Tagged with k-12

Tricks to Help Students Beat Writer’s Block

Tricks to Help Students Beat Writer’s Block

Creative writing can build better English and Language Arts skills, but creative writing is a different beast. If students are uncertain how to start writing, they’ll face what all writers, even professional writers, dread – writer’s block. Here are six activities to inspire their writing. When reading a book, poem, short story, or other lesson, … Continue reading

Explore the Future of K-12 Esports: Competitive Coding

Explore the Future of K-12 Esports: Competitive Coding

Esports has gained recognition as a legitimate growth opportunity for students since 2018 when the National Federation of State Highschool Associations deemed Esports an official sport (NEA.org). Many competitions are open to students, and several colleges offer Esports scholarships. Now there is another branch in Esports growing in popularity: competitive coding. The mainstream gamification of … Continue reading

Bookmark these K-12 Coding Competitions

Bookmark these K-12 Coding Competitions

Bookmark these 2023 STEM competitions that can help students build their leadership, team building, and coding skills in the new year. Looking for more reasons to sign them up? Check out our post on “6 Benefits of Robotics Competitions.” STEM Competitions 1. Wonder Workshop’s Wonder League Robotics Competition (WLRC) Your students can compete with students … Continue reading

Diversifying Teachers to Boost Equity

Diversifying Teachers to Boost Equity

Recruiting minority teachers is a goal for school districts across the U.S. Generation Z is the most culturally diverse generation of Americans, and arguably students will benefit from teachers who reflect this plurality of race and culture. While today it’s hard to find new black educators, that was not always the case. History in brief: … Continue reading

Conquering the Digital Divide: What’s the next hurdle?

Conquering the Digital Divide: What’s the next hurdle?

Arguably phase one of advancing digital equity came down to providing a device for every student, and the pandemic fast-tracked these efforts. Then the pandemic revealed another digital equity hurdle: internet access. Phase two revolved around addressing connectivity issues and kids unable to do their homework, which became known as “The Homework Gap.” The Emergency … Continue reading

Keeping Students Safe on Social

To keep students safe on social media, they need to be aware of many issues, including addictiveness, cyberbullying, age-inappropriate content, and viral social media stunts. For Mental Health Awareness Month, here are a few ways to approach discussions about social media habits to protect students’ safety and mental health. Discuss what students like on social … Continue reading

Future of K-12 SEL: curriculum integration

Future of K-12 SEL: curriculum integration

The pandemic healthcare crisis underscored the need for comprehensive K-12 SEL programs. Public schools experienced a jump in students seeking mental health services since the start of the pandemic, according to a May 2022 study by the National Center for Education Statistics. The majority surveyed are concerned about the lack of resources despite record-breaking federal … Continue reading

Teach Coding Unplugged

Teach Coding Unplugged

It is possible to teach coding unplugged. For National Wellness Month, we’re showcasing Makey Makey, a popular STEAM education solution that is an ingenious way to get kids active and learning to code without all the screentime. Teaching code through invention literacy What is Makey Makey? It’s a perfect way to instill confidence in kids … Continue reading

Keeping Students Safe Online

Keeping Students Safe Online

August is National Wellness Month, making it a great time to start working with your students to develop healthy online habits. Build your cybersecurity literacy to help your students navigate online safety in today’s hyper-connected world with these K-12 online safety tips and resources. Online Gaming Tips  As e-gaming and Esports clubs increase in popularity, … Continue reading