Hey everybody, just like Backstreet, we’re back . . . alright! And while you try to extricate that earworm from your head (you’re welcome!), check out these recent T&L articles you may have missed while you were busy gorging yourself on turkey or knocking over your fellow shoppers to grab that last Barbie Dreamhouse ("It's for the kids, I swear!").
- She Was Sentenced to Life Without Parole. Teaching STEM Gave Her Purpose - After the Supreme Court retroactively overturned mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole for those who were under 18 when convicted, Jessica Hicklin was released after serving 26 years. Now she is devoting herself to helping those still in prison gain access to STEM education with Unlocked Labs.
- Best Free AI Slide Tools - Intrepid T&L web editor
Diana Restifo
embarked on a journey to explore the free AI slide tools available, hoping to discover gold—or at least bitcoin. After testing the best free ones, what she actually discovered is more like lead than gold, although some do offer useful features.
- Kahoot! vs Blooket: Which is Best for Your Class? - Q: Which is the best quiz-style learning platform for your teaching needs? A: This side-by-side comparison guide from our techie extraordinaire
Luke Edwards
can help you determine that.
- 4 Education Trends Beyond AI - “Since ChatGPT debuted in late 2022, generative AI tools and the associated potential and drawbacks have sucked up a lot of the oxygen in education discussions,” writes T&L senior writer
Erik Ofgang
. Relying on his natural intelligence, he delves into four other current education trends.
- Podcast Praise: Connecting Teachers and Community - Dr. Laurie Fiorenza has created the “Hear It From a Huskie” podcast to showcase the great work of the teachers in Oak Park and River Forest High School in Illinois. She shares advice for anyone interested in doing the same, including 5 steps for starting a podcast.
- Using Tech & Data to Empower Teachers - Recent T&L Innovative Leader Award winner Mary Jane Warden is excited about the future of tech in education, including the potential of data to better inform teacher and district leader decisions. But she acknowledges it’s easy to get lost in mountains of data. “Many teachers are not spreadsheet users,” she says.
- Updates: How to Use ThingLink and/or DuoLingo to Teach - Like your waistline after Thanksgiving, edtech is constantly changing. Here's what’s new with these two popular teaching tools.
Alright, time to quit playing games. Hope you wanted it that way!
