Author: TeachThought Staff

A Conversion Chart For Reading Level Measurement Tools by TeachThought Staff If you’ve used AR (Accelerated Reader) as a reading motivation tool to set goals and track progress, you’re undoubtedly aware of its ability to assess general reading levels as well. The problem is, measuring reading level is really outside of its sweet spot as a literacy tool, with better resources available from DRA, DIBELS, Lexile, Reading Recovery, and Rigby, among others. There is also the issue of availability, with most schools only using one or two of these tools, primarily in early elementary school. But what happens if you…

by TeachThought Staff At TeachThought, we’re interested supporters of any learning taxonomy. (We even created our own, the TeachThought Learning Taxonomy.) Learning taxonomies help us think about how learning happens, highlighting that there are many ways to frame thinking. Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy Verbs adapt Bloom’s original cognitive framework for digital learning, helping K-12 teachers integrate technology while building essential thinking skills. The taxonomy organizes digital actions into levels like remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating, each with tech-based verbs that support specific learning goals. This means that we can have taxonomies for differentiation and taxonomies for thinking and taxonomies for…

by TeachThought Staff Bloom’s Taxonomy’s verbs–also known as power verbs or thinking verbs–are extraordinarily powerful instructional planning tools. In fact, in addition to concepts like backward design and power standards, they are one of the most useful tools a teacher-as-learning-designer has access to. Why? As research has suggested, they can be used for assessment design, curriculum design, lesson planning, personalizing and differentiating learning, and almost any other ‘thing’ a teacher–or student–has to do. For example, if a standard asks students to infer and demonstrate an author’s position using evidence from the text, there’s a lot built into that kind of…

by TeachThought Staff At TeachThought, we’re enthusiastic supporters of any learning taxonomy. (We even created our own, the TeachThought Learning Taxonomy.) Put simply, learning taxonomies help us think about how learning happens. Even if they’re ‘not good’ as we’ve often seen the DOK framework described, they still highlight that there are many ways to frame thinking and give us practice in realizing that potential. Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy Verbs adapt Bloom’s original cognitive framework for digital learning, helping K-12 teachers integrate technology while building essential thinking skills. The taxonomy organizes digital actions into levels like remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating,…

by TeachThought Staff At TeachThought, we’ve described Bloom’s Taxonomy as “a hierarchical ordering of cognitive skills that can, among countless other uses, help teachers teach and students learn.” Whether you’re designing instruction, evaluating an assessment, or observing a classroom, Bloom’s remains a powerful tool for understanding how thinking happens—and how we can better support it through intentional lesson design. Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy builds on this framework by aligning those same cognitive levels—Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create—with common digital tools, media, and tasks. In doing so, it helps educators design technology-rich lessons that promote thinking, not just digital busywork. The…

1. Brian Johnson: How to teach ‘for’ students, not ‘at’ them Big Idea: Educators should prioritize student engagement by teaching for students, fostering active participation rather than passive reception. In his talk, Brian Johnson emphasizes the importance of shifting from traditional lecture-based teaching to a more interactive approach that centers on students’ needs and perspectives. He argues that by creating a classroom environment where students feel heard and involved, educators can enhance learning outcomes and foster a deeper connection to the material. 2. Melonie D. Parker: Advice for leaders on creating a culture of belonging Big Idea: Cultivating a sense…

by TeachThought Staff The activities below are designed to be simple, flexible, and fun, making them perfect for learners of all ages, whether you’re a parent, teacher, or an independent learner. Because this is a single post/article post (and not a full lesson plan or curriculum), we’ve focused on quick, inspiring ideas rather than step-by-step instructions. Most can be done with household materials or free online tools, and many can be extended or simplified depending on your child’s interest and age. See also 50 Project-Based Learning Ideas 50 Ideas For Simple STEM Activities For Kids 1. Balloon-Powered CarBuild a simple…

by TeachThought Staff There is a difference between gamification and game-based learning, and this post focuses on the latter. Essentially, game-based learning means to learn through games. Learn what and how–and through what games–is the less straight-forward part. There is seemingly a disconnect between what students learn while playing games (e.g., problem-solving, visual-spatial thinking, collaboration, resource management) and the pure academic standards most teachers are interested in promoting mastery of. But there is also the simple truth that few things are as engaging–for adults and students alike–as a well-designed video game, which might just make the following list of smart…

by TeachThought Staff In The Difference Between Between Gamification and Game-Based Learning, we learned the difference between the two. “Gamification is first and foremost about encouragement mechanics and the system that promotes them, while game-based learning is first and foremost about the game and its cognitive residue (whether from the game’s content, or academic content). One can use the other.” What do we need to know to teaching through games? Your First Level: A Guide to Game-Based Learning for K-20 Educators Video games captivate students in a way few other mediums can. Their immersive worlds, engaging challenges, and instant feedback…

If correctly prepared for, a Socratic seminar can be a powerful catalyst for social learning. Many teachers we know have remarked that individual and collective insights and experiences from Socratic seminars are the moments that most impact students, the moments they remember most poignantly. Simply put, the Socratic method is an ongoing dialogue that uses questions and answers to gradually eliminate hypotheses. Grant Wiggins offered a definition for the Socratic Seminar — something he would also call simply a ‘Seminar’: “A Seminar is a question-focused, student-led, and teacher-facilitated discussion, based on appropriate texts. Sometimes we call this activity a ‘Socratic…