachers, Students It offers a gamified approach to language learning, making it engaging and interactive for users. Duolingo offers courses in over 40 languages, including widely spoken languages like English, Spanish, French, German, and Chinese, as well as less commonly taught languages like Swahili, Welsh, and Navajo. The platform uses a combination of reading, writing, listening, and speaking exercises to help users develop their language skills. Lessons are structured into various topics, covering vocabulary, grammar, and sentence construction. Duolingo incorporates…
by TeachThought Staff There are many ways to encourage a child, but for students of any age, honest, authentic, and persistent messages from adults that have credibility in their eyes are among the most powerful. The National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning has put together the following list, 50 Ways To Encourage A Child. It was designed for younger students (head start/kindergarten), but with the exception of 4, 17, 21, and maybe 40, they’re actually useful for K-12 in general. It all depends on your tone, the situation, and who else is listening. In addition, they’ve got a couple of…
Transform Education By Building A Legacy Of Teacher-Principal Partnership contributed by Joe Griffin, PhD Abstract Collaboration between teachers and principals is essential for creating thriving educational communities that enhance student achievement and teacher performance. This article explores the transformative power of a collaborative, unified approach, emphasizing the need for intentional, purpose-driven collaboration. It outlines strategies and principles for fostering a culture of mutual respect, trust, and shared vision, highlighting teachers and principals’ critical roles in student success. By addressing the current challenges in education, promoting professional development, and prioritizing emotional well-being, this article provides a comprehensive guide for educators committed…
For better or for worse, visual information is the new internet, and infographics are pioneers in mashing information and images together in a way that hopefully tells a story, provides utility, or both. You need a few basic ‘things’ to create infographics. 1. A tool that works (below, we have eight ) 2. Reliable data sources 3. Something to say (that’s up to you) Now, to create quality infographics is a bit more involved, but itself can be reduced to practice and observation. Pay attention to the infographics that catch your eye, give you worthwhile information, and give it a shot yourself. Get…
Information and Communication Overloading (ICO) and “Mindful Media” contributed by Dr. Domenico Meschino In today’s digital age, children are immersed in many online activities that shape their daily lives. Social media has become integral to their social landscape, with platforms like YouTube capturing their attention. These platforms serve as virtual gathering places where children connect with friends, share photos and videos, and express themselves through posts and stories. It’s not uncommon for children to follow and interact with influencers, celebrities, and content creators, seeking inspiration and attempting to emulate their lifestyles and trends. Another realm of children’s digital engagement lies…
15 Alternatives To Report Cards In The K-12 Classroom by TeachThought Staff Like lunchboxes (or brown paper sacks), field trips, and textbooks, report cards are iconic–symbols of traditional classrooms and traditional approaches to education. In its name, the purpose of a ‘report card’ is plain enough: to report on progress. But it’s not that simple. Letter grades (and alternatives to letter grades) can ‘stick’ with a student forever. When combined over time, letter grades result in a grade point average, an innocent-sounding term that can be the difference between, among other effects, a student being accepted into their choice of college…
contributed by Dr. Kymm Ballard, Executive Director for SPARK Think about any time you’ve seen “army boot camp” portrayed in pop culture — are you picturing the traditional drill sergeant, ordering his troops to do endless laps and push-ups, as punishment for their errors that day? Now, with that scenario in your mind, imagine it being played out by children and teenagers at school — and instead of drill sergeants, their teachers are at the helm. Believe it or not, it’s actually quite common in certain areas of the country for teachers to have students do physical activities as punishment for misbehaving.…
Labeling a book “great” is a matter of opinion, but when you pile together the opinion of 13 other book-loving folks, you start to get somewhere close to credibility. Alistofbooks.com compiles 13 lists of the greatest books ever published, using contributions from individuals and organizations ranging from The Harvard Book Store to the BBC. Below, then, is one take on the 623 greatest books ever published–100 included below, and below that a link to the other 523. This just might be the only reading list you ever need in terms of classic and modern literature. 100 Of The Best English-Published…
How To Filter Your Email using Search Operators by TeachThought Staff It’s almost 2025, and I’m on what seems to be a never-ending question make email better. As much as I ‘don’t like email,’ I don’t like phone calls either, but guess what? Sometimes, they’re necessary. It’s impressive that though email is older than the Internet itself, it remains the de facto form of modern communication in many industries. (The fact that my children pretend not to know how to use their email addresses leads me to believe that its days may be numbered.) When computer engineer Ray Tomlinson sent…
What Are Google Search Operators? by TeachThought Staff Google search operators are special characters and commands you can use to refine your search queries on Google. They help narrow down results by specifying more precisely what you’re looking for. For example, using quotation marks (“”) around a phrase will return results with that exact phrase. The minus sign (-) excludes certain words or phrases from the search results. The site: operator limits results to a specific website or domain, and the filetype: operator searches for specific file types like PDFs or DOCs. These operators are useful for advanced searches, making…