Author: TeachThought Staff

by TeachThought Staff You want to teach with what’s been proven to work. That makes sense. In the ‘data era’ of education that’s mean research-based instructional strategies to drive data-based teaching, and while there’s a lot to consider here we’d love to explore more deeply, for now we’re just going to take a look at the instructional strategies themselves. See also Hattie’s Index Of Effect Sizes. But upside to sharing this information as a post is that it can act a starting point to research the above, which is why we’ve tried to include links, related content, and suggested reading…

by TeachThought Staff What is ‘3 Before Me’? ‘3 Before Me’ is a simple classroom strategy–arguably both a teaching and learning strategy–that requires that when students experience a challenge, they must first ask three different people for help before reaching out to the teacher. An evolution of that strategy? When students become ‘stuck,’ they must first try to solve the problem in three different ways before asking the teacher. This makes it more flexible. You can require students to ask one person and seek two resources or two people and one resource. You also can group students in your classroom…

These science apps give students practical ways to explore and test scientific ideas through models, simulations, and guided play. Everything Machine (Tinybop) Ages: 7+Price: PaidDescription: Build simple “machines” from device sensors (camera, mic, light, gyro) for cause-and-effect and prototyping. Star Walk 2 Ages: All agesPrice: Free with in-app purchasesDescription: Point at the sky to identify stars, planets, constellations, and satellites; includes AR mode and time controls. Short demo. The Elements / The Elements in Action Ages: 9+Price: Paid (each)Description: Visual periodic table and companion video app with properties, histories, and real-world applications. Froggipedia Ages: 10+Price: PaidDescription: AR exploration of frog…

contributed by Meg Price, the ei experience Social-emotional learning (SEL) by definition is a process for learning life skills, including how to deal with oneself, others, and relationships, and work in an effective manner. Although there are many great SEL programs, SEL can also be incorporated into each lesson as a way of teaching students to understand how to action the skills in a variety of situations and form positive habits. All students start school with some level of social and emotional skills, and all will develop their social and emotional skills at different rates. Parents and teachers are both…

Google Drive released on April 24, 2012 and in the last decade+, some things have changed. Students and educators have a wealth of learning and productivity tools available to them online. Google offers some of the highest-quality resources on the web to meet all your study and teaching needs, and all you need to access them is an internet connection.So in addition to the most common way–storing and organizing your own files–here are 39 more ways to get started using Google Drive in Google Workspace for Education stores files in the cloud and manages access by user identity. File ownership…

Digital portfolios help students document growth, reflect on learning, and share progress over time. The tools below work across grade levels (K–20) and disciplines. Seesaw Best for: PreK–8  |  Platform: Web, iOS, Android  |  Price: Free tier; school/district plans available Student-friendly portfolios with voice, video, drawings, and family access. Easy teacher feedback and timelines of learning. Teachers can assign activities, track growth, and share student progress with parents securely.   SpacesEDU Best for: Grades 6–12 & higher ed  |  Platform: Web, iOS, Android  |  Price: Free basic; advanced district features available Competency- and standards-aligned portfolios with goal-setting, evidence uploads, and…

From quick classroom projects to advanced productions, these editors cover K–20 needs. (Links checked October 14, 2025.) Best Free Video Editors DaVinci Resolve Price: Free (Studio upgrade available)Summary: Pro-grade editing, color, audio, and VFX in one app. Strong choice for media programs and advanced students on macOS/Windows/Linux. Shotcut Price: Free, open sourceSummary: Cross-platform editor with wide format support. Good balance of usability and capability for school laptops and labs. OpenShot Price: Free, open sourceSummary: Beginner-friendly timeline editor for cuts, titles, and simple effects on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Blender (Video Sequence Editor) Price: Free, open sourceSummary: Primarily a 3D suite,…

Piaget Learning Theory: Stages Of Cognitive Development by TeachThought Staff Jean Piaget (1896-1980) was a Swiss psychologist and one of the most influential figures in developmental psychology. Piaget is best known for his pioneering work on the cognitive development of children. His research revolutionized our understanding of how children learn and grow intellectually. He proposed that children actively construct their knowledge through stages, each characterized by distinct ways of thinking and understanding the world. His theory, ‘Piaget’s stages of cognitive development,’ has profoundly impacted formal education, emphasizing the importance of tailoring teaching methods to a child’s cognitive developmental stage rather…

20+ Teacher Tools To Create Online Assessments (2025) Build quick checks, quizzes, exams, and performance tasks with the classroom-ready tools below. For broader teaching stacks, see Teacher Productivity Tools, MOOCs for Teachers & Students, and Essential EdTech Tools. Online Assessment Tools URL for this post: https://www.teachthought.com/technology/teacher-tools-to-create-online-assessments/ TeachThought Staff 2025-10-04 02:52:00 Source link

At their core, tools like Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky are built at a scale—and with algorithms—that are well beyond the grasp of any classroom teacher or even most schools. Recently–and in ways, not so recently–social media has emphasized itself as, at best, a set of ‘tools’ driven not by ‘socialization’ but algorithms designed to ‘engage’ users. If families, and workplaces, and institutions, and entire governments can’t figure this out, why should teachers be expect to? Or, more immediately, what *should* teachers be responsible for? The Myth of Adequate Classroom Control Take privacy, for example. Recent research makes clear that student…