Jan 10, 2020

To Lead Others and to Be Led…

Merriam-Webster defines “mentor” as “a trusted counselor or guide.” The actual origin of the word dates back to the end of the eighth century when Homer wrote The Odyssey. Mentor was a trusted friend of Homer and he stayed behind during war to watch over Odysseus’ son. The word was then adapted to mean “someone who teaches or gives help and advice.”

Jan 03, 2020

Using Conflict to Engage Students in Active Learning

My previous blog discussed how to structure classroom projects into stories. There are five elements of a story you must consider when creating an epic project: theme, plot, setting, characters, and conflict. I’d like to dive deeper into one of those elements: conflict.

Dec 13, 2019

Our Top 5 Resources in November 2019

By Taylor Kremer

Each month we publish blogs and several newsletters full of digital learning, funding, professional growth, social media, and STEM resources. Below are items from our blogs and newsletters that educators turned to the most in November.

Dec 06, 2019

The Partnership of Technology and Social–Emotional Learning in Education

Students come to school with, as Dr. Adolph Brown describes, two backpacks. One of the backpacks contains academic tools, such as pencils, calculators, and textbooks, that represent their readiness to learn. The second backpack represents the invisible emotional weight that burdens each student entering our school buildings. Anxiety, stress, rage, self-doubt, and low self-worth resulting from bullying, child abuse, substance abuse, and neglect cannot be unpacked and shoved into a school locker. This backpack accompanies students throughout the school day and impacts their engagement, attentiveness, and interactions. Educators don’t always see the contents of this backpack, yet they witness its negative impact on student learning every day. So how can educators and leaders reach these students? How can we unburden them and teach them coping and relationship skills that allow them to participate in their education fully?

Nov 22, 2019

How to Use Storytelling to Inspire Epic Learning in Your Classroom

How many times have you listened to a lecture, memorized the information, and passed the exam only to be unable to recall most of what you learned just weeks later? How many times have you read a powerful story or watched a movie and been able to recall the plot years later? Information presented in a story doesn’t fade away after it’s been used; it sticks in the mind, ready to be accessed and used at any time.

Nov 15, 2019

Our Top 5 Resources in October 2019

Each month we publish blogs and several newsletters full of digital learning, funding, professional growth, social media, and STEM resources. Below are items from our blogs and newsletters that educators turned to the most in October.

Nov 08, 2019

Six Steps to Crafting a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign

With all of the great success stories out there about crowdfunding, you may be wondering if it’s time to give it a try. Crowdfunding can be a helpful resource to support a special project, but only if you take the time to craft a compelling campaign. Here are the steps to take to ensure your project is successfully funded.

Nov 01, 2019

Bolster Emotional Learning In and Out of the Classroom

In the last few years, social and emotional learning (SEL) has increasingly become one of the most prevalent topics in education. Educators around the world are incorporating SEL into their classrooms and, according to the article “Reflecting on Social Emotional Learning: A Critical Perspective on Trends in the United States” by Dianne M. Hoffman, there are several benefits of teaching SEL that make it an important piece of the curriculum puzzle.

Oct 18, 2019

Our Top Five Resources in September 2019

Each month we publish blogs and several newsletters full of digital learning, funding, professional growth, social media, and STEM resources. Below are items from our blogs and newsletters that educators turned to the most in September.

Oct 11, 2019

Being Heroes and Changing Lives Forever

There is nothing more beautiful than the sound of children reading. That beautiful, bright-eyed face that comes up to you seeing himself or herself as a reader melts my heart. Knowing that you fostered that belief and gave that child a gift that will never stop giving is truly magical.

Oct 04, 2019

New School Year – New Challenges: Survey Results

In September, we posted a survey in the Teaching4Tomorrow blog asking two questions:

1. What was your biggest back-to-school challenge?

2. What is your most effective way to communicate with your parent community?

Sep 27, 2019

What College Couldn't Teach Me About Being a Teacher

Teacher Trevor Muir discusses the stigma that teachers are merely deliverers of content, but the truth is that the work of a successful teacher takes immense creativity.

Sep 20, 2019

Our Top Resources in August 2019

Each month we publish blogs and several newsletters full of digital learning, funding, professional growth, social media, and STEM resources. Below are items from our blogs and newsletters that educators turned to the most in August

Sep 13, 2019

New School Year – New Challenges

School has been in session for a couple of weeks now and we’d love to hear how your year is going. What’s your biggest back to school challenge? What have you found to be the best way to reach out your parent community? Tell us about it in this quick survey. We will compile the results and post about it in a future blog.

Sep 06, 2019

A Vision for You

In July, Big Deal Media hosted its inaugural well-being and leadership summit Power Trip™ for women district leaders. Jessie Woolley-Wilson, CEO of DreamBox Learning, outlined five major themes for more effective leadership and personal growth in her keynote, “A Vision for You.”